Confirmed keynote speakers:
Professor Donald Bloxham (University of Edinburgh)
Professor Sue Vice (University of Sheffield)
Britain’s role in the events we now call the Holocaust remains controversial. Since 1945 historians based at British institutions have assessed British foreign, domestic, military, economic and social policy in the 1930s and early 1940s to understand Britain’s role in the complex events of the genocide of Jews in Europe. Holocaust historiography written by scholars based in British universities has contributed to the field of Holocaust studies and influenced major historiographical trends in the last twenty years. In recent decades, the study of the Holocaust in Britain has embraced a variety of disciplines in the Humanities. Ever more detailed research into aspects of the Holocaust and its aftermath is carried out at British universities. In particular, the study of the after-effects of the Holocaust in the arts has become a prominent area of study. In addition, the contribution of British educators and researchers to the growing field of Holocaust education and memorialisation has become its own area of investigation and increasingly critical study of its history is developing.
The first conference of the British Association for Holocaust Studies presents an opportunity to shed further light on the developments in the field of Holocaust studies in Britain, review its achievements of the last c.70 years, and suggest ways of development in the future.
In addition to papers on the conference theme, we welcome proposals from scholars pursuing original scholarly research in any aspect of Holocaust studies.
The two-day conference in 2014 will offer the opportunity to assess the landscape of Holocaust Studies in Britain. The British Association for Holocaust Studies invites papers which include, but are not limited to, the following themes:
- the study of Britain’s role in the Holocaust.
- the contributions of scholars based in Britain to the study of the Holocaust and its aftermath since the end of World War II; this includes all disciplines and fields of research.
- scholarship from Britain in the larger, international context of Holocaust studies; papers in this area may, for example, review the developments of fields of study which include significant contributions by scholars in Britain or which focus on the study of Britain’s relationship to the genocide of Jews as the events were unfolding; again a range of disciplinary perspectives is welcome.
- British historians and the historiography of the Holocaust.
the development and role of Holocaust education across the UK, including the role of government, NGOs, and the school and tertiary sectors.
We invite proposals for papers of 20min length (which will be followed by 10min questions). Please send an .rtf file with an abstract of no more than 250 words including a 100-word bio and contact details to h.holtschneider@ed.ac.uk.
In addition to the main conference, a postgraduate forum will take place. We invite short presentations of 15min from current PhD students at British universities introducing their research. The presentations will be followed by discussion. This is independent of the conference theme and concerns all PhD research in all fields and disciplines relating to the study of the Holocaust. Sole criterion for sending a proposal is registration as a PhD student at a university in the UK. Please send an .rtf file with an abstract of no more than 250 words including a 100-word bio, the name and department of your supervisor, and your contact details to h.holtschneider@ed.ac.uk.
Deadline for paper proposals: Friday 31 January 2014. Proposals will be peer reviewed.
Acceptance of papers will be notified by Friday 28 February 2014.
Registration for presenters is mandatory by Friday 2 May 2014.
Please contact h.holtschneider@ed.ac.uk with any queries.
For more information about the British Association for Holocaust Studies go to http://www.southampton.ac.uk/bahs/