Conference „History/ies of the Future –
Extra-European Challenges“

(in German language)

at the Bayreuth Academy of Advanced African Studies, 9th-10th October 2015

The idea of a „future“ that unfolds from the past in a more or less linear fashion has acquired an enormous dynamic in the history of modernity. Changing projections of „better“ or even catastrophic futures have become highly important for the legitimation of societal agency. They therefore have their own history. The conference seeks to decentre Europe and its impact in debates on „Futures Past“ (Koselleck), and to reflect more generally about how temporal and spatial dimensions of ideas about the future are interrelated at a world-wide scale. The contributions, a range of case studies, focus on the history of non-European areas, but include European experiences and global perspectives. It is the aim of the conference to search for a better understanding of the diversity, even opposition, but also of connections and transfers in projections of the future across the globe.

Taking this particular research theme as its starting point, the conference also takes up more general questions of a history of „non-European“ world regions (areas) in the changing context of historiography in Germany: What are the challenges of up-to-date research on histories outside Europe for european historiography as well as for the so-called"global history" – and how can it meet these challenges itself? To address these questions, a round-table discussion takes place as part of the conference with prominent historians from all these fields of research.

The conference is convened by the Working Group „Außereuropäische Geschichte“ of the „Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlands“ in collaboration of the Bayreuth Academy of Advanced African Studies (Profs. Susanne Lachenicht und Achim von Oppen, Sub-project 1 „Narratives of the Future in History“).

The conference language is German. The participation of a limited number of guests is possible upon request until Oct. 1st, 2015.

Inquiries: Maximilian Krogoll