Conference at the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Szczecin University at Kulice

The Middle Ages were not only a crucial period in the formation of the European states of today, but also a mythical era, in which several ideas and plots developed that we still are referring to today. Although subsequent centuries added negative features, calling it the Dark Ages and naming the dominant style of art as (barbaric) Gothic, the Middle Ages are nevertheless an extraordinary era, in which (besides antiquity) the foundations of European identity were laid and states, universities, cultural universalism, concepts and ideas, and literary motifs emerged that we often refer to today, as the famous myths of the Holy Grail and Robin Hood.

In order to analyse the use of narratives, motifs, myths and medieval symbols in the 20th and 21st centuries in greater depth, a series of annual conferences on ‘Żywe średniowiecze / Living Medievalism’ will be launched. These motifs are still around us, they are given specific meanings depending on prevailing social and political mindsets, and it seems that we are experiencing a certain renaissance. Many of these myths are at the foundation of many nations, social groups or states, but their origins are critically examined in contemporary historical and archaeological research. However, since many narratives in the public (e.g. in museum exhibitions, publications, films, reconstructions and re-enactments, or through monuments) directly refer to the Middle Ages, the following questions arise:

– How can we talk and educate people about these medieval narratives that are living among us without undermining historical foundations of collective identity?
– Can myths based on medieval narratives be attractive to contemporary tourists?
– How can they be presented in a way that does not offend those who, contrary to recent research, believe in them?
– How can one cope with overtly politicized narratives?

The meetings – conferences entitled “Żywe średniowiecze / Living Medievalism” consist of two parts – the first aims to identify and define such sites in Europe and discuss their themes on the basis of the latest research in medieval studies, whilst the second, practical part aims to demonstrate ways in which such sites can be used to enhance the appeal of the Pomerania Euroregion, drawing on experiences from across Europe.

The second conference, entitled ‘Medieval Battles – Attractive Sites in Contemporary Public Space?’, will focus on medieval battles that function as sites of remembrance (whether symbolic or commemorated through monuments) in contemporary public space. For various social groups, some of these battles constitute identity-forming events around which political, and sometimes religious, dramas unfolds; others are significant for tourism, attracting interested individuals to events (political demonstrations, re-enactments, cultural events). Some play their mythical role solely in the symbolic realm, as their location is unknown.

We kindly invite you to send in abstracts for presentations. We are interested firstly in previously unpublished papers presenting detailed studies, overviews or comparative perspectives on medieval battles in Europe as places of remembrance in the modern era. Secondly, we are interested in the practical application of knowledge about those battles in everyday life – cultural heritage management, tourism, regional development, regional policy, the creation of tourism products, museum work, education and the protection of cultural heritage.

Please submit your presentation title with a short abstract (up to 200 words) and short CV (up to 200 words), in one of the following languages: English, German, or Polish to pawel.migdalski@usz.edu.pl by 6 September 2026.

Conference languages are Polish and English with simultaneous translation. A publication is planned after the conference.

The organisers will provide bus transport from Szczecin to the venue in Kulice and return, accommodation and food in Kulice.

The conference is part of the project INT0300089 Das Meer – Pomerania – Brandenburg – die Grenzregion als Orte des deutsch-polnischen Dialogs 2.0.

Source : H-Soz-Kult