From the organisers
War, as an individual and collective experience, as well as an element of political, historical, and cultural narratives, is inextricably linked to memory and various forms of commemoration. Among the topics we aim to address at our conference, special attention will be given to the relationship between war, memory and identity. We also seek to discuss the evolution of memory and the creation of related myths and legends. We would appreciate papers that consider the issue of different forms of memory – ranging from individual experiences to the perspectives of social, political and national groups. Additionally, we welcome presentations analysing various examples of referencing war experiences through illustrations and forms of commemoration. For this reason, works of literature, architecture, visual arts, film and others, which serve as tools for shaping the perception of historical conflicts, are also interesting.
We hope that the conference will provide a forum for presenting previously unknown sources: historical, archaeological, and others, along with new interpretations of texts and artifacts that have already been the subject of research. We also draw attention to the challenges of documenting contemporary conflicts, including verifying the credibility and archiving materials that are mass-produced during such events.
We would like to highlight the role of places of memory, such as architectural monuments, museums, memorials and cemeteries. During the conference, topics related to processes of reconciliation and the impact of memory politics on historical and social narratives and international relations may also be addressed.
Our conference participants will include scholars representing various fields who study different cultures and epochs – from antiquity to contemporary times. Please refer to the list of suggested topics below. However, other themes related to the conference's overarching research issue are also welcome.
We anticipate the publication of post-conference proceedings by the Lodz University Press, which will contain articles that receive positive reviews.
Issues addressed during the conference
War, Memory and Identity
- Armed conflicts in the memory of the victors, the defeated, and the neutral
- The evolution of war memory
- Reflections on war, memory, and identity
- The social construction of war memory: living memory vs. official memory
- Transgenerational memory: passing down war experiences between generations
- Memory of war conflicts as a tool of propaganda
- Memory conflict: differing narratives of various social and political groups about the same war
- Combatants in the memory of descendants
- Forgotten histories
Historical Sources and Their Interpretation
- Sources (not only) historical as carriers of memory for research on armed conflicts
- Known sources – new interpretations
- War in ego-documents
- Archiving war: from parchment documents to 3D technologies
- Traces of armed conflicts in archaeological material
- Mass graves and their study
Politics of Memory and Memorialisation Mechanisms
- Mechanisms of memorialising armed conflicts in different countries and eras
- Politics of memory vs. historical narratives: shaping and using war memory
- Memory conflicts: international disputes over war memorialisation
- The role of international institutions in shaping war memory (e.g., UNESCO, UN)
- Processes of forgiveness and reconciliation after armed conflicts
Sites of Memory and Their Functions
- Sites of memory – museums, monuments, cemeteries
- Architecture – a witness to history
- Monuments and sites of memory as expressions of social and political interpretations of war
- Museum as a space of war memory
- Museums – the boundary between memorialisation and glorification of war
War in Culture and Art
- Strategies for shaping and using war memory in art
- War as a theme in literature, art, and film
- Destruction of architectural and artistic works due to war actions
- Historical reconstruction as a form of historical memory
- War legends and myths
- War in anecdotes
Regional and Contemporary Contexts of Memory
- The war in Ukraine and its impact on historical memory in Europe
- War memory in different cultures
- Hybrid conflicts and their documentation for future generations
- Contemporary challenges in preserving war memory in the age of disinformation
Organisational information
- The conference will be held in a hybrid format (on-site meetings – Institute of History, University of Lodz, A. Kamińskiego 27a, online meetings – MS Teams) on 5-6 June 2025 and will be interdisciplinary in nature.
- Chronological range – from antiquity to the contemporary period
- Presentation duration – 15 minutes
- Languages of the conference – Polish, English, Ukrainian
- Conference registration – via the registration form
- Students applying for the conference are required to submit a reference letter from their supervisor/academic advisor
Conference fee
- On-site participation without accommodation – PLN 500 (The fee includes coffee breaks, two lunches, gala dinner, conference materials, no accommodation)
- On-site participation with one night's accommodation t – PLN 665 PLN (The fee includes coffee breaks, two lunches, gala dinner, conference materials)
- On-site participation with two nights' accommodation – PLN 830 PLN (The fee includes coffee breaks, two lunches, gala dinner, conference materials)
- Online participation – PLN 400 (The fee includes technical support, conference materials in pdf version)
- Bank account for conference fee payments: 78 1240 3028 1111 0011 4844 7890 (Bank Pekao)
Schedule
- 16 January – Start of registration
- 12 April – End of registration
- 4 May – Deadline for payment
- 16 May – Conference program announcement
- 5-6 June – Conference
- 30 September – Deadline for article submission for publication
Contact details
- E-mail: obliczawojny@uni.lodz.pl
- Website: https://www.obliczawojny.uni.lodz.pl/en/
Information: Institute of History, University of Lodz