A new study from the Hertie School sheds some light on these questions. It is a remarkable comment on the effectiveness of participatory formats for remembering Nazi atrocities. Temple University’s Ruth Ditlmann was a research coordinator on the study. It was focused on the #everynamecounts project, a digital crowdsourcing initiative led by the Arolsen Archives. The project engages volunteers to help digitize historical documents related to the persecution of all Nazis’ victim groups. This gives volunteers from all levels the chance to make a direct impact on preserving history.
The project surveyed about 1,500 people. Its purpose was to contrast the impacts of active remembrance work with more typical practices that only informed audiences. Findings revealed that individuals who engaged actively in the #everynamecounts project were more likely to believe they could help maintain the memory of Nazi crimes and make meaningful contributions toward a future free from hatred and exclusion.
Active Involvement Yields Strong Results
Participants in the study were divided into two randomized groups: one group actively participated in the #everynamecounts project, while the other received little to no information about it. The results were striking. Participants in the project reported more confidence in their ability to make a difference in remembrance.
Ruth Ditlmann emphasized the implications of these findings, stating, “Our results demonstrate the potential of participatory approaches compared to traditional methods that focus on information transfer.” Bringing people into the act of remembering encourages more personal investment in understanding and confronting the impacts of historical injustices. It equips them to rise to their civic momentous task, as well.
Even though the stakes were high, personal investment was key, as underscored by Floriane Azoulay, director of the Arolsen Archives. She continued, “Having active, low-threshold, personal, and meaningful engagement in digital remembrance projects is very important to us. The study now even demonstrates: A personal involvement in #everynamecounts creates a collective and powerful form of remembrance that was not possible before—personal and globally connected, while engaging with others.”
Broader Historical Awareness
The study’s findings suggest that actively engaging with Nazi crimes can lead participants to become more aware of other historical injustices, including colonial crimes. This web-like quality deepens the understanding of what brought us to the present moment and what that means for modern society.
Berenike Firestone, a researcher at WZB, observed that participants demonstrated increased motivation to commemorate victims of German colonialism after engaging with the #everynamecounts project. “At least on an individual level, this contradicts the claim that memory work is a zero-sum game in which commemorating different cases of past injustice takes away from the attention given to any one of them,” she stated.
Drawing connections between various historical injustices deepens ongoing conversations about the work of memory. Fellows left with an increased commitment to advocate for archives and efforts that chronicle these wrongs.
Encouraging Civic Engagement
This academic endeavor is not just about remembering past horrors. Its purpose is to encourage young evangelicals to become more engaged in civic life. Participants were given a sense of agency by the act of contributing to the #everynamecounts project. They started to understand their power to speak out for justice and to educate.
Ditlmann noted, “Participatory approaches strengthen the belief in one’s own efficacy—a key driver of civic engagement.” This finding underscores how active participation can cultivate a sense of agency among individuals, encouraging them to take further action in their communities.