Digital Holocaust memory: A study of Italian Holocaust museums and their social media users

Cultural institutions responsible for preserving and transmitting the history and memory of the Holocaust include museums and memorials. These institutions remind visitors of the tragedy and aim to educate them about the events that led to it, the people affected and the lessons that can be learned from it. They also serve to honour the victims and those involved in relief efforts. Additionally, museums play a crucial role in disseminating cultural memory, which encompasses both individual and collective processes. As Nora describes, museums can be considered “lieux de mémoire”, symbolic elements of a community’s memory and ethical projects that encourage visitors to learn from the past, fostering a common sense of guilt and responsibility that binds the nation together.4 This is particularly true of memorial museums, which act as a form of public education and help community members remember and reflect on difficult events from the past. By engaging with these memories and understanding their significance, people can learn from the past and form a shared sense of responsibility for the future.