Newsletter June 2026
Dear friends and supporters,
Welcome to our newsletter, which brings you the latest news from the National Fund and the Cemeteries Fund. For the National Fund, the first half of 2026 has been defined by active remembrance, landmark decisions, and the development of our future-facing culture of remembrance, which transcends national borders.
The National Fund Conference "Rethinking remembrance": Challenges in the digital realm
The National Fund and the Second President of the National Council, Peter Haubner, warmly invite you to the conference “Rethinking Remembrance” on 19 June 2026, at the Austrian Parliament. The event will address pressing issues surrounding Holocaust denial and distortion in online media, where antisemitic and anti-Roma narratives are increasingly amplified by algorithms and AI-generated content.
Following opening remarks by Peter Haubner, a keynote address by historian Philipp Blom and an interview with media experts Ingrid Brodnig and Jannis Johannmeier (moderated by Rebekka Salzer), participants will work together in interactive sessions to develop concrete strategies for contemporary educational approaches.
Decisions taken at the meetings of the Board of Trustees of the National Fund and the Cemeteries Fund on 18 May 2026
Photo: Parlamentsdirektion/Thomas Topf
At the meetings of the Board of Trustees held on 18 May 2026, key decisions were taken on Austrian memorial and remembrance policy. A total of 118 applications for project funding were submitted for the National Fund’s current funding period. Funding was approved for 84 of these applications in an amount totalling 896,714 euros. Of this, 461,000 euros went to six social and medical programmes, and 425,714 euros to 78 projects on coming to terms with the Nazi era and commemorating its victims.
Building bridges: Dialogue forum on the Austria–Israel schools partnership
Photos: National Fund/Johannes Zinner; Parlamentsdirektion/Bernadette Sattler-Remling
On 20 May 2026, the dialogue forum on the “Austria–Israel Schools Partnership” took place at Palais Epstein. Following a welcome address by the Second President of the National Council, Peter Haubner, and opening remarks by Judith Pfeffer, Managing Director of the National Fund, Jakob Calice (Managing Director of the OeAD), Hannah Lessing (Managing Director of the National Fund) and Barbara Schrotter (Head of Department at the Ministry of Education) addressed the central question: “Why enter into a schools partnership with Israel?” Alongside an academic keynote speech and a practical exchange of experiences for pupils, teachers and school leaders, the focus was on a panel discussion entitled “From curiosity to connection: school partnerships as a bridge to understanding and friendship”. The exchange programme, established in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the OeAD, combines intercultural learning with historical responsibility and raises awareness of Jewish life whilst combating contemporary forms of antisemitism.
In the spirit of remembrance: commemorative events and liberation celebrations in May
Photos: Parlamentsdirektion/Thomas Topf; BKA/Regina Aigner
Both official and grassroots remembrance events took place in May. On 5 May 2026, the anniversary of the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp, a commemorative ceremony against violence and racism was held in the Federal Assembly Hall of the Parliament. The focus this year was on the Memorial Service as a cornerstone of remembrance work, and the commemorative address was delivered by contemporary eyewitness Hedi Schnabl Argent.
On 8 May 2026, the Republic marked the 81st anniversary of the liberation from National Socialism and the end of the Second World War in Europe at the Federal Chancellery. Managing Director Hannah Lessing whose counterpart on the National Fund’s Managing Board, Judith Pfeffer, also took part, led the commemorative service and the keynote address was delivered by Ivan Krastev.
In addition to these state ceremonies, the international liberation ceremonies co-funded by the National Fund were held at the former concentration camps of Gusen and Mauthausen, and the “Festival of Joy” took place on Vienna’s Heldenplatz.
Milestone for central memorial to Roma and Sinti: location confirmed
Photos: National Fund/Johannes Zinner
A significant milestone has been reached for the planned central memorial to the victims of National Socialism from the Roma and Sinti communities: following a consultation process coordinated by the National Fund and the unanimous decision of the ethnic group and the Ethnic Group Advisory Board, the memorial will be erected in Weghuberpark in front of the Ministry of Justice in Vienna’s 7th District.
Around 90 per cent of the approximately 11,000 members of this ethnic minority in Austria fell victim to Nazi tyranny – the memorial is now intended to give this victim group, which has long been far too peripheral in the public awareness, its rightful place in Austrian remembrance culture and to send a signal against ongoing anti-Gypsyism.
Following the successful selection of the site, preparations are already underway for the two-stage, Europe-wide artistic competition to design the memorial, with the call for entries scheduled for autumn 2026.
International cooperation: Lecture and exhibition opening in Dublin
Photo: Austrian Embassy Dublin
On 16 April 2026, the National Fund paid a visit to the University College Dublin: As part of the “XVIII Annual Austrian History Lecture”, Hannah Lessing delivered a lecture on the topic “The Holocaust Today: Legacy or Burden? An Austrian Perspective”. The lecture was followed by a panel discussion with descendants of Holocaust survivors. Afterwards, the National Fund’s exhibition was officially opened in the Gardiner Atrium of the university building, offering participants further opportunity for discussion and exploration of the subject matter during the reception that followed.
Commitment to digital Holocaust research: The National Fund within the EHRI network
Photos: Pfoser ZT; VWI/Teresa Preis
As an active partner of the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI), the National Fund continues to provide fresh impetus in 2026.
The “Long Night of Research” in April offered a glimpse into this work: together with the Vienna Wiesenthal Institute (VWI), interested members of the public were shown how files from the National Fund and dispersed historical sources can be made accessible for academic and private family research via digital resources such as the online finding aid, the Findbuch, and the EHRI portal.
A highlight in the academic calendar will follow from 28 to 30 September 2026 at the Former Synagogue in St. Pölten: Together with the Institute for the Jewish History of Austria (Injoest), the Documentation Centre of the Austrian Resistance (DÖW) and the Institute of Contemporary History in Munich, the National Fund is organising the international EHRI seminar “Victims. Perpetrators. Data.” The interdisciplinary conference will address the sensitive challenge of transforming historical biographies into digital datasets in an ethically responsible manner, whilst also examining the use of modern technologies such as AI and handwriting recognition.
—
We would like to thank all our partners for their valuable and ongoing collaborative efforts and warmly invite you to continue actively following the National Fund’s upcoming activities and events.
Stay up to date! We also regularly share the latest insights and news about our activities on our social media channels. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Bluesky and join the conversation.
With best regards,
Your team at the National Fund