The University of Split – Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Moses Mendelssohn Centre for European-Jewish Studies in Potsdam and the Moses Mendelssohn Institute in Zagreb invite for a call for paper for the international scientific conference “Jews in the Balkans: History, Religion, Culture” which will be held at the University of Split from 8th –10th May 2017.
The conference will illustrate the diversities and dynamics of Jewish life in the Balkans where Jews played, especially before World War II, an important role for the social, cultural and economic development of the region. In some areas, such as in the Macedonian city of Bitola, in Thessaloniki or in the Croatian-Dalmatian city Salona, Jews had been living since Ancient Roman times. During the Inquisition, Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal settled in what was then the Ottoman Empire, whereas Ashkenazi Jews had been taking up residence mainly in Slovenia and Croatia. A vibrant Jewish life developed especially in larger cities such as Zagreb, Belgrade, Sarajevo and Thessaloniki where Jews established communities and various cultural, sportive and humanitarian organizations. Even though we now have information about the life of the Balkan Jews, the knowledge about them remained limited. Our conference offers a chance to deepen and to exchange our knowledge about the Jews of the Balkans. The region is defined here as comprising the countries of former Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece.
We invite proposals for paper presentations addressing the following themes:
- Archaeological search for Jewish Life
- Jewish Merchants and Sailors between Venice and the Ottoman Empire
- Jewish Identities in the Balkans
- Jews as Artists, Architects and Writers
- Social Importance of Jewish Communities and Organizations
- Antisemitism
- Jewish Resistance and Exile during the Shoah
- Being a Jew in the Balkans after the Shoah and the Cold War
Proposals for papers should be no longer than 400 words. Please add a short CV which should include: name, current institutional affiliation, professional background and recent publications (5 titles in maximum).
The proposals should be sent to Dr. Martina Bitunjac: mbitunja@uni-potsdam.de
The deadline for sending the proposal is the 31st October 2016. Authors will be notified of paper acceptance or non-acceptance at latest the 15th of November.
The language of the conference is English. The presented papers will be published in the conference proceedings.
Participants are expected to organize and cover their travel costs. Accommodation in Split will be provided.
We look forward to receiving your papers.