wróć...Call for submissions for the 4th scientific conference "Sources for the history of children as victims of World War II"
The Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism invites you to participate in the 4th scientific conference on the fate of children as victims of World War II. This year's event will focus on archival and museum sources documenting the experiences of the youngest during the war and in the first postwar years. The conference will be held on the 19th of November this year. The deadline for submissions is July 15th, 2026.
The focus of the organizers will be on testimonies created by the children themselves, such as diaries, journals, drawings, notebooks, accounts and personal memorabilia that today remain part of museum collections, archives and private collections. It is these unique materials that provide a glimpse of World War II history from the perspective of its youngest victims and are an extremely valuable source of research, education and exhibition work.
The conference will be a space for considering how such collections are gathered, managed, protected, and shared, and for examining their role in contemporary museums and the teaching of history. Special attention will be given to issues related to digital repositories, oral histories and the use of children's testimonies in the study of the war experience.
We invite archivists, museum professionals, historians, anthropologists, sociologists, art and literary historians, as well as representatives of other disciplines that deal with the subject of children and youth during World War II.
We encourage you to send in your proposals of:
- general and synthetic presentations,
- comparative studies,
- micro-historical analyses,
- speeches presenting archival and museum resources,
- studies based on diaries, notes, accounts and personal memorabilia of children and adolescents.
Proposed subject areas:
- Resources from archives, museums, memorial chambers and individuals regarding children as victims of war;
- Research on the provenance and acquisition for museum institutions of collections related to the subject of children and adolescents;
- Providing digital access to archive, library and museum collections on resources produced by children and youth;
- Archive and museum collections as a contribution to the study of children and youth issues;
- Artifacts related to children and youth and their use in contemporary museology;
- Oral history and accounts provided by children and young people as a source for research on World War II;
- Preserving and protecting collections generated by children and adolescents during World War II;
- Using museum collections on children in historiographical research;
- World War II museum education in the context of contemporary pedagogical challenges.
Deadline for submissions:July 15, 2026
Information on acceptance of submissions:July 30, 2026
In the event of a significant number of submissions, the organizers reserve the right to select papers.
Speech time:20 minutes
Participation costs:The costs of the conference are covered by the organizer, except for travel expenses. One night's accommodation will be provided for participants from outside Łódź.
Conference date:November 19 (Thursday), 2026
Conference venue:The Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism, ul. Piotrkowska 90, Łódź
Please send the registration form and any questions about the conference to Dr. Jakub Parol
