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Projects related to COVID-19

In light of the unprecedented situation caused by the coronavirus outbreak, the C²DH set out to gather memories of the pandemic. In doing so it became part of a large-scale international scientific movement committed to documenting and writing the story of the crisis.

C²DH

To this end, the C²DH reached out to the general public in 2020, inviting them to share their experiences with its researchers. The compilation of this documentary heritage is vital to help us understand how society is experiencing the pandemic and how individual and collective memories are being shaped by the crisis. The resources will also help future generations to understand the scale of the pandemic and its impact on society. This is an opportunity to show that history is not only about looking back to the past; it is also a scholarly approach firmly rooted in the present.

The C²DH launched three projects in this area:

Covidmemory – Memories of a pandemic 
The COVID-19 pandemic is an event whose historic dimension is immediately obvious. The crowdsourced memory bank covidmemory.lu, launched in April 2020 by the Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History, offers all people living or working in Luxembourg the opportunity to share their experiences and preserve them for future generations.

Yes we care – Stories from medical and healthcare workers

This oral history project is based on a longitudinal approach, with regular interviews being conducted with the same people via a series of indicative questions. The aim is to compile a personal oral diary of healthcare workers in Luxembourg, to develop a clearer picture of their day-to-day work and the workings of hospitals and healthcare systems in pandemics.

#covid19fr – a country in lockdown on Twitter

The #covid19fr research project aims to shed light on the interactions between social media, especially Twitter, and the emerging collective memory about the lockdown in France during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Collecting memories of the pandemic
After the first lockdown measures were introduced in Luxembourg in mid-March 2020, Sean Takats initiated covidmemory.lu, an online platform to collect photos, videos, stories and interviews related to COVID-19 from ordinary people living or working in Luxembourg.
Oral history of the pandemic
“Hmm, when I look back, it all started in China in December, and I was already interested in what was happening because I am a nurse and an allied health professional. So I had been watching it on TV and I was naturally impressed by what the Chinese had achieved. People are now discussing whether everything they did was right or not.
Social media and the process of memorialising a pandemic
The #covid19fr project began on 15 March 2020, when the announcement of unprecedented lockdown measures in France, Belgium and Luxembourg appeared to be all but certain.