The conference is conceived as a venue for all researchers, both early career and experienced, interested in the environmental history of Poland and Central Europe. Our aim is to provide for the first time a forum for all academics potentially identifying themselves with this field, in order to make it possible for them to meet and discuss their work. Our invitation is addressed to all historians, archaeologists, environmental scientists and geographers who are interested in the changing relationship between the past societies and their environments.

The conference theme remains open, in order to accommodate a wide spectrum of research interests and methodologies. Following John McNeill’s definition of the field of environmental history, we welcome papers dealing with landscape and agricultural history; studies focused on forests, rivers, or disease; finally, presentations discussing the ways in which the nature was conceived of in the past, including the attempts at preserving the “natural heritage” (McNeill, History and Theory, 2003). The planned chronological scope of the conference starts with the early medieval state formation in Central Europe and ends with the Communist era in the 20th c.

The conference is organised by the Institute of History of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow with the support of the European Society for Environmental History (ESEH ) and the Polish Historical Society.

Accommodation: thanks to the funding received from the European Society for Environmental History, we hope to be able to cover the accommodation costs for all or most of the participants coming from outside of Krakow. Please indicate whether you need this kind of support when submitting your paper proposal.

Conference fee: participants will be asked to pay a conference fee of 70 PLN (ca. 15 EUR), which will help to cover the costs of the lunches during both days of the conference and the conference dinner on September 18th.

Language of the conference: Polish, but depending on interest we are also able to accept papers in English. Unfortunately, we are unable to arrange live translation during the conference.

Post-conference publication: conference participants will be invited to submit short articles to the 2016 issue of the Historyka. Methodological Studies, a national review of theory of historiography and methodology of history. Papers on the Central European environmental history will appear as a special section within the 2016 issue of the journal. Submission deadline will be 31 December 2015. Articles for publication will be accepted in both Polish and English. Papers submitted to the journal are subject to the peer-review procedure.

Paper proposals: please submit short paper proposals (200-300 words), together with the necessary contact information no later than 15 June 2015. Please indicate whether you would like to take advantage of the ESEH-funded accommodation.

Contact persons: Adam Izdebski, adam.izdebski@uj.edu.pl; Rafał Szmytka, rafal.szmytka@uj.edu.pl