About the conference
Time: 23. – 25. November 2017
Location: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Institut für Neuzeit- und Zeitgeschichtsforschung (INZ)
Hollandstraße 11 – 13, 1020 Wien
Concept: Dr. Konstantin Kaiser, Univ. Prof. Karl Müller, Dr.in Irene Nawrocka, Univ. Prof. Peter Roessler
Within the framework of the project „House of Austrian History“ the Theodor Kramer Society and the Intitute for Modern and Contemporary Historical Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (research area: Austrian Biographical Dictionary) jointly organize an interdisciplinary conference on autobiographical writing and testimonies. The conference „Autobiographical Writing and Exile, Resistance, Persecution and Camp Experiences“ will draw attention to the role of autobiographical texts as source material for and as repositories of biographical research and historiography highlighting their role in the formation of our understanding of history and literature.
Autobiographical memoir literature transmitted in its various yet distinctive forms is of fundamental importance for the study of the Austrian Exile, resistance, persecution and concrete camp experiences. By shaping our knowledge of concrete circumstances of survival and life trajectories of those persecuted, the various forms of life writing take up a central place in the collective memory of a society, a state and Europe. At the same time these texts shed light on the life situations and the motives of people fleeing their home countries today.
Major topics of this conference
Theory and practice of editing autobiographical texts and testimonies of exile and resistance
- questions on and problems of editing and editorship
- challenges connected to biographically framed representations
- desiderata concerning the future of the body of texts as scientific source, as medium of political education and as formative reading experience for future generations
Distinctive features of autobiographical writing by those persecuted by the Nazi regime in comparison with traditional conceptions of memoir literature
- Are we – as Philipp Reemtsma assumes – witnessing the emergence of a new literary genre that is conceptualized according to specific rules and therefore demands new forms of reception?
- Do we, as argued by Ruth Klüger, have to pose the question on the relationship between historical reality, memory and transmission anew?
- What are the concrete characteristics of autobiographical self-reflexivity by those persecuted by the Nazi (for example the biographical fracture caused by persecution and exile)?
- Which function does autobiographical writing of those persecuted by the Nazi regime take up in the understanding of Austrian history and culture?
Conference languages are German and English. Expenses for travel and accommodation (one night) will be covered (subject to funding). If you are interested in contributing to this conference, please submit your German or English abstract (of max. 500 words) and a short CV including your publications by 15 May 2017 per mail to Konstanin Kaiser and Irene Nawrocka. We plan to publish the contributions in an edited volume.
Kontakt /contact
Dr. Konstantin Kaiser; Theodor Kramer-Gesellschaft
Engerthstraße 204/40, 1020 WIEN
kaiser[a]theodorkramer.at
Telefon: 0043 (1) 720 83 84
Dr. Irene Nawrocka, Institut für Neuzeit- und Zeitgeschichtsforschung, Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon
irene.nawrocka[a]oeaw.ac.at
Tel.: 0043 – 151581-2603
For more information click "Further official information" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://theodorkramer.at/aktuell/cfp-tagung-zur-autobiographik-von-exil-widerstand-verfolgung-und-lagererfahrung/