The scientific conference will treat the material and cultural practices of historians of the 20th and 21st century. More precisely, it will explore the following elements: The library of the historian as a research object; Visualisation and digital reconstruction, analogue/machine-based reading; Anthropology of historiographical work; National/European historiography.

The scientific conference will treat the material and cultural practices of historians. More precisely, it will explore the following elements:

• The library of the historian as a research object

The analysis of historians’ private libraries has until now mostly concerned premodern and modern times. The temporal frame of the planned conference will however encompass the 20th and 21st century, including analogue as well as digital libraries. A focus will be laid on the organisation, content and use of the private library.

• Visualisation and digital reconstruction, analogue/machine-based reading

Much work has been done in the last decades in digital reconstruction of private libraries of renowned persons. The conference will give a state of research in this area by presenting examples of virtual libraries as well as of changing reading practices due to digital evolution.

• Anthropology of historiographical work

How do historians work? We will analyse how they use books and documents, how they select literature and historical documents, how they note down ideas, excerpts or bibliographical information and how they write and publish their texts in the context of a technological and social change.

• National/European historiography

European historians’ work is embedded in cultural and scientific frames and in national traditions of their countries. The conference will explore how these frames and traditions have been influenced or questioned by the emergence of a European history that often tries to promote a “European identity”.

The historian Gilbert Trausch stands in the focus of our research project that aims to bring together historiography on Luxembourg and Europe as well as intellectual and material practices of historians of the 20th century. A joint venture between the C2DH and the Historical Institute of the University of Luxembourg, the project explores Trausch’s work and his working methods as well as his library, which will be inventoried and reconstructed in a virtual space.

Submission guidelines

The conference languages will be English, French and German (no translation). Applications containing an abstract of 200 to 500 words and a short CV should be sent to renee.wagener@uni.lu

by the 31st of December 2021.

Participants will be notified if their applications have been accepted by the end of January at the latest.

Selection committee

Deliberations on the applications will be carried out by

• Prof. Andreas Fickers
• Prof. Benoît Majerus
• Prof. Michel Margue
• Prof. Felix Norman Teferle