We are pleased to announce the Day of Contemporary History in the Greater Region on 25 April 2025, an event dedicated to advancing the study of 19th and 20th-century history with a special focus on the interdisciplinary and transnational dynamics that characterize the Greater Region. This event serves as a platform for scholars, early-career researchers, and students to present innovative research, engage in critical discussions, and foster collaboration across institutional and national boundaries.
Hosted by the C²DH at the University of Luxembourg, the 2025 edition will continue to explore the region’s rich and complex history through a diverse program of thematic panels, keynote speeches, and interactive sessions. As a trilingual event, it reflects the linguistic and cultural diversity of the Greater Region, welcoming participants and contributions in German, English, or French. Abstracts may be submitted in any of these three languages. Participants will have the opportunity to delve into topics ranging from collective memory and migration to the transformative role of digital methodologies in historical research. By bringing together voices from across the Greater Region and beyond, the event aims to deepen our understanding of the interconnected past and its ongoing relevance to contemporary society.
Call for contributions
We invite contributions from scholars working within or on the Greater Region to participate in the Day of Contemporary History in the Greater Region 2025. This event will feature six thematic Standing Committees, each focusing on key dimensions of contemporary history.
We welcome contributions from scholars working in the Greater Region or whose research includes the area now referred to as the Greater Region. During one day, several dimensions of the contemporary past will be discussed in parallel sessions within six Standing Committees:
- Transnational biographies
- Mobility and migration across borders
- The transformation of industrial areas
- Transnational cultural collaboration
- Digital methodology and history
- Conducting historical research
Standing Committee 1: Transnational Biographies
Inspired by the Global Biography Working Group, this Standing Committee focuses on transnational biographies within and beyond the Greater Region. It examines the significance of cross-border mobility, (informal) networking, etc., on individual, familial, and collective life paths. One central question is the influence of historical events, phenomena, and developments with a transnational scope on life courses. Another is how writing the biographies of historical actors who for a long time remained “unseen” (e.g., women and children) can contribute to diversifying our understanding of the recent past. We also place a strong emphasis on the methodology and theory of transnational biography and transnational biographical research.
Chair: Machteld Venken
Standing Committee 2: Mobility and Migration Across Borders
This Standing Committee investigates historical mobility and migration patterns and their social, cultural, and political impacts in the context of integration, from economic and forced migration to refugee movements. Particular attention will be given to how mobility and migration have shaped identity formation, cross-border cooperation, and the development of social policies in and beyond the Greater Region. We also welcome contributions thematizing the spatial and temporal implications of mobility and migration across state borders. By exploring both short-term responses and long-term integration strategies, the Standing Committee seeks to focus on the complexity and significance of transnational mobility and migration in shaping contemporary societies.
Chair: Klaus Behnam Shad
Standing Committee 3: Transformation of Industrial Areas
Since the 1970s, the former industrial areas of the Greater Region have experienced profound transformations. Once deeply interconnected through iron ore mining and steel production, these regions have followed unique paths of structural change amidst the wave of deindustrialisation. These changes have led to the development of new economic and urban landscapes on both local and regional scales. This Standing Committee explores both national strategies and the roles of regional and local actors in shaping the political processes of reconversion and structural change. What has replaced these former industries? Which stakeholders have been instrumental in shaping these transitions? Furthermore, the cultural heritage of industrial sites will be discussed, examining how these areas are remembered and integrated into contemporary societies. The aim of this Standing Committee is to compare developments across industrial centres in the Greater Region, focusing on processes, actors, and outcomes of structural change.
Chair: Nicolas Arendt
Standing Committee 4: Transnational Cultural Collaboration
This Standing Committee explores the contribution of transnational cultural collaborations in the international space bordering Luxembourg, established in the post-war period with the general ambition of bringing nations together and achieving socio-economic stability. Topics of this interdisciplinary panel welcome approaches from cultural, social, economic, and international history, focusing on cultural collaboration and exchanges. Longue durée approaches are welcome if anchored in the 20th and 21st centuries. Potential papers could centre on collaborations at different levels: governments, cultural institutions, civil society, artists; networks and routes, tourism, and awards. We encourage not only projects that were successful but also those which faced challenges and needed to be adapted or were not completed.
Chair: Emilia Sánchez González
Standing Committee 5: Digital Methodology and History
This Standing Committee examines the opportunities and challenges posed by digital tools and methodologies in contemporary historical and cultural research on the Greater Region. It will critically examine how digital archives, data visualisation, and computational analysis are transforming historical inquiry, offering novel approaches and avenues to engage with complex datasets and interdisciplinary projects. Additionally, the Standing Committee will address ethical considerations, data preservation, and the need for critical reflection on the use of digital technologies in both research and public history.
Chair: Inna Ganschow
Standing Committee 6: Doing Historical Research in the Greater Region: A Common, Shared, or Separate Experience?
This Standing Committee welcomes researchers and experts from the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) industries in the Greater Region to reflect upon their contribution to the advancement of historical knowledge about the contemporary past. The central question is how “common”, “shared”, or “separate” the experiences of researchers and experts are. How common is a transnational approach, as well as the willingness to provide transparent access to data? How shared are historical sources and narratives about the contemporary transnational past? And how separate are the goals within academia and cultural heritage institutions? The Standing Committee aims to create awareness of the impact of source accessibility and the transparency of data exchange on research findings about contemporary history within the Greater Region.
Chair: Christoph Brüll
You are invited to submit a contribution for:
- An individual paper (single or multiple authored paper): Title and abstract of no more than 250 words
- A session (group of papers – min. 3, max. 5 – with a similar theme, led by a chair):
- Presenters: Each presenter must submit their paper as individual paper (title and abstract of no more than 250 words) and include the title of the panel in the abstract.
- Organizer(s): Submit an abstract of the theme of the panel, along with the title of the panel, and a list of all participants/authors (names, affiliations and emails), no more than 250 words.
- a roundtable (open discussion between participants – min. 3 – led by a chair around a topic):
- Organizer(s): Submit an abstract of the theme of the roundtable, along with the title of the roundtable, and a list of all participants (names, affiliations and emails), no more than 250 words.
- Book or output presentation (open session where the author/creator introduces their book/output to the audience):
- Organizer(s): Submit an abstract of the book/output, including its title, and a list of all participants (names, affiliations and emails), no more than 250 words.
Papers may be submitted in English, French or German. Accepted abstracts will be translated into all three languages (English, French and German) by the Organizing Committee. It is recommended, but not required, that the PowerPoint presentation slides be provided in a different language to that of the lecture.
Organizing team
Scientific Advisory Board
- Université de Liège: Catherine Lanneau
- Universität des Saarlandes: Dietmar Hüser
- Université de Lorraine (Metz): Pascal Raggi
- Université de Lorraine (Nancy): Jean-Noel Grandhomme
- Université de Luxembourg: Sonja Kmec
Conference office
Alex Relicovschi and Klaus Behnam Shad
Deadlines
Abstract submission: 31 January 2025
Notification of acceptance: 15 March 2025
Please send abstracts to: alex.relicovschi@uni.lu and klaus.behnamshad@uni.lu
We look forward to receiving your submissions and engaging in a rich dialogue on the history of the Greater Region.
