KAZERNE DOSSIN MEMORIAAL, MUSEUM ENDOCUMENTATIECENTRUM OVER HOLOCAUSTEN MENSENRECHTEN

Their core work

Kazerne Dossin is a Belgian memorial, museum, and documentation center focused on the Holocaust and human rights, located in Mechelen — the site of the former SS transit camp from which over 25,000 Jews and Roma were deported. They maintain archives, collections, and research infrastructure related to Holocaust documentation. Within EU research, they contribute specifically to the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI), providing archival expertise, digitized collections, and documentation resources to a pan-European network of Holocaust research institutions.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Kazerne Dossin's H2020 involvement shows remarkable consistency rather than evolution — all three projects are successive phases of the same European Holocaust Research Infrastructure. The progression from EHRI (initial integration, 2015-2019) through EHRI-PP (preparatory phase for permanent infrastructure, 2019-2023) to EHRI-3 (full implementation, 2020-2025) reflects a deepening commitment and growing role, evidenced by funding increasing from EUR 127,500 to EUR 536,875. This trajectory suggests a shift from contributing content to actively shaping the permanent infrastructure itself.

Kazerne Dossin is moving from a content contributor toward a structural partner in establishing EHRI as a permanent European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), suggesting growing institutional weight in this domain.

How they like to work

Kazerne Dossin operates exclusively as a participant, never as coordinator — consistent with a specialized content-holding institution contributing to a larger infrastructure effort. With 26 unique consortium partners across 18 countries, they work in large, distributed consortia typical of research infrastructure projects. Their loyalty to the EHRI consortium across three successive phases signals reliability and deep integration with this specific network.

Connected to 26 partners across 18 countries through the EHRI consortium, which includes major Holocaust archives, memorial institutions, and research centers across Europe and Israel. Their network is highly specialized but geographically extensive within the Holocaust research community.

What sets them apart

Kazerne Dossin occupies a distinctive position as both a site of historical significance (former SS transit camp) and an active research/documentation center. This dual identity as memorial and research institution gives them credibility and archival holdings that purely academic partners cannot offer. For any consortium working on Holocaust documentation, digital heritage, or human rights memory infrastructure, they bring both the collections and the institutional mission that funders value.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EHRI-3
  Largest funding allocation (EUR 536,875) and the operational phase aimed at establishing EHRI as a permanent European research infrastructure — a rare milestone for heritage projects.
• EHRI-PP
  Preparatory phase project bridging initial research integration and permanent infrastructure status, indicating Kazerne Dossin was trusted to participate through the critical institutional design stage.