Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies (VWI)

The Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies (VWI) is active in three central fields: research, documentation and education of all issues related to antisemitism, racism and the Holocaust, including its origins and aftermath.

VWI research activities centre around the fellowship program and around scholarly projects. Fellows guarantee flexibility and an open relationship to the free research scene. The ongoing intensive exchange between young as well as established researchers ensures permanent academic innovation, safeguards the integration of new questions and methods in the ongoing and emerging institute research and events programme.

The centrepieces of documentation at VWI are the Holocaust-related parts of the archive of the Jewish Community Vienna (Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien, IKG), which will be on loan to the institute at its new location and are currently being digitalised, as well as Simon Wiesenthal's extensive estate. Other, smaller relevant archives, collections and estates will gradually be added. VWI research activities in the form of projects and publications are to build on these collections that are owned by or accessible via the institute.

The third pillar of VWI activity owes to the institute's dedication to the central idea of European enlightenment: the education of responsible adults based on the transfer of knowledge. Scholarly lectures, conferences and events are to engage a broad public into confronting antisemitism, racism, the Holocaust and genocide via the presentation of important research results on these subjects. However, it is also important to develop and try out new, even experimental concepts: The VWI intends to stage exhibitions as well as initiating interventions in the public sphere and developing new internet projects. Beyond that, new teaching methods and teaching aids for schools will be put up for discussion in the context of academic events.