Research Associate in the field of Digital Humanities (f/m/d)

The Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History Munich–Berlin (IfZ) has a vacancy from 1 June 2025 for a

Research Associate in the field of Digital Humanities (f/m/d)

within the project “H-DIARIES. The first testimonies of the Holocaust written by Jewish victims. Analysis, inventory, mapping”.

The full-time position at the Center for Holocaust Studies is remunerated at salary group 13 TV-L and is limited to a three-year contract. The place of work is Munich. As per the job-related requirements, the position is also suitable for part-time employment.

The Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History (IfZ) is an independent non-university research institution that examines the history of Germany within European and global contexts from the 20th century to the present day. It is a member of the Leibniz Association and is institutionally funded by the federal and state governments; additionally, the IfZ raises third-party funding for a wide range of research projects on contemporary history. The Center for Holocaust Studies, established in 2013, is an international academic and communication center for Holocaust research. It organizes conferences and workshops, conducts research and editorial projects and contributes to university teaching on the topic of the Holocaust.

The French-German research project “H-DIARIES - The first testimonies of the Holocaust written by Jewish victims. Analysis, inventory, mapping” is being jointly carried out by The Center for Holocaust Studies and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris and is funded for three years by the DFG and the ANR. While Holocaust diaries have become crucial sources for the growing field of Holocaust historiography in recent decades, they have, with a few exceptions, rarely been studied as objects in their own right. Furthermore, they have not been situated within broader geographical, temporal, and material contexts. Our project aims to conduct an extensive study of diaries written by Jews during the Shoah as a distinct corpus. The project will first identify and then comprehensively investigate these diaries. To do so, the diaries will be collected in a database and analyzed. A key focus is geographical analysis over time, which will be supported by appropriate data modeling. We plan to document the Shoah through a source basis of unprecedented scope, capturing both the diversity and convergences of Holocaust experiences. The project will facilitate the writing of transnational histories of the Holocaust from the diarists’ perspectives, as well as develop conceptual, methodological, educational, and digital tools to approach these sources as a distinct and cohesive collection.

Your Responsibilities:

• Adapting the digital nodegoat instance (see nodegoat.net), provided by the Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History, for the project
• Ongoing fine-tuning of the data model, including adaptation of data already collected using nodegoat functionalities or external tools
• Importing data from Excel files into the nodegoat instance, if necessary after cleaning and enrichment using tools such as OpenRefine
• Customization of the nodegoat instance public website in collaboration with the development company LAB1100
• Training project staff

Your Profile:

• Very good Master's degree or Diploma in Digital Humanities, Data Management, Information Sciences, or History (or another methodologically similar humanities subject) with a focus on Digital Humanities, PhD degree is desirable
• Knowledge of relational databases
• Knowledge of common DH tools such as OpenRefine, scripting languages such as Python or R, and exchange formats such as CSV, XML or JSON
• Basic knowledge of (research) data management
• Good written and oral communication skills, especially in German, English and ideally also in French
• Strong social skills, team orientation, and flexibility

The following skills are also desirable:

• Knowledge of basic web technologies
• Good knowledge of German and European contemporary history, especially with a focus on the history of National Socialism and the Holocaust
• Experience in database user support
• Proficiency in MS Office applications

What we offer:

• An interesting, varied position in a professionally challenging field
• A stimulating and lively working environment
• Flexible working hours
• Attractive social benefits such as a company pension scheme (VBL) and capital accumulation benefits (vermögenswirksame Leistungen)
• Very good working conditions and a pleasant working atmosphere

The Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History strives to achieve gender balance in all of its employment groups. We support women and therefore expressly encourage them to apply. We additionally aim to further improve the balance between work and family life. People with severe disabilities will be given priority if they are equally qualified.

Please send your application documents in German or English (in particular, curriculum vitae with detailed information on experience to date, university/qualification diploma(s) or certificate(s), and any other relevant supporting material) in one PDF file (max. 10 MB) by e-mail (bewerbung(at)ifz-muenchen.de) to the Director of the Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History, Prof. Dr. Andreas Wirsching, Leonrodstraße 46b, 80636 Munich, by 23.03.2025, quoting the reference numberM2025-02.

We look forward to receiving your application. If you have any questions or require further information, please contact the Director of the Center for Holocaust Studies and Co-Coordinator of the H-DIARIES project Prof. Dr. Andrea Löw (loew(at)ifz-muenchen.de) and Digital Humanities Research Associate and H-DIARIES Project Advisor Michael Pilarski (pilarski(at)ifz-muenchen.de).

Please note the data protection information at www.ifz-muenchen.de/data-protection-application.