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]