Historical Diary Sources on the Shoah and Digital Tools
A program dedicated to a combined approach of reading and digital textometry for the interpretation of texts
May 16 (online) and June 16 (Milan)
As part of the European Avalanche project, the Fondazione Centro di Documentazione Ebraica Contemporanea (CDEC), together with the Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines–Université Paris-Saclay, is organizing a program focused on a combined approach of reading and textometry for textual analysis. The initiative is structured into two parts—a lecture and a workshop—aimed at deepening the understanding of several Holocaust-era diaries that are part of CDEC’s archival and library holdings.
[visit dedicated page on CDEC website]
The program offers teachers the opportunity to introduce their students to new ways of engaging with knowledge, and is also open to university students and professionals interested in learning how to extract data from texts.
On Friday, May 16, the opening lecture will be delivered by Anna Iuso, Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Sapienza University of Rome. She will explore diary writing as a social practice within the broader framework of self-writing, to help participants engage with the selected texts: the diaries of Emanuele Artom, Silvia Grunfeld, and Silvia Allegrini Forti in Lombroso.
Time: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, online.
On Monday, June 16, a workshop on digital textometry for corpus analysis using an open-source platform will be led by Giovanni Pietro Vitali, cultural representations historian at the Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines – Université Paris – Saclay, specialized in Digital Humanities and Spatial Humanities, and Martin Nicastro, researcher at the University of Pavia and Liverpool University. The workshop will include lectures and hands-on exercises. A detailed program will be sent to registered participants.
Time: 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Classroom of the Shoah Memorial in Milan.
Coordination and organization: Patrizia Baldi. Program developed in collaboration with Giovanni Pietro Vitali.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
To participate in the June 16 workshop, participants must have a computer with at least 5–10 GB of available space and one of the following operating systems: Windows (7 or later), Linux, or Mac OSX.
The following software must be installed on the participant’s computer:
- Google Chrome
- OpenOffice
- A text file reader such as Notepad / TextEdit / Gnote
The program is limited to 25 participants, including upper secondary school teachers, scholars, researchers, university students, and cultural heritage professionals. No prior computer skills are required.
Participation is free of charge. Travel expenses are the responsibility of the participants.
Applications: by May 11, 2025, by filling out the registration form at this link.
For information: edu@cdec.it
Selected candidates will be notified by May 12 and must confirm participation by May 13.
This activity is organized by the Fondazione Centro di Documentazione Ebraica Contemporanea CDEC and the Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines–Université Paris-Saclay, in partnership with Mu.Bat Association, Regesta.exe, and Italgas Heritage Lab, as part of the project Audio Visuals and Languages Analysis Network for Cultural Heritage in Europe – Avalanche of Democracy, funded by the European Union’s CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) program..