Elie Wiesel National Institute for Studying the Holocaust in Romania: Memory, Education and Research

Institutul Național pentru Studierea Holocaustului din România Elie Wiesel (the Elie Wiesel National Institute for Studying the Holocaust in Romania) is one of the main institutions engaged with conducting research, study and commemoration related to this area of oppression, i.e. in the context mostly but not exclusively concerning Romania. Founded in 2005, its mission is to also keep the memory of the horrors of Holocaust alive whilst raising awareness about its historical importance as well ensuring that the lessons of this dark chapter in humankind are never forgotten. The Elie Wiesel National Institute for Studying the Holocaust in Romania is named in honor of Holocaust survivor, Nobel laureate and human rights advocate Elie Wiesel. [Credit: Elie Wiesel National Institute for Studying the Holocaust in Romania]

This text follows the history, mission, activities and importance of this Institute in educating future generations on issues related to the Holocaust and ensuring that its memory is kept alive in the collective memory of Romania and beyond.

Background to the Elie Wiesel National Institute

The institute was established last year in Romania, which has a historical obligation to study what occurred during the Second World War when there had been an Ion Antonescu dictatorship. Romania had been an Axis power with Nazi Germany under the regime of Ion Antonescu from 1940 to 1944, resulting in the systematic persecution, deportation, and killing of Jews and other minorities particularly inside Transnistria, Bessarabia and Bukovina. More than 400,000 Jews were killed, and the savage activity of the Romanian regime — frequently in collusion with Nazi forces — are viewed as some of the most awful pages in Holocaust historyand Holocaust period.

Despite recent attempts by Romania to come to terms with its past, there was a long-standing lack of a singular body focusing on study, memory and education around such the scale and implications of the Holocaust in Romania. This became particularly relevant since the fall of Communism in 1989, which opened a window for more accountability regarding the past crimes of the Romanian state during the war.

The Elie Wiesel Institute was set up by the Romanian government and named after one of the most famous Holocaust survivors in the world. Born in Sighetu Marmației, north Romania he survived the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Buchenwald. His memoir Night has been translated into 30 languages and sold more than 10 million copies, establishing one of the most famous voices on the Holocaust and prompting his more than half-century long dedication towards teaching the world about the Holocaust as well as human rights. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for fighting intolerance and fostering human dignity, and the Elie Wiesel Institute was founded in his honour.

Institute Mission and Vision

The Elie Wiesel National Institute focuses on three areas: research, education and commemoration. The Institute intends to achieve these goals through activities that are directed towards ensuring that the Holocaust will not be forgotten, raising awareness of its historical significance among young generations and promoting continued research on the topic.

Research: The Institute encourages and nurtures academic research on the Holocaust in Romania, examining the involvement of Romanian authorities, the fate of Jewish and Roma communities, and their repercussions in other parts of Europe. The site funds useful resources for historians, researchers and students who need to research the complex history of what happened in Romania during the time of Holocaust by providing them with relevant primary sources or archival materials. The Institute contributes to the global scholarly community in other ways as it also hosts international conferences and symposiums, along with academic collaborations.

Education: The Elie Wiesel Institute seeks to teach not just students and scholars but also the general public. The Institute provides teacher training programmes, public lectures, exhibitions and workshops. Its programs are intended to ensure young people learn the historical facts of the Holocaust as well as its moral, ethical, and social lessons. Aside from its educational mission, the Institute also integrates the Holocaust within Romanian schools curriculum and asks local communities to face their history through discussion and poise.

Commemoration: The Institute fulfills a vital function for the memory of what happened during the Holocaust and to its victims. This includes an annual observance of the National Holocaust Remembrance Day, celebrated on October 9th each year as a day of remembrance for the victims of the Jassy–Kish pogrom and of the deportations of Jews from Romania during World War II. In addition, it had contributed to the construction of monuments/memorials of the victims of the Holocaust in Romania: as part of this activity, a study was published on the Holocaust Memorial in Bucharest.

Key Activities and Programs

The Elie Wiesel National Institute has a number of key programs that reflect its mission in the areas of research, education and commemoration. Here are some of the most impactful initiatives-

Holocaust Education Programs

It provides programs and activities to educate the public about the Holocaust in Romania. Stadler said Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial, trains Romanian teachers on how to teach about the Holocaust and its relevance. They include workshops, lectures and teacher resources that provide an in-depth understanding of the events as well as critical thinking around history and memory.

Along with teacher training, the Institute conducts student programs encouraging students to learn about Holocaust history. The institute's museum displays and documentary presentations also aim to educate the general public about the atrocities of the holocaust and human rights.

Academic Work and Papers

The Elie Wiesel Institute is an important driving force behind Holocaust Studies. It holds academic conferences and partners with other institutions to foster scholarly conversations about the Holocaust its consequences. It publishes books, articles, and journals contributing to the ever-expanding body of Holocaust scholarship, especially in relation to Romania’s role during the Holocaust. The Institute has also established a digital archive of documents, photographs and survivor testimony available to researchers globally.

Memorialization and Monuments

Commemorating Holocaust victims is one of the most crucial functions of the Institute. This involves national events as well as local initiatives to create Holocaust memorials across the country. Some of the important projects linked to the Institute include Bucharest Holocaust Memorial and Sighet Romanian Holocaust Memorial. In preserving the memory of these crimes, the Institute works with survivors and their families to make sure that survivor testimonials are recorded and available for future generations.

International Partnerships

The Elie Wiesel Institute set upon a path of building strong partnerships with many international organizations involved in Holocaust education and human rights including the United States Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Education Trust. Such collaborations play an important role in putting Romania on the international map of Holocaust remembrance and education. It also participates in international seminars and cooperation programs that convene academics, educators, and human rights activists.

Impact and Challenges

Over the years, Elie Wiesel National Institute has been a forerunner in Holocaust education and research in Romania. So far, it has helped to change the way in which the Romanian public sees its history regarding WWII and Holocaust. That said, this is not an easy task. The legacy of the Holocaust in Romania is still a subject matter that creates discomfort and remains open for interpretation concerning the contribution of various political regimes inside or outside Romania during or after the war.

That these conversations are continuing — and that Romania's role in the Holocaust is not overlooked –– is due, in part to the ongoing work of the Elie Wiesel Institute. The work of the Institute is important not only for remembering the Shoah but also for combating antisemitism and intolerance in societies today.

Edict of the Romanian Government regarding the Elie Wiesel National Institute for Studying the Holocaust in Romania The presence ofthe Elie Wiesel National Institute for Studying the Holocaust inRomania is essential to preserving the memory, research and educationof the Holocaust. The Institute is named to honor the legacy of one of the leading voices in Holocaust remembrance, and it will continue to fulfill that mission through a commitment to accurate history, education and memorialization. Serving as a leading research and scholarly center, the Institute helps deepen understanding of Romania's complicity in the Holocaust while ensuring that the lessons of this dark chapter in history are transmitted to new generations.