8th International Conference on Public History

The Public History of Difficult Pasts
8th International Conference on Public History
Lisbon, Portugal | September 7-11, 2026

Call for Papers
Conference Overview
The 8th International Conference on Public History, organized by the International Federation for Public History, IFPH, will take place in Lisbon from September 7 to 11. It will be hosted by IN2PAST – the Associate Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Heritage, Arts, Sustainability and Territory, a transdisciplinary consortium of seven research centers – at Colégio Almada Negreiros on the Campolide campus of Universidade Nova de Lisboa.
In a time of escalating attacks by right-wing movements on memory, diversity, human rights, democracy, and history itself, the IFPH reaffirms its commitment to fostering critical engagement with the ways societies confront, interpret, and relate to their difficult pasts and challenging presents. The IFPH strongly condemns book banning, the censorship of historical narratives, the surveillance of students and educators, the targeting of sites of remembrance, and the imposition of ideological agendas—particularly right-wing distortions—that not only threaten academic freedom but undermine the very principles upon which public history is built. Against this backdrop, the conference seeks to challenge historical revisionism and silencing, to amplify marginalized voices and memories, and to promote transnational dialogues on reconciliation, accountability, and restorative justice.
Public History has long addressed global historical processes such as colonialism, the transatlantic slave trade, and the genocide of Indigenous peoples, as well as phenomena that emerge in multiple contexts, including armed conflicts and dictatorships. It embodies both a political and ethical commitment to examining how difficult pasts have been lived and remembered by different communities and individuals, ensuring that their perspectives are acknowledged and respected. At the same time, engaging with these histories through Public History raises significant challenges. Sharing authority with specific communities and amplifying marginalized narratives may unintentionally silence other voices, while also presenting complex ethical dilemmas. Furthermore, Public History operates within the public sphere, engaging diverse audiences and navigating competing representations of the past in an era increasingly marked by the political instrumentalization of history and the spread of revisionist and denialist discourses.


Colégio Almada Negreiros, where the conference will take place
Call for Contributions
This conference seeks to challenge historical revisionism, amplify marginalized voices, and foster transnational dialogues on reconciliation, accountability, and restorative justice. We invite contributions that explore:
Historical Contexts and Global Processes
- Colonialism and its enduring legacies
- The transatlantic slave trade and its commemorations
- Indigenous genocide and cultural destruction
- Armed conflicts, civil wars, and their aftermath
- Dictatorships, authoritarianism, and state violence
- Mass atrocities and crimes against humanity
Contemporary Challenges and Methodological Innovations
- Countering historical denial and revisionism
- Navigating contested memories and competing narratives
- Sharing authority with affected communities
- Ethical dilemmas in representing traumatic pasts
- Digital humanities, media, and social networks
- Museum practices and memorial sites
- Archives, and archival activism
- Educational approaches to sensitive histories


National Museum
of Resistance and Liberty (Peniche)
Voices and Perspectives
- Survivor testimonies and intergenerational trauma
- Community-based historical projects
- Oral history and marginalized narratives
- Gender, sexuality, and intersectional approaches
- Youth engagement with difficult pasts
- Transnational and comparative perspectives
Justice and Reconciliation
- Truth commissions and transitional justice
- Reparations and historical redress
- Memorialization and commemoration practices
- Restorative justice approaches
- Healing and collective memory
- Building inclusive historical narratives
Calendar
- Opening of the Call for Presentation (30th of September 2025)
- Deadline for Application (7th of December 2025)
- Deadline for reviewers to do their reviews (31th of January, 2026)
- Call for posters (January 2025)
- Results of the Call for Presentation will be announced by March 2026
- Programme of the conference shall be available around June 2026
- Deadline for registration for on-site attendance August 2026
- Conference, 7-11 September 2026
Submission and Registration Information
Languages
Proposals may be submitted in English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese.
Registration Requirements
Participation in the conference requires:
- Membership in the International Federation for Public History
- Payment of a conference fee of €60.00
Guide for Submitting a Proposal
Submit and Abstract
Your abstract should be from 300 to 500 words long for all types of proposals. Please identify the core issues or questions that your proposal addresses. Explain your approach, use, and/or practice of public history. Briefly present, if applicable, the different presentations and how they connect with your main themes and questions.
Choose a Type of Proposal
- Panel (up to 4 presenters): traditional panel that deals with one topic. (90 min)
- Working Group (up to 10 discussants): working groups are conversations of 6-10 people who discuss a subject before and during the conference to explore it more in depth. Participants are working towards the creation of an end outcome (white paper, publications, reports, guidelines, projects). At the time of submission, the list of working group participants may be incomplete – to be completed by the facilitators when the proposal is accepted. (90 min)
- Paper: 15-minute presentation on a specific topic, issue, or project. The scientific committee will form panels with accepted individual papers.
Submit your panel proposal here.
Submit your paper proposal here.
Submit your Working Group proposal here.
OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Jimena Perry (September 20, 2025). 8th International Conference on Public History. IFPH-FIHP. Retrieved January 16, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.58079/14pyk

