Research Group Public History and Outreach

Democratisation of history

Initially defined as “history outside the classroom”, public history targets non-academic audiences through a multitude of media and sites. It develops participatory practices with the aim of engaging with a variety of partners and fostering collaboration between universities, cultural institutions, decision-makers and various public groups.

    History outside the classroom

    Public history targets non-academic audiences through multiple media platform (websites, social media, exhibitions, tours, documentary films, comics, etc.) and sites (museums, libraries, streets and online). Many research projects at the C²DH have incorporated participatory practices with the aim of engaging with a variety of partners and fostering collaboration between universities, cultural institutions, decision-makers and various public groups. Public history initiatives at the centre reflect a democratisation-based approach to historical scholarship that questions authority and explores possibilities for critical engagement with members of the public. Digital technologies provide new opportunities for public participation at all levels, such as the organisation of crowdsourcing activities or the production of historical wikis and digital memory banks.

    Global South Public History 

    Global South Fellowship

    Understanding the potential of Public History to democratize and decentralize the production and circulation of historical knowledge, the Global South Fellowship (GSF) initiative aims to stimulate intellectual exchange and institutional collaboration between emerging practitioners and/or academics across geographies. Anchored in the principle that dialogue is a catalyst for critical engagement and connection of scholars, knowledge systems, and publics, the GSF strive to be a platform of convergence through different voices, debates, media and within and beyond academic spaces.

    Launched in 2024 and created within the scope of the Public History research group and supported by Professor Thomas Cauvin, the fellowship was conceived by artist and researcher Dr. Myriam Dalal and doctoral researcher Natália Gonçalves.

    Considering the plurality of contexts and encouraging more inclusive and equitable participation, the programme will now be entirely online; lasting several weeks and focusing on joint production between members of the Centre, practitioners, and community actors engaged in public history working in diverse regional settings.

    Research projects

    Cutting-edge public history projects are intertwined with outstanding academic research on the contemporary history of Luxembourg and Europe.

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