Claire Zalc

Claire Zalc is a CNRS Research Director and Director of Studies at École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), with affiliations to the Institute of Modern and Contemporary History (IHMC), the Centre de Recherches Historiques (CRH), and the GLOBAL department at the Institut Convergence des Migrations. Her work bridges migration history, Holocaust studies, and quantitative methodologies.

Her research focuses on the intersection of migration and persecution in the 20th century, particularly through prosopographical studies like Face à la persecution (2010) and Dénaturalisés (2016), which examine administrative interactions under the Vichy regime. She also explores the use of quantitative methods in historical research, co-authoring Quantitative Methods. An Introduction (2019). Recent projects, such as the ERC Consolidator LUBARTWORLD (2019–2025), analyze transnational mobilities and persecution through case studies in Lubartów and other locations.

Key themes in her publications include Vichy-era denaturalization, Polish Jewish migrations, and microhistories of the Holocaust. Her work often integrates spatial analysis and relational data frameworks, as seen in contributions to sequence analysis and social network studies.

Scientific Distinctions:

• Bronze Medal of the CNRS (2013)
• Prix Malesherbes d’histoire de la Justice (2017)
• Finalist, Eugen Weber Book Prize (2022)
• Prix André Conquet for Melting Shops (2010)

She co-edits the journal Revue d’histoire de la Shoah and previously co-directed the Histoire-Repères collection at La Découverte (2008–2021). Her methodological expertise has shaped training programs at EHESS and collaborative research initiatives like PERSI (Internet Social Networks Study Program) and relational data analysis.