ERIAC Executive Director Appointed to the International Advisory Board of Bergen-Belsen Memorial

Dr. Anna Mirga-Kruszelnicka, Executive Director of the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC), has been appointed to the International Advisory Board of the Bergen-Belsen Memorial. This marks the first time a Roma representative joins the board, a historic step toward inclusive remembrance and representation. With a four-year mandate, she will contribute to the development of the memorial’s new permanent exhibition.

The Bergen-Belsen Memorial is dedicated to the memory of the victims of National Socialism at Bergen-Belsen. The Bergen-Belsen Memorial offers extensive educational programmes, conducts research on individuals and enables the use of the collection and the library. It also develops and lends out various travelling exhibitions and participates in various research and educational projects.

The Bergen-Belsen concentration camp memorial was established in a phased process following the camp’s liberation in April 1945. Initial commemorative efforts were undertaken by survivors, but between 1946 and 1952 the site was formally developed into a state-recognized memorial, including the construction of an obelisk and inscription wall. This process was later expanded through the opening of an official exhibition in 1966 and the inauguration of a comprehensive Documentation Centre with a permanent exhibition in 2007.