The twentieth century is considered the century of forced migrations. For a long time, scientific research on forced migration was predominately conducted through a national lens. The context of the international politics and of the development within society as a whole has been largely ignored, hindering a factual discourse and honest recollection. Recently, transnational studies and a European point of view towards the historical context of forced migrations have been executed. This two-day conference addresses this point.
The aim of the conference is to discuss the current state of research of numerous state-controlled forced migrations under communist rule. Furthermore, it is intended to deepen cross-country communication.
This scientific conference focuses on state-controlled forced migrations in communist Europe, Russia, and the Soviet Union since 1917. Eastern European bloc countries and the Soviet Union will be compared in depth through various time periods. This comparative approach enables us to disengage from an exclusively national narrative and allows us to interpret forced migrations as a way for communist regimes to consolidate and establish themselves. This broadened view of communist history reveals forced migrations within an international context.
We ask for proposals with information on the circumstances, historical background, and execution of forced migrations under communist rule, as well as the consequences for society and the individual. We are interested in proposals that use historical sources to deepen our understanding of forced migrations, as well as proposals that analyze the remembrance of forced migrations in the past, present, and future.
We seek contributions in particular on the following country-specific forced migrations. This list is not exclusive and abstracts on other forced migrations under communist rule will also be considered:
- forced migrations of the kulaks and the ethnic cleansing in the Soviet Union
- expulsions associated with compulsory expropriations and nationalization of property in the Soviet occupation zone, as well as forced relocations to secure the inner German border in German Democratic Republic
- forced migration of the nationally indifferent population in Czechoslovakia during the 1940s and 1950s
- forced migration of Transylvanian Saxons from Romania to the Soviet Union for compulsory labour
- expulsions from the borderland of Yugoslavia to the Bărăgăn Plain
Submission and Timeline:
Please submit the proposal for your presentation (no more than 500 words) in English, along with a short biography and your contact information by 15th December, 2016 to geier@thla.thueringen.de. Notification of acceptance/rejection will be sent by 5th January, 2017.
We encourage submissions from researchers within the disciplines of social sciences, humanities, and political sciences. We will pay particular attention to proposals from doctoral students and young doctors.
Conference admission, transportation and accommodation of speakers will be provided by the conference. In addition to this, an appropriate fee is paid to the speakers.
Participants without a presentation have to pay for attendance at the conference (20 Euro) and need to take care of their travel expenses. Accommodation may be provided by the conference if the budget allows.
Additional information:
- Speakers will be chosen from replies to the call for papers.
- The conference is not public. It will take place in the conference room of the Point Alpha Academy in Geisa Palace, Schlossplatz 4, D-36419 Geisa.
- Working language is English.
Conference team:
PhD Anke Geier (Scientific Co-worker, Thuringian Regional Commissioner for the rehabilitation of injustice during the dictatorship of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany): geier@thla.thueringen.de
Wolf-Rüdiger Knoll (Scientific Co-worker, Point Alpha Foundation): wolf-ruediger.knoll@pointalpha.com