DOKUMENTACNE STREDISKO HOLOKAUSTU OBCIANSKE ZDRUZENIE

Their core work

The Holocaust Documentation Center (HDC) in Bratislava is Slovakia's dedicated institution for documenting, preserving, and making accessible historical records related to the Holocaust in Slovakia and Central Europe. Within EU-funded research, they contribute to the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI), helping digitize, interconnect, and open up dispersed Holocaust archives across Europe. Their work ensures that fragmented collections held in smaller national archives become discoverable and usable by researchers, educators, and the public.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

HDC's focus has remained remarkably consistent across all three projects (2015–2025), reflecting a long-term institutional commitment to the EHRI initiative rather than thematic shifts. The progression from EHRI (research infrastructure building) through EHRI-PP (preparatory phase for permanent status) to EHRI-3 suggests the organization has matured from a data-contributing partner toward deeper involvement in establishing EHRI as a permanent European research infrastructure. Their growing funding (from EUR 40,500 to EUR 86,950 at peak) indicates an expanding role within the consortium over time.

HDC is moving with EHRI toward becoming part of a permanent European research infrastructure (ERIC), which would secure their role as a long-term node in pan-European Holocaust research.

How they like to work

HDC operates exclusively as a participant in large, well-established consortia — they have never coordinated an H2020 project. With 26 unique partners across 17 countries, they are embedded in one of the broader networks in the humanities infrastructure space, though this breadth comes from a single recurring consortium (EHRI) rather than diverse project engagement. Working with them means joining a well-organized, multi-national infrastructure effort where roles are clearly defined and continuity is valued.

HDC's network spans 26 partners across 17 countries, almost entirely through the EHRI consortium. This gives them connections to major Holocaust research institutions, national archives, and memorial organizations across Europe and beyond.

What sets them apart

HDC is Slovakia's only dedicated Holocaust documentation institution, making them the essential national node for any pan-European Holocaust research initiative. For consortium builders working on memory studies, digital humanities, or cultural heritage infrastructure, HDC provides irreplaceable access to Slovak Holocaust archives and regional expertise that no other partner can offer. Their decade-long continuity within EHRI demonstrates institutional reliability and deep domain knowledge.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EHRI-PP
  The preparatory phase project represents the highest funding HDC received (EUR 86,950) and marks the critical transition toward making EHRI a permanent European research infrastructure.
• EHRI-3
  The most recent iteration (2020–2025) demonstrates HDC's sustained commitment and growing role across a full decade of continuous involvement in the EHRI initiative.