Ruben Zeeman (ed.) Censorship and Self-Censorship in History Education: A Comparative Approach to Backsliding Democracies

Ruben Zeeman (ed.) Censorship and Self-Censorship in History Education: A Comparative Approach to Backsliding Democracies. CEU Press 2026. ISBN: 9789048577118

Censorship of history education takes place around the world. A striking feature of recent examples is that they often coincide with challenges to democratic governance. This book examines this interplay between censorship and self-censorship in history education and so-called democratic backsliding. It does so in two parts. The first brings together an interdisciplinary group of academics, high school teachers and human rights advocates to assess the characteristics of censorship and self-censorship in Brazil, India, Hungary and the United States. Their analyses move between local, national and transnational developments to capture the overlaps and differences between state and non-state censorial practices and strategies of resistance. The second, thematic part explores some of the formal characteristics of contemporary censorship of history education, including the impact of social media, continuities of colonialism and the challenges against gender and sexuality education.

Introduction - Ruben Zeeman - Transnational History Education and Backsliding Democracy

Regional Essays

1. Brazil

a. Paolo Otero dos Santos - The Diffuse Vigilance of History Teaching in Contemporary Brazil

b. Luanna Jales - Historical Visibility for Women, Black and Indigenous Peoples in Brazil and Latin America

c. Juliana Cesario Alvim Gomes - History, Sexuality and Gender Education: Intersections and Interactions in Brazil

2. Hungary

a. Andrea Petö and Flore Higuet - Illiberal History Education: The Case of Hungary

b. Péter Bihari - History Teaching in Hungary

c. Andreas Holtberget - History Teaching under Threat? Recent Cases from East-Central and Southeastern Europe

3. India

a. Aditya Mukherjee and Mridula Mukherjee - Weaponizing History: Threat to Democracy in India

b. Shraddha Kumbhojkar - History Textbooks in Maharashtra: Vernacular Realities

c. Adnaan Farooq - ‘Saffronization’ of the History Curriculum in India under the BJP

4. United States

a. Jeremy Young and Jacqueline Allain - State-Level Educational Censorship Legislation Affecting Colleges and Universities

b. Nelva Williamson - Teaching in the Age of Anti-History: A Teacher's Reflection

c. Mathias Möschel - European Critiques and Actions Against Critical Race Theory

Thematic Essays

1. Robbert-Jan Adriaansen - Teaching on Thin Ice: Social Media, Epistemic Conflict, and the Targeting of History Educators

2. Mariana Prandini Assis - Reimagining Gender and Sex Education as a Political Right

3. Eugenia Ama Breba Anderson and Samuel Adu-Gyamfi - The Hidden History Curriculum: Negotiated Gender History Education in Ghana

4. Antoon de Baets - History Education Moratoria during Transitions to Democracy

Conclusion

Eckhardt Fuchs and Wibke Westermeyer

Censorship in School Education

Index.

“Zero Growth, Socialist Modernity, and the Anti-Environmental Turn in Eastern Europe”

 A new article in the Journal of Modern European History:

“Zero Growth, Socialist Modernity, and the Anti-Environmental Turn in Eastern Europe”

The article examines how socialist Eastern Europe confronted the tension between a vision of modernity based on economic growth and emerging debates about the environmental limits to growth - and why anti-environmental positions ultimately prevailed.

The article was co-authored by Elena Kochetkova, Doubravka Olšáková, Vedran Duančić, Gleb Kazakov, Julia Lajus, Stephen Milder, Vedran Muić, and Olga Trufanova.

Read it here:

https://doi.org/10.1177/16118944261465602

CFP: Utopia(s) in the Arts and Art Spaces from the 1960s to the Present Day. Paris 02/2027, deadline: 20.10.2026

 CFP: Utopia(s) in the Arts and Art Spaces from the 1960s to the Present Day. Paris 02/2027, deadline: 20.10.2026

In his encyclopaedia of hopes, Bloch presents certain arts (painting, opera, literature and music) as “outlines of a better world” (Bloch, 1959). Art thus contributes to the emergence of utopia by preparing consciousness for it. At the heart of the notion of utopia – from manifestations predating the coining of the term to contemporary realizations – lies a constant questioning of the social status quo and a proposal for alternative societies. Utopia has developed around an evocative poetics that cuts across artistic disciplines. The symbolism constructed by utopia, shaped through artistic manifestations, tends to materialize in its realized counterpart. In this regard, the philosopher Roland Schaer points to the porosity between the literary – or more broadly fictional – counterpart and realized utopian projects. Thus, “utopia is, on the one hand, an imaginary projection into the fictional space created by the text of the narrative; on the other hand, the project it sets forth assumes implementation and as such it veers toward the side of history while simultaneously drawing its sustenance from fiction.” (Schaer, 2000).

The aim of this symposium is to examine the extension of the practice of utopia, both as a fictional genre and as a project, within various artistic manifestations and within art spaces themselves. It will also involve examining discourses on the subject. Indeed, utopia is considered in its transdisciplinary dimension, both from a methodological standpoint and in terms of the arts concerned (visual arts, literature, music, performing arts). The idea of contemporaneity is constitutive of this study, since the goal is to understand the evolution and current relevance of the notion. Proposals must focus on works or projects dating from after the 1960s, a decade that marked a significant renewal of utopia in light of its penetration into institutional critique and its echoes in the formation of counterculture. Across various artistic forms, utopia has been reconceptualized to push the limits of bourgeois institutions, reinvent the relationship between art and the public, and contribute to the upheaval of society.

The symposium invites contributions along the following lines of inquiry:

Axis 1 – Naming Utopia: Vocabulary and Interdisciplinary Typology

- epistemology of utopian terminology

- language shared across fields

- disciplinary differences and nuances

- common core underlying recourse to utopia

Axis 2 – Utopia as an Artistic Apparatus Presenting an Alternative to the World of Reference

- forms of the utopian work: literal apparatus / conceptual apparatus

- evolution and persistence of topoi, particularly uses of space

- “war of imaginaries”

- updating of utopian motifs (communities, emotions, identities, individualities, the living world…)

Axis 3 – Utopian Materializations: Spaces and Practices of Art

- art spaces: planned, transitory or realized; spaces of representation/display, dissemination, experimentation, pedagogy, resistance

- spatial practices and “utopian” discourses in the art and architecture of art places

- experimental practices and modes of artistic organization

Submission Guidelines

Proposals from researchers at all career stages (including Ph.D. students) are welcome, as are those from artists and practitioners of utopia.

Paper proposals, written in French or English, should not exceed 400 words (excluding bibliography) and must be accompanied by a short biographical note. They should be sent by 20 October 2026 to the following address: JEUtopieArts@protonmail.com

Applicants will be notified of the outcome, following review of the proposals, by the end of November.

Organizing Committee

Clara Cazaubiel (PhD candidate in Museum Studies, CERLIS, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle)

Camille Lucot (PhD candidate in Comparative Literature, LISAA, Université Gustave Eiffel)

Adrian Wetter (PhD candidate in Film Studies, THALIM, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, and Universität Kassel, Germany)

Scientific Committee

Antoine de Baecque (Professor of Film Studies, ARTS, Ecole Normale Superieure)

Irène Langlet (Professor of Comparative Literature, LISAA, Université Gustave Eiffel)

François Mairesse (Professor of Museum Studies, CERLIS, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle)

Call for Abstracts | 2026 Graduate Conference "Cusanus Contra Bohemos. Revisiting Nicholas of Cusa,"

  Call for Abstracts | 2026 Graduate Conference

We are pleased to invite submissions for the 2026 Graduate Conference "Cusanus Contra Bohemos. Revisiting Nicholas of Cusa," hosted by students from the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Charles University, Prague, on 19–20 November 2026.

The conference is one of the results of GA UK 334126 and will explore Nicholas of Cusa’s work in its broader historical and intellectual context, with particular emphasis on his political and legal thought and the interconnections between jurisprudence, political authority, ecclesiology, and sovereignty.

Topics of particular interest include:

• Cusanus and his contemporaries

• Law, theology, and political legitimacy

• Cusanus’ contribution to legal philosophy and jurisprudence

• Sovereignty and political authority in De Concordantia Catholica, De Auctoritate Praesidendi, and Epistola ad Bohemos

• Secular and ecclesiastical power in Cusanus’ political thought

• New approaches to his political and legal writings

• Cusanian mereology and the notion of Unity

All Cusanus-related contributions are welcome. We particularly encourage submissions from graduate students, doctoral candidates, and early-career researchers, while scholars at all career stages are warmly invited to apply.

🎓 Confirmed Keynote Speakers

Paul Richard Blum (Loyola University Maryland)

Lenka Karfíková (Charles University)

Andrea Fiamma (Academy of Sciences)

Witalij Morosow (Kues Academy)

📄 Submission Guidelines

Please submit an anonymous abstract of no more than 300 words, together with a short personal bio, to:

📧 cusanus.contra.bohemos@gmail.com

Submission deadline: 1 September 2026

Notification of acceptance: 10 September 2026

The conference will be held in person in Prague, Czech Republic. Please note that the conference is self-funded; travel and accommodation expenses cannot be reimbursed.

For further questions, please contact the organisitators at cusanus.contra.bohemos@gmail.com.

We look forward to receiving your submissions! 

Mateusz Binek: Uniwersalność mesjanizmu. Filozofia polityczna Augusta Cieszkowskiego [The Universality of Messianism: The Political Philosophy of August Cieszkowski].

 Mateusz Binek: Uniwersalność mesjanizmu. Filozofia polityczna Augusta Cieszkowskiego [The Universality of Messianism: The Political Philosophy of August Cieszkowski]. Wydawnictwo UMK 2025. ISBN: 978-83-231-6235-3

Książka stanowi krytyczną analizę filozoficzno-politycznych aspektów myśli jednego z najwybitniejszych przedstawicieli polskiego mesjanizmu – Augusta Cieszkowskiego. W pierwszej części prezentowanej monografii zastosowano metodę rekonstrukcji poglądów filozofa wraz ze wskazaniem na ich ideowe źródła. Badania te obejmują swym zasięgiem związki myśli Cieszkowskiego z filozofią Georga Wilhelma Friedricha Hegla, koncepcjami społecznymi Claude'a Henriego de Saint-Simona i Charles'a Fouriera oraz różnymi nurtami teologii i filozofii chrześcijańskiej.

W drugiej części pracy do analizy filozofii politycznej Cieszkowskiego wykorzystano siatkę pojęciową i metody wypracowane przez Carla Schmitta. Ich zastosowanie pomogło lepiej zrozumieć specyfikę badanych teorii przez ich interpretację w świetle takich ujęć teoretycznych, jak: uwzględnienie opozycji przyjaciel – wróg, pytanie o warunki możliwości ustanowienia globalnej wspólnoty politycznej, podkreślanie antropologicznego zakorzenienia koncepcji filozoficzno-politycznych. Zabieg ten pozwolił na ujawnienie, znajdujących się na marginesie omawianej twórczości, fundamentalnych twierdzeń i milcząco przyjętych przez Cieszkowskiego założeń, mających jednakże doniosłe konsekwencje teoretyczne. Rozprawę można odczytywać jako studium historycznofilozoficzne oraz próbę przeprowadzenia swego rodzaju testu hermeneutycznej mocy kategorii zawartych w dziełach Schmitta.

Tomasz Siewierski, Artur Wójcik: Karol Estreicher

 Tomasz Siewierski, Artur Wójcik: Karol Estreicher. Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy 2026. ISBN 978-83-8196-924-6

Karola Estreichera darzono uwielbieniem bądź szczerze nienawidzono i mimo że od jego śmierci minęło 40 lat, emocje wokół niego wciąż są żywe. Historia człowieka wyjątkowego, wielobarwnego, podejmującego trudne decyzje życiowe, które do dziś wywołują kontrowersje. Nie da się jednak zaprzeczyć jego wielkim zasługom dla polskiej kultury. Estreicher był połączeniem Indiany Jonesa z Franzem Maurerem. Był jedynym w swoim rodzaju obrońcą skarbów i detektywem od sztuki. Nie uznawał półśrodków, brał życie takim, jakim było, a w tych trudnych czasach, w jakich przyszło mu żyć, podejmował decyzje, które przyczyniały się do ratowania naszej historii. Z drugiej jednak strony, przyzwyczajony do pozycji swojej rodziny, uważał, że może więcej od innych. Jest to postać trudna do jednoznacznej oceny. Zupełnie inaczej był i jest postrzegany w swoim macierzystym środowisku krakowskim, a inaczej np. na salonach warszawskich. Opowieść o Estreicherze oparta jest na zróżnicowanym i obfitym materiale źródłowym: zebranych przez autorów relacjach, dokumentach z archiwów i bibliotek krakowskich, wrocławskich, warszawskich, londyńskich i paryskich.

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: SUMMER ACADEMY ON "SCIENCE IMAGINES ITS FUTURE

 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: SUMMER ACADEMY ON "SCIENCE IMAGINES ITS FUTURE <https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/research/projects/science-imagines-its-future>"

Organizers: Lorraine Daston (MPIWG/University of Chicago), David Kaiser (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Erika Milam (Princeton University)

The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) seeks ten Early Career Fellows (graduate students, postdocs, assistant professors or the equivalent) to participate in two summer academies to be held in Berlin on June 14–18, 2027 and June 26–30, 2028, with the support of the Balzan Foundation.

The topic of the summer academies will be how disciplines in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities have deliberated about how to invest their always scarce resources of time, talent, and money in projects that will shape research in an always uncertain future, especially the middle- and long-term future, from the next five years to the next century.

(See full description here. <https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/research/projects/science-imagines-its-future>)

The topic has been broadly construed, and research projects may focus on any discipline, epoch, or locale. Candidates may come from any country or discipline but should be able to present their work and discuss that of others in English.

Early Career Fellows will be given the opportunity to present their own work at the Summer Academies as well as to interview senior scholars and scientists on the topic. They will also play a central role in planning the second Summer Academy in 2028. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered.

Please read the full CALL and the application requirements here. <https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/news/call-applications-summer-academy-science-imagines-its-futures>

Applications should be submitted by November 1, 2026.