Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology of Jagiellonian University (IE&CA, UJ)

and

Institute of Culture, (IC, UJ)

in collaboration with

Institute of Philosophy (IP, UJ),

Institute of European Studies, (IES, UJ)

and

 Facultatea de Limbi şi Literaturi Străine University of Bucharest
University of Bucharest

are pleased to invite you to participate in the International Scientific Conference

INCONVENIENT CULTURAL HERITAGE?
CULTURAL HERITAGE OF NATIONAL, ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN PUBLIC SPACE – MYTHS, IDEOLOGIES, DE(RE)CONSTRUCTIONS

Cracow (Poland), 27-29 May, 2015

Cultural heritage and activities related to its institutionalization seem to be the areas of contemporary culture that are the most easily ideologized. Various groups of stakeholders seek and compete to enter the objects of culture on world cultural heritage lists. The choice of what we consider "our" heritage is followed by a decision about its protection and intergenerational transfer. As a consequence, however, beyond "our protection," there may be a realm of "our" oblivion which deliberately hides "alien" heritage, about which we do not care, which do not matter to us and which we do not want to pass on to our heirs. Thus arises a space of all forms of "our" degradation and marginalization of "alien legacy" – space where we often let this legacy become forgotten.

Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Synagogue_in_%C5%81aszcz%C   3%B3w

The central theme of the Conference focuses on the issue of broadly defined marginalization and vindication of the cultural heritage of European national, ethnic and religious minorities as well as of stateless and socially excluded communities. In the 20th century, in many countries of the Old Continent such heritage was doomed to oblivion, assimilation and even persecution. It was not infrequently passed over in silence in the official national discourse, as its recognition bred tension and conflicts. Moreover, this 'difficult' heritage – as we would call it today – entailed contradictory meanings and values. The way it was perceived and treated by the representatives of majority governments and communities where minorities settled and by the representatives of minority ethnic groups who feel heirs to that heritage was far from being the same.

The Conference Inconvenient Cultural Heritage? will serve as a forum for the presentation of academic reflections upon the broadly-defined issue of minority cultural heritage, which, on the one hand, was downgraded in Europe in the twentieth century, but which is often vindicated in the early twenty-first century.  This interdisciplinary meeting is open to PhD students as well as junior and senior researchers from different academic fields, including historians, ethnographers, cultural anthropologists, philosophers, philologists, folklorists, sociologists, cultural organizers and managers and all those who are professionally involved in "the practice of heritage."

1. Cultural heritage entangled in stereotypes, ideologies and mythologies.
2. Discourses about national, ethnic, religious and excluded minorities in the postwar politics of European countries.
3. Fighting for what's yours – the strategies of construction, presentation, valorization and transfer of cultural heritage from the perspective of minorities.
4. Tangible and intangible cultural heritage of minorities – areas, themes, issues, case studies.
5. "Heritage without heirs," "heritage without homeland." Heritage in the conflict zone.
6. Minority heritage in cultural memory.
7. Minority heritage management.
8. Minority heritage in cultural institutions – projects, programs, protection areas.

The organizers are open to a wide diversity of topics presented during the conference session; therefore, any other issues not included in the conference agenda are welcome.

Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, Jagiellonian University, ul. Gołębia 9, Kraków.

Institute of Culture, Jagiellonian University, ul. Łojasiewicza 4, Kraków.

Conference language: all Slavic languages and English.

Speech time: 20 minutes

Conference fee: PLN 250 (EUR 55) and includes conference materials, coffee breaks and lunches during the conference and the publication of post-conference materials. The account number will be given in a separate e-mail.

Organizers do not cover travel and accommodation costs. We offer assistance in booking hotel nights, about which you will be informed in future correspondence.

If there is a large number of applications, the organizers reserve the right to choose papers which they consider the most suitable.

- 1 March 2015 – submitting speech proposals and an abstract (maximum 200 words). Please e-mail your proposals to: patrycja.trzeszczynska@gmail.com

- 30 March 2015 – information whether a paper has been accepted

- 15 April 2015 – payment of the conference fee

- 27–29 May 2015 – Conference Days

- 5 April 2015 – sending papers in Polish and/or in English for publication

Conference papers will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals included on the B list of the Polish Ministry of Education (if a paper is submitted in Polish and English version, it can be printed in a journal and in an English-language monograph).