Call for Papers: Conflict and Cooperation in the History of Cartography during the 20th century

 Call for Papers: Conflict and Cooperation in the History of Cartography during the 20th century. Workshop at the Herder Institute in Marburg/Germany, September 24, 2026

During the 20th century there were many different forms and modes of conflict and cooperation in the fields of cartography and geography. Publishing houses competed with one another to sell their products but sought partners to open up new markets. Surveying agencies advanced the mapping of nation-states and at the same time reached out to colonies, frontiers or “unknown” territories for surveying projects as part of imperial expansion. International conferences and exhibitions acted as turntables and showrooms for ideas and maps, and as arenas for experts to discuss major themes in cartography and geography.

Historians have employed a variety of methods to examine these issues. This is not only a field for the history of cartography but an intersection of many different approaches, such as the history of knowledge, the history of technology and the history of international organisation. In recent years there have been discussions about how to decolonise surveying and mapping, how to integrate the perspectives of non‑Western actors and organisations, how to attend to diverse developments, and how to critique long-established terms (such as “progress” or “accuracy”) as well as the categories and classifications used in 20th-century maps.

The workshop on September24, 2026 in Marburg aims to advance these discussions. We invite scholars to contribute presentations related to at least one of the following topics:

Dimensions of rivalry and cooperation between East and West, and North and South, in the fields of cartography and geography;

Surveying, mapping, map‑publishing and related projects that shed light on the challenges of cross‑border cooperation;

The role of experts, mapping agencies and publishing houses in debates about techniques, procedures, standards and classifications in cartography and geography;

Institutions of cooperation — such as congresses, organisations and committees — that reflect tensions between different regions of the world. 

Please send an abstract (max. 2000 characters) and a short biographical note (max. 500 characters) no later than May 5, 2026 to christian.lotz@herder-institut.de . The workshop will be held at the Herder Institute. The working language is English. 

The workshop is part of the project “The World Map 1:2,500,000 (Karta Mira) as a Vehicle of Socialist Globalization: Potentials and Limits of Scientific Standardization and International Cooperation, 1958–1989”. The project is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG, No. 550 144 086). Thanks to the DFG, we are able to reimburse costs for travel and accommodation.

If you have questions about the workshop or about the Karta Mira project at the Herder Institute, please contact: christian.lotz@herder-institut.de

[Image: Comparability as a goal. Access to the Baltic Sea and access to the Red Sea. Karta Mira / World Map 1:2,500,000, excerpts, sheet 36 (Moscow 1972) and 95 (Sofia 1969). Call number: K 1 II L 210, Kartensammlung Herder-Institut]

Call for Papers - Playing God: Eugenics in Modern History

 Call for Papers - Playing God: Eugenics in Modern History

The scientific conference "Playing God: Eugenics in Modern History" will be held at the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk from November 18–20, 2026. Researchers from the fields of history, sociology, philosophy, (bio)ethics, medicine, law, and political science are invited to submit proposals for presentation topics. The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2026.

In 2024, the Polish Parliament declared 22 September as the Day of Remembrance for Victims of the Extermination of People with Mental Disorders in Occupied Poland during World War II. On that day in 1939, the first residents of the former psychiatric hospital in Kocborowo near Starogard Gdański were murdered. It was one of a number of centres where, during the German occupation, sick and disabled people were killed, thus fulfilling one of the goals of Nazi Germany's eugenics policy.

The history of modern biological engineering and social control is inextricably linked to the rise of eugenics. This movement stemmed from the seemingly noble aim of “bettering” the human race through selective breeding—a facet of the unprecedented scientific progress of the 19th century. Soon, enthusiasts began advocating for the mobilization of the modern state’s bureaucratic apparatus to turn these theories into practice.

In time, various countries introduced eugenic measures. The tragic pinnacle of this trend was reached in Nazi Germany with Aktion T4—a systematic program of mass murder through involuntary euthanasia, which claimed approximately 300,000 lives. This crime served as a technological and ideological precursor to the Holocaust.

However, eugenics was not a localized phenomenon, nor did it end with the defeat of Nazism in 1945; it was a global movement that permeated medical, legal, and social structures across continents. Many countries maintained eugenic regulations well into the final decades of the 20th century and beyond. This conference aims to examine the multifaceted nature of eugenic thought, from its intellectual origins to its practical, often violent, criminal and tragic applications.

Themes and Topics

We invite scholars from the fields of history, sociology, philosophy, (bio)ethics, medicine, law and political science to submit proposals. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

Sources of Eugenic Thought: On the origins of the “improvement” of the human race.

Intellectual Genealogies: The influence of Social Darwinism and the “science” of heredity.

The T4 Program and Beyond: Analysis of “euthanasia” programs, their victims, and medical ethics in the German Reich (1933–1945).

Global Perspectives: Eugenic legislation and sterilization practices worldwide.

Institutional Eugenics: The role of psychiatric hospitals, laboratories, and welfare systems in promoting “racial hygiene.”

Gender and Eugenics: Control of female reproduction and the concept of “fit” motherhood.

Modern Echoes: The legacy of eugenic thinking in contemporary genetics and bioethics.

Submission Guidelines

Please submit your completed applications forms to: conference2026@muzeum1939.pl . Forms can be retrieved from https://muzeum1939.pl/en/news/playing-god-eugenics-in-modern-history-call-for-papers 

Submission Deadline: 1st June 2026

Notification of Acceptance: 19th June 2026

Organizational Information

The organizers will select the submissions and notify all applicants by 19th June 2026.

Successful applicants will be provided with accommodation covered by the Museum.

Please note that the organizers do not cover travel costs.

Conference proceedings may be recorded.

Małgorzata Małłek-Grabowska, Janusz Małłek, Piotr Paluchowski: Różne oblicza medycyny (zarazy, melancholia, okulistyka i lekarze) [The different faces of medicine (epidemics, melancholy, ophthalmology, and doctors)].

 Małgorzata Małłek-Grabowska, Janusz Małłek, Piotr Paluchowski: Różne oblicza medycyny (zarazy, melancholia, okulistyka i lekarze) [The different faces of medicine (epidemics, melancholy, ophthalmology, and doctors)]. Wydawnictwo UMK 2025. ISBN:978-83-231-6172-1 (Polish, German, English)

Wstęp / 11

JANUSZ MAŁŁEK, MAŁGORZATA MAŁŁEK-GRABOWSKA

Mikołaj Kopernik jako lekarz / 15

JANUSZ MAŁŁEK

Nicolaus Copernicus als Medicus / 29

JANUSZ MAŁŁEK, MAŁGORZATA MAŁŁEK-GRABOWSKA

Dżuma w Norwegii w latach 1349–1350 i jej demograficzne oraz społeczno-gospodarcze konsekwencje / 47

JANUSZ MAŁŁEK, MAŁGORZATA MAŁŁEK-GRABOWSKA

Jednostka i państwo w konfrontacji z epidemią dżumy w Królewcu i na Mazurach w latach 1709–1711 / 73

JANUSZ MAŁŁEK, MAŁGORZATA MAŁŁEK-GRABOWSKA

Individuum und Staat im Angesicht der Pestepidemie in Königsberg und Masuren 1709–1711 / 85

JANUSZ MAŁŁEK, MAŁGORZATA MAŁŁEK-GRABOWSKA

Nataniel Mateusz Wolf (vel Wolff) (1724–1784), lekarz, pionier wariolizacji, pierwotnej formy szczepienia przeciw ospie prawdziwej (czarnej) w Prusach Królewskich / 101

PIOTR PALUCHOWSKI, JANUSZ MAŁŁEK, MAŁGORZATA MAŁŁEK-GRABOWSKA

Nathanael Mathaeus von Wolf and Johanna Henrietta Trosiener (Schopenhauer). Variolation in the 18th century on the Polish lands according to the guidelines of a doctor and the memoirs of his patient / 127

 

PIOTR PALUCHOWSKI, JANUSZ MAŁŁEK, MAŁGORZATA MAŁŁEK-GRABOWSKA

Nathanael Mathaeus von Wolf i Johanna Henrietta Trosiener (Schopenhauer). Dokonywanie wariolizacji w XVIII w. według wytycznych lekarza we wspomnieniach jego pacjentki / 149 

MAŁGORZATA MAŁŁEK-GRABOWSKA, JANUSZ MAŁŁEK

Epidemia cholery azjatyckiej w Prusach Wschodnich w XIX w. / 167

FRYDERYK HERMANN ARENDT

O epidemii cholery w Kłajpedzie w roku 1831, opracowanie i wstęp Małgorzata Małłek-Grabowska, Janusz Małłek, przekład z języka łacińskiego Tomasz Babnis / 227 

JANUSZ MAŁŁEK, MAŁGORZATA MAŁŁEK-GRABOWSKA

Melancholia księcia pruskiego Albrechta Fryderyka (1553–1618) / 275

LECH BIEGANOWSKI, JANUSZ MAŁŁEK

Przyczynek do historii chirurgii okulistycznej w Polsce w XVI w. (Toruńska operacja zaćmy Bartłomieja Płuczki w 1589 r.) / 321

LECH BIEGANOWSKI, JANUSZ MAŁŁEK

Bartel Płuczka als Katarakt-operateur in Thorn 1589 / 337

LECH BIEGANOWSKI, JANUSZ MAŁŁEK

Nowe przyczynki do historii okularów w Polsce w XVI w. Gdańskie okulary księcia pruskiego Albrechta / 355

LECH BIEGANOWSKI, JANUSZ MAŁŁEK

Neue Beiträge zur Geschichte der Brille in Polen. Die Danziger Brille des Herzog Albrechts von Preussen / 371

JANUSZ MAŁŁEK

O książce „Zasłużeni lekarze toruńscy we wspomnieniach. Wybrane sylwetki z XIX i XX wieku” / 387

JANUSZ MAŁŁEK

Wspomnienie o Leszku Bieganowskim / 393

JANUSZ MAŁŁEK

Adam Tybor (1910–1986), lekarz laryngolog. Z galicyjskich Ołpin w lekarski świat / 397

Nota bibliograficzna / 415

Wykaz ilustracji / 419

Indeks osobowy / 423

Alexander Herzen: Past and Thoughts. An Annotated Critical Edition

 Alexander Herzen: Past and Thoughts. An Annotated Critical Edition. Translated by Kathleen F. Parthé, Edited and translated by Robert N. Harris. Harvard University Press 2025.

An annotated translation of Alexander Herzen’s monumental memoir Past and Thoughts—the first new English-language edition in a century—captures the tumultuous life and penetrating cultural and political insights of the writer widely regarded as the founder of Russian socialism.

Isaiah Berlin called Alexander Herzen’s magnum opus, Past and Thoughts, “a literary masterpiece worthy to be placed by the side of the novels of . . . Tolstoy, Turgenev, Dostoevsky.” It was the most influential memoir published in nineteenth-century Russia, and its impact extended far beyond the tsarist era and the empire’s borders, inspiring generations of thinkers, leaders, and dissidents struggling against authoritarian regimes. The first English-language translation in a century, thoroughly annotated with a new introduction, this volume shows why Past and Thoughts is considered a great classic.

Against a dramatic backdrop of war, revolution, and exile, Herzen tells a stirring story of political agitation, marital scandal, betrayal, and despair. Past and Thoughts begins with Napoleon’s invasion of Moscow during Herzen’s infancy, then follows the author’s central role in Russia’s emerging intelligentsia, his imprisonment and exile in the frozen north, his adventures across a mid-century Europe undergoing the turbulence of revolution and unification, and his founding of the first uncensored Russian-language press. We see the Paris revolts of 1848 and the flamboyant swashbucklers of Italy’s Risorgimento through Herzen’s sharp eyes, alongside his bold journalism, which reached both the tsar’s prisoners and the Winter Palace.

This edition restores a key section on the tragic denouement of Herzen’s marriage—omitted from previous abridged versions—and includes notes offering critical insight into Herzen’s historical sketches, travelogues, satire, poetry, philosophical excursions, and polemics. Tolstoy remarked that “Herzen awaits his readers in the future.” A piercing investigation of the human spirit and its enemies, Past and Thoughts is indeed a work for our time.

Reviews

„Past and Thoughts is perhaps the greatest autobiography in Russian literature, a classic worth placing in company with Turgenev, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy. This new translation captures, as never before, Herzen’s anecdotal brilliance, wit, and inimitable essayistic style, with its layers of irony on irony.“ – Gary Saul Morson, Northwestern University

„This magnificent exercise in self-writing founded the art of political witnessing for nineteenth-century Russia. At last, Herzen’s acclaimed mega-text receives the critical English edition it deserves, expertly pruning out and eloquently filling in this world for today’s readers.“ – Caryl Emerson, Princeton University

About the Authors

Robert N. Harris specializes in nineteenth-century Russian intellectual history at the University of Oxford. He has lectured at numerous universities, including Barcelona, Cambridge, and LMU Munich.

Kathleen F. Parthé is Professor Emeritus of Russian at the University of Rochester. She is the author of A Herzen Reader, Russian Village Prose, and, with James H. Billington, The Search for a New Russian National Identity.

CfP The Far Right, Universities, and Counter-Institutional Knowledge Places

 CfP The Far Right, Universities, and Counter-Institutional Knowledge Places, University of Cologne, 10.03.2027 - 12.03.2027, Deadline 01.05.2026

The conference aims, first, to strengthen attention to (higher) learning and education within the growing body of research on the far right in contemporary history. Second, it takes up debates within the field of education about the central importance of issues of learning and education for far-right movements and deepens them through a historical perspective, particularly regarding forms and venues of adult learning. Third, the conference ties in with current debates about the stance of universities towards populist and right-wing influence.

We welcome paper proposals from all regions covering the period from the late 1960s to the present. Contributions may focus on, but are not restricted to, the following areas:

Academia under pressure: the far right’s view of higher education.

To what extent did right-wing groups and individuals regard universities as their sphere of activity? How did students, researchers, and professors campaign for right-wing goals? How were universities used as symbolic or material resources? What forms of criticism of academia and higher education emerged, and which underlying motives (such as ‘neutrality’, ‘freedom’, ‘achievement’, ‘left-wing hegemony’, ‘pedagogisation’, etc.) shaped them?

Think tanks, centres and counter-universities: self-organised knowledge places of the far right.

What learning spaces and organisations did protagonists from the intellectual right establish, and what were their main areas of focus? Which formats (e.g. conferences, summer schools, camps, self-study courses) were used, and how did they shape networks and intellectual positions? What intellectual and social significance did these “self-organised” knowledge places have?

Certified, with state recognition? Self-founded right-wing institutions and right-wing influences on established colleges and universities.

When and how have right-wing actors attempted to copy or take over established academic institutions? To what extent have they sought state funding or official recognition for their educational projects and examinations? What role do commercial right-wing institutions play that rhetorically claim university status and make broad educational promises?

Consequences and reactions in higher education and politics.

Who raised the issue of right-wing activities in the higher education context, both internally and publicly? What institutional responses and strategies can be identified? What consequences were discussed in politics regarding the regulation of right-wing ‘educational’ activities, for instance concerning charitable status of organisations, the prohibition of institutions, or financial support (e.g. from foundations)?

History of ‘science’ and ‘education’ in quotation marks?

Finally, the conference invites discussion on academic approaches to the study of right-wing learning and teaching. What are the strengths and challenges of historical analysis in this field? Which periodisations seem most appropriate? Which sources can be used, and what practical problems arise in their collection and analysis?

If you are interested in participating, please send an abstract (max. 300 words) to susanne.schregel@uni-koeln.de by May 1, 2026. There is no conference fee. We will try to obtain funding for travel and accommodation for all who do not have institutional funding.

[Image: Students block the lecture of controversial far-right historian, Lothar Höbelt, at the Vienna University. https://peoplesdispatch.org/2020/01/17/anti-fascists-protest-far-right-manifestations-in-austrian-universities/]

Mikuláš Pešta: Student Internationalism and the Global Cold War. The International Union of Students in Socialist Prague. London: Bloomsbury 2026

 Mikuláš Pešta: Student Internationalism and the Global Cold War. The International Union of Students in Socialist Prague. London: Bloomsbury 2026. ISBN 9781350425545

OA: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/student-internationalism-and-the-global-cold-war-9781350425545/#

Description

This open access book tells the history of the International Union of Students, providing a fascinating account of a significant but understudied vehicle of internationalism amidst the Global Cold War. Focusing on three main themes; student internationalism, decolonization, and socialist transnationalism, it draws on a vast array of archival sources to explore cooperation and exchange between the Cold war's three worlds, and the role of the organization in developing global socialism.

Centring Prague as a key co-ordinating centre of Cold War internationalisms and with an international focus on student organisations, Pešta contextualises the legacy and impact of student internationalism in the twentieth century. Paying particular attention to the role of 'Third World' delegates who communicated and legitimised topics such as colonialism, racism, global inequality and national liberation, it shows how the language and agenda of the IUS changed over time, and how the organization struggled to find its place after the end of the Cold War in 1989.

The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Prehistory

2. From Universalism to the Cold War

3. The 'Golden Age'

4. Representing the Students of the World

5. Crises and Reforms

6. Post-Mortem and Resurrections

Conclusions

CFP: Academic Freedom, Integrity, and Governance in Central Asia: Theory, Practice, and Emerging Challenges

 Central Asian Affairs is seeking contributions for its upcoming special issue, “Academic Freedom, Integrity, and Governance in Central Asia: Theory, Practice, and Emerging Challenges.”

Guest editors:

Dmitry Dubrovsky, PhD, Department of Social Sciences, Charles University, Prague

Feruza Madaminova, PhD, International School of Finance Technology and Science (ISFT Institute), Tashkent

Assylzat Karabayeva, PhD, College of Social Sciences, KIMEP University, Almaty

Special Issue Scope

Academic freedom—understood as a normative foundation of higher education and a precondition to produce reliable knowledge—has become both an object of intense debate and a growing field of scholarly inquiry. Classical and contemporary theories conceptualize academic freedom variously as an individual right of scholars, an institutional condition of university autonomy, and a relational practice shaped by governance, power, and professional norms. In recent years, these theoretical debates have gained renewed urgency across different world regions.

These issues were central to two panels at the conference “Academic Freedom in Flux: Purpose, Beneficiaries, and Practices in the Contemporary World,” held on 16–18 October 2025 at the Tashkent State University of Economics. Discussions highlighted a set of challenges that transcend national contexts: the managerialization of higher education; the tightening of regulatory and political oversight over universities; and shifting modes of interaction between academic institutions and the state, society, business, and civil society.

For Central Asia, these debates are particularly salient. Ongoing reforms in higher education and research, coupled with the growing prominence of science and education in national development strategies, have reconfigured the institutional environment in which academic freedom is practiced. While reform agendas are often framed in terms of global competitiveness and integration into international academic markets, they simultaneously raise fundamental questions about how academic freedom and institutional autonomy are interpreted, negotiated, and protected in practice.

This special issue approaches academic freedom not only as a legal or declarative principle, but as a socially embedded practice shaped by governance regimes, professional cultures, and informal norms. Attention is paid to the tension between formal regulation and informal arrangements in research and higher education, including state–university relations, the effectiveness of academic self-governance, and the institutionalization of academic integrity.

A new and increasingly consequential dimension of these debates concerns the rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence in higher education and research. AI-driven tools—ranging from text generation and data analysis to automated assessment and surveillance—are reshaping everyday academic practices. In the Central Asian context, these technologies raise pressing questions about academic integrity, authorship, evaluation, control, and trust, as well as about new forms of dependency, oversight, and inequality. The intersection of AI, academic freedom, and integrity thus represents a critical and underexplored area for empirical and theoretical inquiry in the region.

At the same time, Central Asia’s historical experience makes it essential to address broader structural issues, including epistemic justice, academic imperialism, and academic colonialism. Scholars working in and on the region continue to navigate global hierarchies of knowledge production that affect research agendas, publication practices, and standards of academic “excellence.” Gender equality and inclusion, while not the primary focus of this issue, remain an important contextual dimension of academic development and are welcomed as part of broader, analytically grounded contributions.

Proposal Guidelines

This special issue invites submissions that engage theoretically and empirically with academic freedom, academic integrity, and institutional autonomy in Central Asia, both historically and in the present. The editors particularly welcome contributions based on original empirical materials and approaches from sociology, political science, history, education studies, and related disciplines.

Suggested themes include:

Theories of academic freedom and their applicability beyond Western institutional contexts

Managerial reforms and their consequences for academic freedom and institutional autonomy

Governance, self-rule, and power relations within universities

State-university relations and regulatory regimes shaping research and teaching

Academic integrity: norms, enforcement mechanisms, and institutional cultures

Artificial intelligence in higher education: implications for academic integrity, evaluation, and freedom

Formal rules versus informal practices in research and higher education

Epistemic justice, knowledge hierarchies, and global academic inequality

Academic imperialism, colonial legacies, and decolonial approaches in and about Central Asia

Academic labor, precarity, mobility, and patterns of brain drain and circulation

Gender Equality and inclusion in academia as a contextual and institutional dimension

Soviet and post-Soviet legacies of higher education and their contemporary reinterpretations

Deadline: May 15, 2026

All submissions should be sent to madaminovaferuza.f@gmail.com.

Please use the subject line: “Central Asia Affairs – Special Issues“