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Queering 20th-Century East Central Europe: Archives – Emotions – Histories
Event by: Fakulta humanitních studií Univerzity Karlovy, Německý historický ústav, Ústav pro soudobé dějiny AV ČR, v.v.i., Herder-Institut
Location: Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Pátkova 2137/5, Praha 8
Talks & discussions
About event
The international conference "Queering 20th-Century East Central Europe: Archives – Emotions – Histories" (Prague, 26-28 May 2026) represents a key scientific forum for contemporary research on queer history in Central and Eastern Europe. It builds on the previous meeting in Marburg and connects established and emerging research with the aim of moving the study of queer pasts beyond national historiographies and linear narratives of modernity.
The program is built around three interconnected levels: archives, emotions and historical processes. It focuses on questions of silence and absence in archives, the affective dimensions of memory and identity, as well as changes in the regulation of sexuality and gender across the political regimes of the 20th century. Individual panels open the topics of the relationship between knowledge and power, medicine and sexuality, war experiences and cultural and everyday practices of queer life.
The highlight of the program is the keynote lecture by Prof. Ann Cvetkovich (University of Texas at Austin, USA), one of the most influential figures in contemporary queer studies. Her concept of an "archive of feelings" has fundamentally transformed the ways in which the relationship between emotion, memory and history can be explored. In his lecture "Feeling My Way through the Archives: A Journey in Queer Method", he will offer a methodological framework that understands the archive as an affective space and opens up new possibilities for historical knowledge.
The conference creates a space for interdisciplinary dialogue and leads to publication outputs that will contribute to a deeper anchoring of the queer historiography of the region in the international context.
Registration for the conference is required at https://www.usd.cas.cz/aktuality/queering-20th-century-east-central-europe-archives-emotions-histories/
The international conference "Queering 20th-Century East Central Europe: Archives – Emotions – Histories" (Prague, May 26–28, 2026) provides a major scientific forum for current research on queer histories in East Central Europe. Building on a preparatory workshop held in Marburg, it brings together established and early-career scholars to move beyond national historiographies and linear narratives of modernity.
The program is structured around three interconnected analytical dimensions: archives, emotions, and historical processes. It addresses silences and absences in the archive, the affective dimensions of memory and identity, and the shifting regulation of sexuality and gender across twentieth-century political regimes. Panels engage with questions of knowledge and power, medicine and sexuality, wartime experiences, and the cultural and everyday practices of queer life.
The keynote lecture will be delivered by Prof. Ann Cvetkovich (University of Texas at Austin, USA), one of the most influential figures in contemporary queer studies. Her concept of the "archive of feelings" has fundamentally reshaped how scholars understand the relationship between emotion, memory, and history. In her talk, "Feeling My Way through the Archives: A Journey in Queer Method", she will offer a methodological framework that reconceives the archive as an affective space and opens new avenues for historical inquiry.
The conference fosters interdisciplinary exchange and aims to generate publication outputs that will further establish queer historiography of the region within a global scholarly context.
Program and registration: https://www.usd.cas.cz/aktuality/queering-20th-century-east-central-europe-archives-emotions-histories/
The program is built around three interconnected levels: archives, emotions and historical processes. It focuses on questions of silence and absence in archives, the affective dimensions of memory and identity, as well as changes in the regulation of sexuality and gender across the political regimes of the 20th century. Individual panels open the topics of the relationship between knowledge and power, medicine and sexuality, war experiences and cultural and everyday practices of queer life.
The highlight of the program is the keynote lecture by Prof. Ann Cvetkovich (University of Texas at Austin, USA), one of the most influential figures in contemporary queer studies. Her concept of an "archive of feelings" has fundamentally transformed the ways in which the relationship between emotion, memory and history can be explored. In his lecture "Feeling My Way through the Archives: A Journey in Queer Method", he will offer a methodological framework that understands the archive as an affective space and opens up new possibilities for historical knowledge.
The conference creates a space for interdisciplinary dialogue and leads to publication outputs that will contribute to a deeper anchoring of the queer historiography of the region in the international context.
Registration for the conference is required at https://www.usd.cas.cz/aktuality/queering-20th-century-east-central-europe-archives-emotions-histories/
The international conference "Queering 20th-Century East Central Europe: Archives – Emotions – Histories" (Prague, May 26–28, 2026) provides a major scientific forum for current research on queer histories in East Central Europe. Building on a preparatory workshop held in Marburg, it brings together established and early-career scholars to move beyond national historiographies and linear narratives of modernity.
The program is structured around three interconnected analytical dimensions: archives, emotions, and historical processes. It addresses silences and absences in the archive, the affective dimensions of memory and identity, and the shifting regulation of sexuality and gender across twentieth-century political regimes. Panels engage with questions of knowledge and power, medicine and sexuality, wartime experiences, and the cultural and everyday practices of queer life.
The keynote lecture will be delivered by Prof. Ann Cvetkovich (University of Texas at Austin, USA), one of the most influential figures in contemporary queer studies. Her concept of the "archive of feelings" has fundamentally reshaped how scholars understand the relationship between emotion, memory, and history. In her talk, "Feeling My Way through the Archives: A Journey in Queer Method", she will offer a methodological framework that reconceives the archive as an affective space and opens new avenues for historical inquiry.
The conference fosters interdisciplinary exchange and aims to generate publication outputs that will further establish queer historiography of the region within a global scholarly context.
Program and registration: https://www.usd.cas.cz/aktuality/queering-20th-century-east-central-europe-archives-emotions-histories/