Many countries have regulations that seek to protect historical memory of the Holocaust. But which types of laws exist? And are they effective? What are the best policy, legal and educational approaches to counter denial and distortion of the historical record of the Holocaust? The Holocaust Denial and Distortion Laws Project is thoroughly reviewing the memory laws used in IHRA Member Countries, as well as the state of knowledge and use of these regulations.  

By initiating cooperation among relevant networks and experts in the field, the project will strengthen international exchange on the uses and misuses of memory laws. To promote good practices, the project group will develop a handbook that will include a toolkit with resources and recommendations for policymakers, the judiciary, and training programs on how to respond to misuses of Holocaust history and memory. 

Members of the project team include Robert Williams (USA), Oscar Österberg (SE), Brigitte Bailer (AT), Jan Lazicki (PL), Gadi Luzzatto Voghera (IT), Alex Maws (UK), Oliver von Mengersen (DE), Michael Newman (UK), Rt. Hon. Lord Eric Pickles (UK), Karen Pollock (UK), Ricardo Ruiz de la Serna (ES), Suzanne Rutland (AU), Lesley Weiss (US), Francois Wisard (CH), Felicia Waldman (RO).

 

What are Holocaust denial laws? 

Project Chair Robert Williams explains what Holocaust denial laws are, how they are used today, and open questions concerning their effectiveness.

Handbook on Memory Laws

The IHRA Project on Holocaust Denial and Distortion Laws is drafting a resource that will provide help in better understanding laws dealing with the memory of the Holocaust and how they can be best applied.

Recent Activities

Laws

The project group published a series of preliminary recommendations based on their initial evaluation of memory laws. 

 

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Workshop

Experts held a workshop from 29 – 30 July 2019 to discuss memory laws and their impact, as well as current research on the topic. 

 

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Learn more about the IHRA’s work to counter Holocaust denial and distortion.