MASARYKUV USTAV A ARCHIV AV CR VVI

Their core work

The Masaryk Institute and Archives is a research institute within the Czech Academy of Sciences specializing in modern Czech and Central European history, with particular strength in archival science and historical documentation. Their core work examines 20th-century population movements, citizenship policies, and the complex ethnic histories of East-Central Europe. They also contribute significantly to European Holocaust research infrastructure, helping build shared digital tools and archives for scholars studying the Holocaust across borders.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

All three H2020 projects began in 2019–2020, so evolution within the programme is limited. However, the portfolio reveals a clear dual identity: original historical research (UnRef, ERC-funded) alongside research infrastructure development (EHRI). The ERC Consolidator Grant signals that the institute has reached a level of scholarly maturity where individual researchers can compete for Europe's most prestigious funding, while the EHRI involvement shows growing commitment to shared digital infrastructure for the humanities.

Moving from purely national archival work toward building pan-European digital research infrastructure for the humanities, making them increasingly relevant for large-scale cross-border history projects.

How they like to work

They balance leadership and partnership — coordinating their own ERC project (UnRef) while serving as a contributing partner in the large EHRI consortium. With 25 unique partners across 17 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in broad, international consortia rather than small bilateral teams. This suggests an organization comfortable working across institutions and borders, likely a reliable and experienced consortium partner for humanities infrastructure projects.

Despite only three projects, they have built connections with 25 partner organizations across 17 countries — largely through the EHRI network, which spans major Holocaust memorial institutions and archives across Europe and Israel. Their network is strongly anchored in the humanities and memory institutions sector.

What sets them apart

Their combination of deep archival expertise with active participation in digital research infrastructure is uncommon among humanities institutes. The ERC Consolidator Grant on refugee history demonstrates individual research excellence, while the EHRI involvement shows they can contribute to large-scale collaborative infrastructure. For consortium builders, they offer a rare bridge between Czech/Central European archival holdings and pan-European digital humanities networks.

Highlights from their portfolio

• UnRef
  ERC Consolidator Grant worth nearly €2M — the most competitive individual research funding in Europe — focused on the under-studied history of refugees in East-Central Europe.
• EHRI-3
  Part of a flagship European research infrastructure connecting Holocaust archives across countries, positioning the institute as a key node in transnational memory research.