The 16th edition of the Genealogies of Memory conference will take place on 23–25 September 2026 in Iași, Romania, focusing on "The Lasting Presence of the Past: How Trauma Lives on Across Generations?" Registration is now open.
The European Network Remembrance and Solidarity, together with the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași and the National Institute for the Study of Totalitarianism of the Romanian Academy, is pleased to announce the full programme of the 2026 edition of Genealogies of Memory, and to open registration for participants.
This year's conference examines how trauma is transmitted across generations, through family storytelling, artistic and archival practices, commemorative rituals, and digital media, and how these processes of transmission shape, distort, and reshape collective memory over time. Particular attention will be paid to Central and Eastern Europe, viewed in comparative perspective with other regions of the world.
Over three days, the conference will bring together scholars from across Europe and beyond, structured around four thematic strands: the processes of transgenerational trauma transmission; hegemonic histories, counter-memories, and dialogic practices; artistic and reconstructive forms of memory work; and the digital mediation of trauma and memory.
Keynote Lecture
The conference opens with a keynote lecture, "Remembering Possibility: Rethinking Holocaust Memory in a Time of Genocide," delivered by Marianne Hirsch (Columbia University, USA) and Leo Spitzer (Dartmouth College, USA), chaired by conference convenor Dr Simona Mitroiu (Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași).
Programme Highlights
Across the three days, the programme includes nine thematic panels, a roundtable discussion on "The Lasting Presence of Violence: Remembering, Narrating and Transmitting Trauma," and a closing lecture and guided tour exploring how historical memory and trauma are mediated touristically in Iași.
The full programme, including all panels, panellists, and chairs, is available on the conference page. Click here to read the full programme
Practical Information
• Dates: 23–25 September 2026
• Location: Iași, Romania
• Conference language: English
• Fee: Free of charge; registration is obligatory
• Registration: Register here.