The international conference The Habsburg Monarchy, Silesia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1526-1763 – politics, culture, and legacy is one of the first events of this kind in Wroclaw and in Lower Silesia. Our aim is to organize an interdisciplinary meeting for researchers from Poland and abroad specializing in the Habsburg reign in Silesia. It is also important to analyze the whole legacy of the Austrian Empire and its impact upon Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in Early Modern times.

Over the geographical borders of Silesia and other regions of Central and East Europe, we would like to create a “bridge” linking all lands which were parts of the Austrian Empire. The timeline begins in 1526 (when Silesia finally became a part of the Habsburg Monarchy) and ends in 1763, when, according to the Peace Treaty of Hubertusburg, Austria renounced all claims to the Silesian territories and ceded them to Prussia. However these time boundaries are not rigid. One of the main ideas of this conference is to expand our knowledge of the reception of the Habsburg era in modern times.

The conference The Habsburg Monarchy, Silesia, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1526-1763 – politics, culture, and legacy is planned as an interdisciplinary event, which will involving a wide range of research disciplines. We believe that Lower Silesia is an excellent place to gather all researchers due to an extraordinary legacy, which the Habsburg Monarchy left in Silesia, but especially in Wroclaw. Also it is beyond doubt that the Habsburg era was one of the most important period in the history of Central Europe. Therefore we look forward to contributions from various disciplines including history, sociology, political studies, anthropology, ethnology, culture studies, and literature. The conference is open to students, academics, researchers, and professionals with a particular interest related to the conference topic.

Papers are invited on topics related, but not limited, to:

1. Society – this panel session will focus on ethnic groups living in Silesia. It was a land inhabited by multinational society with different beliefs, expectations, and opinions. Also this topic is worth exploring from a religious point of view. Silesia was known for its religious pluralism. Although Protestants and Roman Catholics were in the majority, we look forward to learning about religious minorities as well.

2. Politics – we want to concentrate on the political history of the Habsburg reign in Silesia, but also on diplomatic relationships and administration, with a particular consideration of the development of estates of realm in Silesia. Furthermore we will explore the relation between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Austrian Empire in a European context.

3. Culture and science – this part of discussion will explore the intellectual and material legacy of the Habsburg Monarchy. Analyses of the Silesian aspects of cultural development are more than welcome.

4. War – this section will focus on the history of military conflicts which took place in Silesia during the Habsburg era. We would like to analyze diplomatic relations between the Czechs, Poles and Austrians during the wartime. Emphasis will be placed particularly on the Thirty Years War, and the Silesian Wars, but every perspective on military conflicts between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Habsburg Monarchy is acceptable.

5. Legacy – we plan to present papers about the reception of Habsburg reign after 1763. The scope of research topics is extensive – from material legacy to intellectual and cultural impact as well as ideological matters, which were – and are still important in Poland and other Central European countries.

6. Student panel – this panel session will be intended for young scientists, who are at the beginning of their research career. Therefore we would like to invite every student to join our event.


TIME AND CONFERENCE VENUE:

21–22 March 2019

Institute of History, University of Wroclaw

ul Szewska 49, 50-139 Wrocław


THE LANGUAGES OF THE CONFERENCE:

English and German


REGISTRATION FEE:

350 PLN–regular participants

250 PLN – PhD students

100 PLN–students


TIME OF SUBMISSION:

Proposals of up to 250 word with a bibliography (sources, literature), and a brief bibliographical note should be submitted by 30 September, 2018 to:

dkn.leszczynski@gmail.com
download the paper proposal:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Ezr7SbtQIkF4NDB9nFinmHkBOUlPKPCY