Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies

What Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies does

The Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies (VWI) is an international non-profit research institute established in 2011 in Vienna, Austria, co-conceived by Holocaust survivor and Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal. The institute operates across three core pillars — Research, Documentation, and Public History (Vermittlung) — and serves academic researchers, educators, and the general public interested in Holocaust studies, genocide, antisemitism, and racism. Its core service portfolio includes the Simon Wiesenthal Museum (free admission), archival services housing the Simon Wiesenthal Archive and IKG Wien collections, a specialized library with approximately 18,000 media items, an annual international fellowship program (100+ fellows hosted since 2012), and scholarly publications including the open-access S:I.M.O.N. journal, VWI-Studienreihe monographs, and VWI-Beiträge proceedings.

VWI's technical infrastructure comprises digital archive platforms, the Simon Wiesenthal Digital Heritage Platform (preserving his NS case files, correspondence, and collections), and the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI) portal, through which VWI serves as Austria's national coordinator (EHRI-AT). The institute maintains on-site access to video testimony collections from USC Shoah Foundation, Fortunoff Archive, Austrian Heritage Archive, Final Account, and Refugee Voices. Nine or more concurrent research projects are active, covering digital heritage preservation, Holocaust documentation, and transnational comparative studies.

VWI operates as a grant-funded non-profit. Its revenue model relies on donations and institutional funding from the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport (BMBWF), the City of Vienna, the Federal Chancellery of Austria, EU research funding through Horizon programs, and project-specific grants from foundations including EVZ, Rothschild Foundation (Yad Hanadiv), and the Zukunftsfonds der Republik Österreich. All public-facing services — museum admission, library access, and archival scanning — are provided free of charge. The institute has a staff of approximately 15 and is governed by a board chaired by MMag. Dr. Andreas Kranebitter.

Name

Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies

Legal name

Wiener Wiesenthal Institut für Holocaust-Studien (VWI)

Website

https://vwi.ac.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies (VWI) is a Vienna-based non-profit research institute (est. 2011) conducting Holocaust, genocide, and antisemitism research. It operates the free Simon Wiesenthal Museum, a specialized library and archive, and an international fellowship program, serving scholars, educators, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Institutional Funding: The institute relies on donations and institutional funding from government bodies including the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport (BMBWF), the City of Vienna, and the Federal Chancellery of Austria. It also receives EU research funding through Horizon programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies (VWI) is an international non-profit research institute dedicated to Holocaust, genocide, antisemitism, and racism research. It operates the free-admission Simon Wiesenthal Museum, maintains archival collections (including the Simon Wiesenthal Archive and IKG Wien holdings), runs a specialized library of approximately 18,000 media items, hosts an annual international fellowship program, and conducts third-party funded research projects. The institute also publishes scholarly output through the S:I.M.O.N. open-access journal and monograph series.

Product overview

The Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies (VWI) is an international research institute co-conceived by Simon Wiesenthal, organized around three core areas: Research, Documentation, and Public History/Vermittlung. The institute provides a comprehensive portfolio of services including the Simon Wiesenthal Museum documenting Nazi-hunting activities, specialized archives housing Holocaust documentation and historical collections (including the Simon Wiesenthal Archive and IKG Wien collections), a specialized library with approximately 18,000 media items on Holocaust, genocide, antisemitism, and racism, an annual fellowship program hosting international researchers, third-party funded research projects focused on digital archive transformation and Holocaust documentation, and scholarly publications including the S:I.M.O.N. Open Access journal, VWI-Studienreihe monographs, and VWI-Beiträge conference proceedings. The institute also coordinates EHRI-AT, Austria's national consortium within the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Museum Simon Wiesenthal: A museum dedicated to Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal, who tracked down Nazi perpetrators after his liberation from Mauthausen concentration camp.
• S:I.MON. – Shoah: Intervention. Methods. Documentation.
• EHRI-AT

Products and services

• Simon Wiesenthal Museum Museum dedicated to Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal, documenting his post-war work tracking Nazi perpetrators and his demands for Austrian acknowledgment of its perpetrator role. Free admission for visitors with valid photo ID. Open September–June Mon–Fri 10am–6pm; July–August Mon–Fri 10am–4pm.
• Archive Services Archival services covering the Simon Wiesenthal Archive, IKG Wien collections (on loan since 2018), and pre-/post-libraries (Vor- und Nachlässe) of Holocaust researchers. Also provides on-site access to video interviews from Austrian Heritage Archive (AHA), Fortunoff Video Archive, Final Account collection, USC Shoah Foundation, and Refugee Voices.
• Specialized Library (Fachbibliothek) Specialized library with approximately 18,000 media items covering Holocaust (including pre- and post-history), genocide, antisemitism, and racism. Includes print, audiovisual, and digital open-access resources. Free access without library card requirement.
• Fellowship Program Annual international fellowship program hosting Senior, Research, and Junior Fellows in Holocaust studies. Over 100 researchers from around the world have been hosted since 2012.
• Research Projects Third-party funded research projects covering digital transformation of Holocaust archives, transnational Holocaust research, Holocaust education (e.g., Beyond Words), forced labour research (e.g., Abstellgleis Strasshof), and Simon Wiesenthal's digital heritage preservation.
• S:I.M.O.N. Journal Semi-annual open-access journal of VWI covering Shoah intervention, methods, and documentation.
• VWI-Studienreihe Monograph series published by VWI dedicated to specific topics in Holocaust research.
• VWI-Beiträge Conference proceedings and scholarly contributions published after peer review.
• EHRI-AT (Austrian National Consortium) National consortium representing Austria in the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI-ERIC) for transnational Holocaust research access. Coordinated by VWI.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18,000+ specialized media items in library
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EHRI-ERIC (European Holocaust Research Infrastructure)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018VWI serves as the national coordinator of EHRI-AT, the Austrian consortium within the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure ERIC. This transnational infrastructure ensures Holocaust research, commemoration and education across Europe, providing researchers with access to distributed archives and training opportunities.
• Centrum für Jüdische Studien (CJS) an der Karl-Franzens-Universität GrazcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution within EHRI-AT national consortium representing Austrian institutions in documentation, commemoration and research.
• Dokumentationsarchiv des österreichischen Widerstandes (DÖW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution within EHRI-AT national consortium.
• Institut für Jüdische Geschichte Österreichs (Injoest)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution within EHRI-AT national consortium.
• Institut für Zeitgeschichte der Universität WiencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution within EHRI-AT national consortium.
• Leopold-Franzens-Universität InnsbruckcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution within EHRI-AT national consortium.
• Lern- und Gedenkort Schloss HartheimcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution within EHRI-AT national consortium.
• Nationalfonds der Republik Österreich für die Opfer des NationalsozialismuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution within EHRI-AT national consortium.
• OeAD (Programm ERINNERN:AT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution within EHRI-AT national consortium.
• Dokumentationsarchiv des österreichischen Widerstandes (DÖW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner in the 'Mein polnisches Tagebuch' project for the critical scientific edition of Adolf Landl's memoirs.
• Leibniz-Institut für Geschichte und Kultur des östlichen Europa (GWZO) in LeipzigminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner in the 'Mein polnisches Tagebuch' project.
• Donau-Universität KremsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in 'Researching - Preserving - Sharing' citizen science digital platform project for forced labour memories in Lower Austria (2025-2028).
• Institut für Jüdische Geschichte Österreichs (Injoest)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in 'Researching - Preserving - Sharing' project.
• Université Paris 1 Panthéon-SorbonneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project partner in '1956: European Momentousness in Holocaust History' researching the 1956 questionnaire project for the Mémorial du martyr juif inconnu in Paris.
• "Elie Wiesel" National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in RomaniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject coordinator for 'Beyond Words' initiative on Holocaust education under Romanian authority, carried out in Austria, Moldova, and Romania.
• Jewish Community of Moldova (JCM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Beyond Words' project for Holocaust education.
• Moldova National Museum Complex (MNMC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Beyond Words' project for Holocaust education.
• Universität Szeged (SZTE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project partner in 'Abstellgleis Strasshof' for research on Hungarian Jewish forced labour near Vienna (1944-1945), funded by NKFIH and FWF.
• EHRI (European Holocaust Research Infrastructure)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the 'A Sunflower for Simon' podcast series documenting Simon Wiesenthal's sunflower collection and his book 'The Sunflower'. EHRI produces the podcast series 'For the Living and the Dead. Traces of the Holocaust'.
• Zentrum für jüdische Kulturgeschichte der Universität SalzburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner in the project on self-perception of National Socialists ('Opferthese' and 'Ehemalige') in post-war Austria.
• Zentrum für jüdische Kulturgeschichte der Universität SalzburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVWI was the follow-up project partner in the research project on Nazi perpetrators' self-perception after 1945.
• HaverminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory consortium member for the forced labour project.
• ZachorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory consortium member for the forced labour project.
• Verband der GeschichtslehrerInnen BudapestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory consortium member for the forced labour project.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mémorial de la Shoah: Paris-based Holocaust memorial combining museum, archives, library, and research activities on French and European Holocaust history. Directly comparable as a transnational European Holocaust research/memorial institution and a VWI project partner (1956 questionnaire project).
• Leo Baeck Institute: New York-based institute dedicated to the history of German-speaking Jewry and the Holocaust, with archives, library, and research programs. Directly comparable as a Holocaust-era research institute and a VWI team alumni source (Philipp Rohrbach coordinated its Austrian Heritage Collection).
• House of the Wannsee Conference Memorial and Educational Site: Berlin memorial and educational site on the Holocaust, combining historical site, education, and research. Comparable as a Holocaust remembrance and education institution of similar scale and academic orientation; EHRI-AT partner listed in VWI's network.
• Arolsen Archives: International archive on Nazi persecution (formerly International Tracing Service), with extensive Holocaust-era documentation and a transnational research mandate. Directly comparable as an international Holocaust documentation and research infrastructure institution operating under public funding.
• Wiener Holocaust Library: London-based Holocaust documentation and research library founded in 1933, with extensive archives, publications, and educational programs. Closely comparable as a specialized Holocaust research library and archive of similar scale and academic focus to VWI.
• Stiftung Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas: Berlin-based foundation operating the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and the Information Center. Directly comparable as a Holocaust memorial institution with research and educational outreach; a current VWI project partner (forced labour research).
• Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies: Yale-based archive of Holocaust survivor video testimonies, whose collection is accessible on-site at VWI. Directly comparable as a Holocaust testimony and research archive infrastructure; key content partner for VWI's archival holdings.
• Institut für Zeitgeschichte (IfZ): Munich-based institute for contemporary history with research on National Socialism and the Holocaust. Comparable as a German-speaking academic research institute and EHRI-AT partner (VWI has formal cooperation with the Universität Wien Institute for Contemporary History).

Broad incumbents

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM): U.S. federal Holocaust memorial museum with extensive archives, research, and education programs. Closely comparable in combining museum, archives, library, and research activities on the Holocaust, but operates as a much larger federally funded institution.
• Yad Vashem - The World Holocaust Remembrance Center: Israel's official Holocaust memorial and one of the world's largest Holocaust research institutions, with archives, museum, and research programs. Highly comparable in mission (Holocaust research, education, archives, testimony) but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach than VWI.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wiesenthal.institut.vwi
• Instagraminstagram.com/viennawiesenthalinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vienna-wiesenthal-institute-for-holocaust-studies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies