Europeana 1914-1918

Europeana 1914-1918 is a major digital initiative coordinated by Europeana to digitize and publish primary and secondary historical sources related to the First World War. Launched as part of a broader program to digitize European cultural heritage, the project serves as a comprehensive online repository that aggregates materials from national libraries, archives, and private collections across Europe. It aims to make rare and fragile items, previously accessible only in reading rooms, freely available to the public, thereby preserving the memory of the conflict and its impact on everyday lives.

The digital collection comprises over 400,000 digitized items sourced from thirteen institutions across eight countries. The holdings span a diverse range of formats including books, newspapers, trench journals, maps, musical scores, children's literature, photographs, posters, pamphlets, propaganda leaflets, original art, religious works, medals, and coins. A unique component of the collection is the 'Untold Stories' segment, which features personal memorabilia and family histories contributed by the public through 51 roadshow sessions held across Europe between 2011 and 2013. These items often include fragile correspondence and personal artifacts that offer intimate perspectives on the war.