Doing Memory of Right-Wing Violence in Mediated Public Spheres.

International and Interdisciplinary Workshop at Tuebingen University, Germany
15-16 October 2017

The long history of right-wing violence Western societies have witnessed since 1945 includes acts of racist violence, which are socially remembered due to the massive media coverage involved. Nevertheless, there are also many acts of right-wing violence (against people perceived as migrants and refugees, as homeless and Roma, as Jewish, as the political left etc.) that are almost forgotten. In some cases, remembering is organized only by small groups or family members of those affected by right-wing actors.

Right-wing violence does not only cause individual fear and trauma but also radically unsettles foundations of democratic societies. Hate crimes do not regularly address the victimized individual but the whole group the individual represents according to the perpetrator’s worldview. Additionally, further victimization can occur through inadequate reaction by security forces, media, or personal surroundings: e.g. blaming the victim of being (partially) responsible for or denying the political dimension of the particular act of violence. Our starting point is that societies should publicly remember acts of right-wing violence.

We are interested in innovative theoretical and empirical studies on doing memory of right wing violence. Furthermore, we would like to encourage younger scholars who are interested in sharing their research results on doing memory with us. We are looking for studies, which are open for interdisciplinary approaches. These studies may, among others, ask how visibility and recognition is produced in local or translocal (mediated) public spheres and how this changed over time. Highly welcome are also scholars who examine doing memory as an act of performance which is embedded in conflictual figurations.

We are also looking for studies that examine doing memory of right-wing violence in its various forms e.g. exhibitions, literature, political action, photography and film, art work, memorials, etc. Ultimately, we would be happy about projects that, beyond the act of remembering, also examine the contested forms of legitimization or delegitimization of remembering and how this changed over time.

Abstracts (500-1000 words) should outline the theoretical perspective, the methodological approach as well as empirical findings.

Proposals may specify whether their author/s require funding and/or have other specific needs to attend the conference. Some of the applicants may be granted financial support within the limits of available budgets. Travel and accommodation can be reimbursed for a certain number of invited speakers. Please indicate if you do not have access to institutional resources.

Please, send your abstracts until 1st August 2017 to the following e-mail-address:
tanja.thomas@uni-tuebingen.de

Notification of acceptance will not be later than 15th August 2017.