CFA: Mapping Jewish Communities: Spaces of History and Memory 23-25 September 2026, Łódź, Poland, deadline for application: 31st August 2026

Call for applications

We invite you to submit proposals for an interdisciplinary workshop titled Mapping Jewish Communities: Spaces of History and Memory, which will focus on the study of cities of important Jewish presence as multilayered spaces of history, memory, and contemporary heritage.

We invite historians, geographers, anthropologists, sociologists, scholars in the field of digital humanities, as well as activists, members of non-governmental organizations, and staff of museums, archives, and cultural institutions to join us in reflecting on methods for documenting, interpreting, and mapping the Jewish past. The workshop will serve as a forum for exchanging experiences regarding academic research, social initiatives, digital projects, and commemoration practices carried out in various cities and countries. We will pay particular attention to the relationships between the historical topography of cities, individual and collective experiences, as well as contemporary forms of memory and spatial representation. The event’s interdisciplinary format will foster discussion on new methods of spatial research, the use of digital tools, and collaboration between the academic community and institutions responsible for the preservation and promotion of heritage. The goal of the workshop is to create a platform for the exchange of knowledge and most efficient practices, as well as to initiate new research partnerships and projects dedicated to the spaces of history and memory in Jewish communities.

During the workshop, we would like, among others, to analyze and discuss the following topics:

1. Mapping Jewish Urban Histories: the historical topography of cities of important Jewish presence; the reconstruction of urban landscapes; GIS, georeferencing of historical maps, spatial humanities, and deep mapping.

2. Spaces of Memory and Heritage: places of memory, landscapes of memory, and post- memory; tangible and intangible heritage; contemporary practices of commemoration and reinterpretation of space.

3. Communities, Narratives, and Everyday Urban Life: the experience of everyday life; (self) testimonies, oral histories, and personal documents; residents’ relationships with urban space across history.

4. Digital Approaches to Jewish Communities: digital maps, StoryMaps, databases, and data visualization; digital archives, AI and new technologies; VR/AR and interactive forms of heritage presentation.

4. Engaging the Public: museums, education, and civic Initiatives: museum and exhibition projects; formal and informal education; activities of nongovernmental organizations, local and participatory initiatives; collaboration between researchers, cultural institutions,

and local communities.

We invite researchers at all career stages, activists, members of non-governmental organizations, and staff from museums, archives, and cultural institutions to participate. We are committed to creating a relaxed and safe space for sharing knowledge and experience, discussing challenges, and fostering future collaboration that transcends disciplinary and institutional boundaries. Please submit your proposal for full research/project presentations, hands-on sessions, and presentations of digital and interactive projects by 25 August 2026.

Practical Information:

The workshop will be conducted in English.

The deadline for submissions is 25 August 2026. The accepted participants will be notified via email by 31 August 2026.

The organizers will cover participants’ accommodation and travel expenses.

For full consideration, please submit the following documents:

1. An abstract of the paper/session/project presentation (up to 250 words), along with a brief description of the participants’ interests and their involvement in projects related to the workshop’s theme

2. A short biography (maximum one paragraph).

Please send the application package as a single .PDF file to: adam.sitarek@uni.lodz.pl

The workshop, organized by the Philip Friedman Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Łódź, is part of the “Topography of Memory: Mapping Jewish Łódź” project, funded by the Stiftung EVZ, as a part of the local.history program.