European Memory Data Space. Blueprint: Towards extensive accessibility to Holocaust Memory
Under the leadership of the Jewish Heritage Network, the EMDS Blueprint project has been launched with the goal of developing an online platform that interconnects digital information sources related to the legacy and memory of the Holocaust. This initiative fosters a dialogue between specialized sectors in the digital field and leading professionals across Europe working in Holocaust memory—a field in which many AEPJ members particularly excel.
Hosted by the National Holocaust Museum in The Netherlands, the event promoted a cross-sectoral debate among professionals aimed at identifying key needs, challenges, risks, strengths, and opportunities encountered by those working in Holocaust heritage and memory and those working on digital platforms. The confluence between both fields is addressed not only as a space for visibility but also as a domain for knowledge exchange and a catalyst for action in awareness-raising, education, and content creation based on existing data.
In addition to presentations from key institutions in the Data Spaces sector—such as the International Data Spaces Association, Europeana, the PostPlatforms Foundation, and GAIA-X—the event included a series of discussion sessions to establish an initial overview of the role of media, public digital infrastructures, AI, educational systems, and the frameworks provided by funding opportunities, data management, and the requirements to ensure the longevity and accessibility of information.
Starting from the observation that while Europe’s work over recent decades has produced an enormous amount of information, the lack of accessible online data severely limits its usability, interconnectivity, traceability, and visibility; the long-term challenge the project aims to address: improving access to this knowledge. In this regard, EMDS Blueprint embarks on a fifteen-month process that will engage a wide range of stakeholders from both Holocaust memory and digital sectors in order to define the future structure of EMDS and how it should interface with existing data networks.
Beyond contributing content and connecting professionals from the Jewish heritage sector with those from the digital field, EMDS Blueprint will lay the groundwork for a broader projection of the narratives, heritage, and memory at the heart of the European Routes of Jewish Heritage.
AEPJ shares this journey with other valuable partners in the field of Holocaust memory education such as Centropa, TerraForming, Combating Antisemitism Movement, Post Bellum, and digital partners like PostPlatforms Foundation and, mainly, Jewish Heritage Network itself.
EMDS Blueprint is a project co-funded by the European Union’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme.
