May 29th, Introduction, 10-12 am: at the ZfA (room 1315)
June 9th, 2026: workshop with lectures, 9 am – 8 pm at the Barenboim-Said-Akademie
June 10th, 2026: workshop with lectures, 9 am – 5 pm at the Barenboim-Said-Akademie
June 19th, 2026, Wrap-Up, 12-14 pm: at the ZfA (room 1315)
The students are invited to participate in the international workshop “Assessing the State of Holocaust Studies in the Mid-2020s: Achievements, Shortcomings, Prospects” to be held at the Zentrum für Antisemitismusforschung on June 9th and 10th, 2026 The lectures will explore the field of Holocaust Studies that appears at a critical turning point in the year 2026. With the passing of the last survivors and witnesses, Holocaust Studies has decisively shifted from “contemporary history” (Zeitgeschichte) to history. At the same time, the field of Holocaust Studies faces new pressures—seen not only in tensions with related fields such as genocide studies and in politicized public debates as well as attacks on academia, but also in the context of recent geopolitical shifts, armed conflicts, and wars. Some of these developments predate the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli war in Gaza, events that have prompted more and more scholars to reaffirm or reassess the Holocaust’s place in history and the concept of genocide. In light of these changes and challenges, the lecture series provides a comprehensive assessment of the current state of Holocaust Studies. The students will listen to the lectures presented at the workshop, and will compose reflection papers on selected presentations.
