The Historians’ Days (in Dutch: Historicidagen) are jointly organized by the Royal Netherlands Historical Society (KNHG), Maastricht University, Open University and Fontys University of Applied Sciences from 22-24 August 2024, and are meant for everyone interested in history, professionally or otherwise.
The event showcases the many diverse and dynamic ways of doing history. Through a wide spectrum of lectures, debates and workshops, the Historians’ Days tackles issues and challenges on the frontline of historical research and public debates. Keywords of the conference include networking, inspiration, orientation, career and relaxation.
The Historians’ Days are modelled on well-known, influential and professional conferences abroad, such as the annual gatherings of the American Historical Association and the biennial Historikertag of the Association of Historians of Germany.
The Historians’ Days 2024 evolve around the theme of Undisciplined History, and actively promote diversity within participants, audience, program, stories, methods and presentations.
Theme
Albert Einstein famously said: ‘The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking’. The multiple crises of today’s society arguably demand that we change our business as usual and therefore also rethink how we do history. How do we research, write and teach the past? And who does this history? In 2024 the Royal Netherlands Historical Society (KNHG) together with Maastricht University (UM) and the Open University (OU) will organize the fourth edition of the Historians’ Days 2024 in the historical inner city of Maastricht. This three-day event will take place at campus of Maastricht University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Building on a tradition of setting themes that resonate with current transformations in our society, the theme for this edition is Undisciplined History.
Call for proposals
The Historians’ Days are designed to convey current events throughout the discipline. The contributions may relate to the theme but may also concern matters that transcend this theme. They may be specialized or interdisciplinary and may comprise Dutch and foreign participants alike and ideally appeal to historians from different professional fields (academia, education, heritage) and those interested in history.
Share your expertise, projects and ideas and submit a proposal that does not exceed 500 words to the program committee before 31 January 2024. This may be individual or on behalf of a (working) group or an organization. Young historians are strongly encouraged to submit proposals.
