Founded in 1979, the society’s annual gathering represents the main academic conference dedicated to the study of Central European History in the UK & Ireland.
Aston Webb Building
Over 60 academics specialising in German history attended the conference, which featured panels covering all periods, from the Carolingian Empire to the revolutions of 1989 and their aftermaths in the 1990s.
The conference moreover conveyed the geographic diversity of research into Central European History, with delegates not only travelling to Birmingham from Germany and Austria themselves, but also from Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, United States, Canada and Switzerland. Keynote lectures were delivered by Felicitas Schmieder (Hagen), Howard Hotson (St Anne’s College, Oxford) and Christopher Mick (Warwick).
I have always enjoyed attending GHS conferences, and so it was a great pleasure to welcome this year’s gathering to the university. It was lovely to see old friends, and meet scholars whose work I have read and admired.
The Society invites historians of Germany from all parts of the world to submit panel proposals on their research topics in German history broadly conceived, including the history of German-speaking people within and beyond Europe, from the medieval period to the present day. Postgraduate students are explicitly encouraged to participate in panels or to submit their own panel proposals or individual papers. The annual conference is intended to offer a friendly, constructive environment in which to present work completed and work in progress to a specialist audience.
It was a truly was a remarkable event, and the positive feedback from all those I spoke with was heartening.
Assistant Professor in 20th Century European History
Biographical and contact information for Dr Thomas Brodie, Assistant Professor in 20th Century European History at the University of Birmingham.
