The online seminar ‘Public history for contested and conflicting past(s)’ is organised by the students of the Master in Digital and Public History (MADiPH) at the University of Luxembourg on Thursday, 19 June 2025. Aimed at students, this seminar will offer opportunities to explore the current and future role of public history practitioners.
The past is subject to multiple historical interpretations. Perhaps more than ever, the current context offers many examples of contested – and sometimes conflicting – views and interpretations of the past. Beyond certain events and topics that appear very controversial, the overall production, mediation, and discussion of history are also at stake. The very existence, practices and discussion of evidence-based research are sometimes threatened. In this context, we may question what public history can bring to the discussion, what roles historians (still) have in the public interpretations of the past. How does public history deal with controversies, handle contested and conflicting topics?
Proposal may address but are not limited to:
- The role of historians, cultural institutions and other sites of knowledge production
- The interpretations and representations of contested history
- History and censorship
- Official, dominant, and counter-narratives
- Silences and under-represented voices
- Preserving, selecting, erasing the past
- Dialogue, reconciliation, and community relations
- Conflicting memories
- (Social) media and the public debates about the past
- Fake news, post-truth, and relativism
- Ownership and decision-making: who decides about history?
The seminar will be fully online and will take place on Thursday, 19 June 2025. Presentations will be around 15 minutes long and will be followed by discussions. We welcome proposals from students (Bachelor, Master or PhD) in history, anthropology, political science, journalism, education (or associated disciplines) from all over the world.
Applicants should send: Their name and affiliation, the time zone they will be in on 19 June (for logistical purposes), a short biography (100 words), a title and short abstract (roughly 250 words) for their presentation. Materials and questions should be sent by 22 April to: committee.madiph@gmail.com.