A luminous blue cube floats before you, suspended in a gravity-free space, streaked with flickering light. You reach out and it responds to your movement. Digital, innovative, experimental, interdisciplinary and global: each rotation reveals a new facet of the Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C²DH).
Welcome to the home page of our 2024 Annual Report, a showcase presenting a year characterised by pioneering research and creative outreach, all made possible by a committed, passionate and collaborative team.
This year’s report explores the idea that “Science is about producing creative uncertainty”, a concept that takes on new meaning in the digital age of historical research. As Andreas Fickers, founding director of the C²DH, explains:
“Doing history always means that you are faced to the unknown. Whenever you enter an archive or a library, you will discover new knowledge, and you have to adapt your research question according to the findings – so uncertainty is a key element of the scientific process as such, and the hermeneutic circle means that you constantly have to adapt your question to the new findings. In digital history, I would say we have another dimension of uncertainty, which is that when we use digital tools or technologies, infrastructures for doing that kind of research, we also have to understand how those tools, how those infrastructures impact, interfere with what we are doing. So this explorative dimension of using technology adds another level of uncertainty to what we do as historians, and that’s why it’s so important really to document this process very carefully.”
A Look Back at 2024
This year, the Centre launched four new open-access digital resources that make history more accessible, interactive and engaging:
- ww2.lu – Luxembourg in the Second World War
- Historesch Gesinn
- The History of the National Miners’ Monument
- Warlux
In addition to these flagship resources, the report highlights six innovative projects that have had a strong impact on both the academic community and the general public:
- A history of online virality: Exploring and historicising the phenomenon of online virality.
- Historesch Gesinn: Strengthening links between science and society.
- Letterbox: Understanding the local ecosystem behind shell companies.
- Luxtime: Building a national consortium to analyse Luxembourg’s historical “big data”.
- World War II in Luxemb(o)urg: Designing an interactive online exhibition that preserves and shares the history of World War II in Luxembourg.
- Zoomland: Exploring a multi-layered “book land(scape)”
Research, Education & Events
The report also offers insight into ongoing projects and doctoral theses, as well as publications and events in 2024. Highlights included the World Conference of the International Federation for Public History (IFPH), featuring an unforgettable keynote by Rebecca Wingo and Marvin Roger Anderson.
In terms of education, the launch of our Master in Digital and Public History marked the start of the 2024 academic year, offering students a unique opportunity to learn and explore how history production is becoming more digital and how historians are seeking to engage more with the general public.
Our Global Reach
Our international network of partners continues to grow, as you can see on the interactive map showing our worldwide connections.
In the report, we also proudly highlight the awards won by members of our team, the visiting researchers we have hosted and the inspiring testimonials we have received, including this reflection from Rebecca Wingo:
‟ I highly recommend spending some time ‘thinkering’ with the folks at the C²DH”
Thank you
We extend our sincere thanks to our researchers, staff, visiting scholars, partners, funders, stakeholders and the University of Luxembourg, as well as all those who take an interest in our research. Without them, none of this would be possible.
Check out our report online
