About

Mission of the Institute

The Institute for Holocaust, Genocide, and Memory Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a locus for research and teaching on the Holocaust, genocides, and events of mass violence as well as on the memory and representation of these historical occurrences. 

Housed near the center of campus in a graceful 1929 Tudor-style house, with an attached lecture and exhibition hall, the Institute’s principal activities include: teaching, research, conferences, workshops, faculty seminars, public events, lectures, and visits to the permanent exhibition. 

IHGMS serves as a space for hosting difficult and frank discussions on controversial topics and a home for dialogue on campus. Here, UMass faculty, graduate students, and invited guests engage in work related to the Holocaust, genocide, mass violence, and cultural memory studies. The institute seeks to bring together scholars from various fields and disciplines to present, debate, and discuss local, national, and global work on history and memory, perpetrators and victims, as well as the aftermath of violence and human rights.  

Our work is motivated by a desire to not only deepen our knowledge about the Holocaust as well as other acts of genocide and mass violence, but also inspire students and the general public to fight hatred, racism, and violence. Thus, we hope to contribute to the creation of a better and more peaceful world.  

To view a copy of our most recent annual report, click here.