The turn of the 18th and 19th centuries witnessed profound transformations in the political landscape of continental Europe, that might be dubbed a Napoleonic moment. Novel ideas regarding national community and state centralization led to the rapid decline of residual republican systems, including almost synchronous collapses of the Dutch Republic, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Italian city-republics. Simultaneously, it paved the way for a new type of political assemblies representing a broader, modernly conceived nation, including the third estate. These newly established bodies often deviated from local political traditions, generating uncertainty but also stirring desire for change. These were, however, often created by politicians educated in the time of the 18th century ancien régime. The year 1815 marked a new wave of parliamentarization in Europe, guided by the provisions of the Congress of Vienna and subsequent treaties. Unlike in the Napoleonic era, the architects of the post- Viennese order sought to restore and adapt previously existing representative institutions.
Both pre- and post-Vienna political assemblies, characterized by limited sovereignty were integrated into a broader imperial orders but often situated in buffer zones of empires. While securing imperial rule in these diverse interfaces, these assemblies articulated national-revolutionary claims in times of upheavals and crises, which spurred on centrifugal forces. By comparing these assemblies in the context of their nascent parliamentary culture mixing old forms and innovative designs, a deeper understanding of imperial nexus of power sovereignty, and representation on heterogenous territories can be fostered.
In the first edition of the ‘Parliamentary Junctures in Continental Europe’ conference, to be held in Warsaw in February 2025, we welcome submissions addressing various aspects of representative assemblies’ internal and external functioning during the first half of the nineteenth century. Exemplary areas of inquiry include, but are not limited to:
- parliamentary rhetoric / discourse and concepts,
- rearticulations of traditions,
- procedural and conceptual innovations,
- assemblies in interface peripheries and inter-imperial bids,
- social composition of assemblies.
Particular attention will be given to political assemblies situated in imperial borderlands.
Submission deadline extended: 20th of September, 2024
Please send the title, abstract (up to 300 words), and a short CV (one-two pages) at parljunctures@mail.com
Selection results: mid-September 2024
Practicalities: The conference organizer will provide accommodation to all participants. If necessary, travel expenses may be covered up to 300 EUR. The conference results will be published in the form of a special issue of a respected journal in the field (in English). Participants are expected to circulate drafts of their papers at least two weeks before the workshop.
Academic Committee: Marnix Beyen, Anna Grześkowiak-Krwawicz, Paulina Kewes, Judit Pál, Henk te Velde
First Edition, 23-24 January 2025