Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History | Citizen Practices in Producing and Preserving the Past
The conference "Citizen Practices in Producing and Preserving the Past" will be hosted by the Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C²DH) 11–12 May in Luxembourg.
Theme
While historical knowledge has long been shaped within academic and institutional frameworks, the involvement of non-professional actors in historical research and heritage preservation has a much longer and richer history than what is often assumed. From historical societies and heritage clubs to community archives and activist associations, citizen historians, often defined as amateurs in a pejorative perspective, have contributed significantly to the production, preservation, and interpretation of the past.
By bringing together scholars, practitioners, and representatives of historical associations, the conference is intended to foster dialogue on the evolving role of citizen participation in historical knowledge production, from the nineteenth century to the digital age.
Proposals on the following topics are invited:
- Citizen participation and shared authorship in historical production
- Historical societies, clubs, and associations as sites of knowledge-making
- Amateur historians: practices, expertise, and recognition
- Contested cultural heritage: preservation practices and community activism
- Education, heritage, and the formation of historical consciousness for citizenship
- Advocacy, voluntary associations, and grassroots historical initiatives
Submission
You can submit your abstract (max. 250 words) and short biography (max. 150 words) by email to Natália Gonçalves (natalia.martins@uni.lu) by 20 December 2025, with notification of acceptance to follow on 15 January 2026.
More information is available on the call website.