Winners Announced and an International Award Launched

Remembering Hilda Dajč Award 2026

The 5th Annual “Remembering Hilda Dajč” Awards

The fifth annual Remembering Hilda Dajč Award ceremony was held on May 7, 2026, at the University of Belgrade’s “Svetozar Marković” University Library.

The event served as a significant gathering for memory professionals, civil society leaders, and representatives from the Jewish and Roma communities. The ceremony was further distinguished by the presence of international guests and diplomats from the embassies of the United Kingdom, Israel, and Germany, alongside students and engaged citizens.

Honoring Excellence and Civic Duty

Continuing the tradition of excellence, awards were conferred in two primary categories:

The Award for Outstanding Contribution to Remembrance Culture, and
The Youth Award for Civic Responsibility and Social Awareness

True to the initiative’s mission to empower the next generation, Belgrade’s gymnasium students once again led the selection for the ‘Youth Voice’ recognition. This special honor highlights the nominee whose work spoke most directly to the values and perspectives of today’s 15-18 year olds.

A New International Chapter

This year marked a pivotal turning point for the initiative. We are proud to announce the international expansion of the Remembering Hilda Dajč Award—a strategic evolution designed to broaden our impact. By introducing The Hilda Dajč International Digital Holocaust Memory Award, we are elevating our mission of remembrance and civic responsibility to a global stage.

Winners of the 2026 “Remembering Hilda Dajč” Award

Outstanding Contribution to Remembrance Culture 2026

ERIAC Srbija_Dodela Priznanja Sećanje na Hildu Dajč 2026

European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture ERIAC Serbia

for the exhibition “Combing Through Time: Unraveling the Hidden Histories of the Roma Genocide”. The exhibition illuminates the often-overlooked narratives of the Roma genocide during World War II and honors the resilience of the Roma community in Serbia and the region. It served as an introduction to a training program focused on the role of media professionals in combating discrimination and antigypsyism.

The Youth Award for Civic Responsibility and Social Awareness 2026

Union of High School Students of Serbia (UNSS)

for the digital tool “The Traffic Light of School Crisis”. In recent year, schools in Serbia have faced serious institutional pressure: frequent staff removals, intimidation of students and parents, and a crackdown on free expression. In response, the UNSS developed a tool to systematically monitor and report on violations of rights and freedoms in secondary schools throughout the country.

The Jury 2026

Group photo of four professionals posing against a blue background with gold handwritten names above each person.

Following tradition, this year’s jury was composed of representatives from the previous year’s winners, specially invited experts, and a member of the Award’s Managing Board.

The jury featured 2025 winners Stefan Slavić (architect) and the author duo Mirjana Belić Koročkin Davidović and Radivoje Davidović. They were joined by Marija Vasić, a sociology teacher and 2024 winner, who participated this year after being unable to join the previous cycle. The guest jurors included dramaturg Jelena Mijović and Filip Ejdus, a professor at the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Political Sciences. Nenad Lajbenšperger represented the Award’s Managing Board.

The Youth Voice 2026

Following an online vote, a majority of Belgrade’s gymnasium students chose to award the 2026 ‘Youth Voice’ recognition to the Union of High School Students of Serbia (UNSS) for their digital tool, “The Traffic Light of School Crisis”.

Other nominees 2026

Biljana Marcojević (Belgrade), curator of the Museum of Genocide Victims – for the exhibition “War Heroines”.
Nominated for the “Remembering Hilda Dajč” Award for the Outstanding contribution to the culture of remembrance.

Saša Rakezić_Dodela Priznanja Sećanje na Hildu Dajč 2026

Saša Rakezić (Aleksandar Zograf), strip author – for the graphic novel “Letters of Hilda Dajč”.
Nominated for the “Remembering Hilda Dajč” Award for the Outstanding contribution to the culture of remembrance.

Radovan Sremac_Dodela Priznanja Sećanje na Hildu Dajč 2026

Radovan Sremac (Šid), curator of the Museum of Naïve Art “Ilijanum” – for the book “Rahela” about Rahela Ferari.
Nominated for the “Remembering Hilda Dajč” Award for the Outstanding contribution to the culture of remembrance.

Centar za devojke_Dodela Priznanja Sećanje na Hildu Dajč 2026

Center for Girls (Niš) – for the book “How to Make Learning Philosophy Fair? Principles of a Feminist-Reconstructed Teaching of Philosophy”.
Nominated for the “Remembering Hilda Dajč” Youth Award for demonstrated civic responsibility and social awareness.

Audience seated in a bright room during a formal event, many in suits and smart casual wear with posters on the walls in the background.

The International Hilda Dajč Digital Holocaust Memory Award

A major international expansion was unveiled at this year’s ceremony. Terraforming and the Landecker Digital Memory Lab at the University of Sussex, have partnered with leading Holocaust memorialization institutions across Germany, Austria, Israel, the USA, Canada, and Serbia to launch the first-ever international award dedicated to digital Holocaust remembrance.

The Hilda Dajč International Award for Digital Holocaust Memorialization will serve as a global benchmark where remembrance experts, tech innovators, survivors, and youth collaborate to set new standards for excellence. The award focuses on utilizing digital tools to redefine traditional formats, fostering historical literacy, and empowering the next generation with the critical thinking skills necessary to defend democratic values. By bringing neglected victims and hidden histories to the forefront of global discourse, the award also provides a vital platform to share the specific history of the Holocaust in Serbia and the region with the world.

The Hilda Dajč International Award for Digital Holocaust Memorialization will serve as a global benchmark where remembrance experts, tech innovators, survivors, and youth collaborate to set new standards for excellence

Bearded man in a white shirt and pink tie speaking into a microphone at a TerraForming event.

Miško Stanišić, director of the Terraforming organization, stated:

“Since 2022, when the ‘Remembering Hilda Dajč’ award was established, we have promoted valuable organizations, institutions, and individuals who have made a significant contribution in the field of youth activism and the improvement of the culture of Holocaust remembrance in Serbia. By expanding this mission to an international level with the Landecker Digital Memory Lab, we are beginning a pioneering activity of identifying quality standards and norms in global digital Holocaust memorialization. By establishing this award, we will empower new generations not only to use technology for remembrance but also to protect fundamental democratic values. By promoting the history of the Holocaust in Serbia to a global audience, we want to familiarize the international community with our historical experiences, but also to contribute to nurturing a more honest and courageous culture of remembrance in our country that will follow the standards of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).”

Woman with short brown hair and glasses speaks into a microphone at a TerraForming event, wearing a black-and-white checkered blazer.

Prof. Dr. Victoria Grace Richardson-Walden, Director of the Landecker Digital Memory Lab, added:

“We are honored to act as the institutional host of this award. The Holocaust in the former Yugoslavia is still very little recognized and understood in international public discourse. We hope that this award, which originates from Serbia in Remembrance a victim murdered in the camp at Staro Sajmište in Belgrade, will help make this history more visible and central in the global commemoration of this past, while recognizing the truly global dimension of digital Holocaust remembrance practice.”

Man in a suit speaks at a microphone, holding a blue folder, with a large 'TERRA FORMING' banner behind him.

HE Mr. Edward Ferguson, Ambassador of the United Kingdom, said:

“I’m pleased to hear about the introduction of the new digital award, in partnership with the University of Sussex. It is so important that we keep adapting to the new and fast-changing realities of how information is shared between people and communities, especially at a time when the digital space is increasingly weaponised for purposes of Holocaust denial and distortion.

Now more than ever, it is our duty to do everything we can to remember innocent victims such as Hilda and to keep their testimony alive for future generations. Because it is ever clearer that the memory of the Holocaust is at real risk amidst rising antisemitism and the onslaught of online misinformation and disinformation.”

Dodela Priznanja Sećanje na Hildu Dajč 2026

Mara Dragin_Dodela Priznanja Sećanje na Hildu Dajč 2026

Unija srednjoškolaca Srbije_Dodela Priznanja Sećanje na Hildu Dajč 2026

Victoria Richardson-Walden_Dodela Priznanja Sećanje na Hildu Dajč 2026

H.E. Ambassador Edward Ferguson_Dodela Priznanja Sećanje na Hildu Dajč 2026

UNSS_Dodela Priznanja Sećanje na Hildu Dajč 2026

Group of adults seated indoors, facing left, listening attentively to an event off-camera.

Woman with brown hair and glasses speaks into a microphone at a conference, wearing a pinstripe blazer.

Young woman speaks into a microphone at a Terraforming event, with the banner reading 'TERRA FORMING' behind her.

Audience seated in a bright gallery-like room, photographers at left capturing the event; a round wooden table in the foreground.

Bearded man with glasses wearing a headset in the foreground, others with headsets seated behind him in a conference setting.

Woman speaking into a microphone at a presentation, with a large vintage photo banner on the left and a 'TERRA FORMING' banner on the right.

Andrijana Starčević, a student from Belgrade’s 14th Gymnasium, spoke on behalf of the students whose votes determined the recipient of the 2026 ‘Youth Voice’ recognition.

Woman with red hair and glasses speaking into a microphone at a conference, standing in front of a 'TERRA FORMING' banner.

Marija Vasić, a sociology teacher from Novi Sad, had the honor of announcing the recipient of the 2026 ‘Remembering Hilda Dajč’ Award for Outstanding Contribution to Remembrance Culture.

Nenad Lajbenšperger introduced the nominees on behalf of the Remembering Hilda Dajč Award Steering Board.

Two people smiling and shaking hands at a meet-and-greet event, papers in hand, indoors.

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