Using history in a public debate, topic for the first conference in The Debt project

«Històries contra històries: l’ús del passat en condicions democràtiques i de pertinença supraestatal»
«Històries contra històries: l’ús del passat en condicions democràtiques i de pertinença supraestatal»
Research
(20/02/2018)

On February 22 and 23, experts from several European universities will reflect on the uses of historiography in our present, in the conference “Històries contra histories: lʼús del passat en condicions democràtiques i de pertinence supraestatal”, organized by the research project The Debt: historicizing Europeʼs relations with the ʻsouthʼ, by the University of Barcelona and Humanities in the European Research Area (HERA). Some of the topics to be debated on are the recent divergences between experts from the field of historiography regarding the Catalan political situation and how this is reflected in the media, and in the political and academic institutions.

«Històries contra històries: l’ús del passat en condicions democràtiques i de pertinença supraestatal»
«Històries contra històries: l’ús del passat en condicions democràtiques i de pertinença supraestatal»
Research
20/02/2018

On February 22 and 23, experts from several European universities will reflect on the uses of historiography in our present, in the conference “Històries contra histories: lʼús del passat en condicions democràtiques i de pertinence supraestatal”, organized by the research project The Debt: historicizing Europeʼs relations with the ʻsouthʼ, by the University of Barcelona and Humanities in the European Research Area (HERA). Some of the topics to be debated on are the recent divergences between experts from the field of historiography regarding the Catalan political situation and how this is reflected in the media, and in the political and academic institutions.

The lectures will be given by experts from several Spanish universities, and will touch on responsibility between the concepts of memory and history, the definition of modernity, history as an excuse for political debate, or on the practical uses of the past in political speeches. They will also comment on the Catalan process to provide examples of the historiographical problems in the most recent public speeches.

On Friday, February 23, there will be a roundtable in English, titles “The democratic imaginary and the European project. The ʻplaceʼ of history in the present”, in which experts from the University of Barcelona and the University of Helsinki will take part. Afterwards, the UB researcher and coordinator of this conference, Gerard Rosich, will close the conference.

The Debt, led by Professor Peter Wagner, explores the different historical narrations of debt, throughout a comparative analysis of specific relationships between European societies, and between European and non-European societies. The research line of this conference, led by Gerard Rosich, aims to subvert the focus of this “Catalan issue” throughout the analysis of the recent transformation of the Catalan and Spanish self-understanding.

All activities will be carried out at sala de juntes (boardroom) of the Faculty of Geography and History of the University of Barcelona and are available in this link.