The Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw invites submissions for an international conference devoted to Holocaust testimonies produced during the World War II and in the immediate postwar period. 

The conference will focus on:

– early written and audiovisual survivor testimonies,

– their value and limitations as historical sources,

– methodological and ethical questions in working with testimonies,

– the relationship between memory, trauma, and historical narrative,

– the use of testimonies in research, museums, and education,

– new analytical technologies, including digital humanities approaches.

Submission guidelines:

Please submit an abstract of 300–400 words, along with a short biographical note (up to 150 words), by March 31, 2026. Abstracts should clearly outline the research question, sources, and methodological approach.

Acceptance notifications will be sent by April 30, 2026.

Conference details:

• Date: June 16–17, 2026

• Location: The Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute, Warsaw, Poland

• Language: English

For submissions and inquiries, please contact ehri@jhi.pl.

We look forward to your contributions and to a stimulating scholarly exchange on the role of testimonies in documenting and understanding the Holocaust.

Conference committee:

• Natalia Aleksiun (Harry Rich Professor of Holocaust Studies, University of Florida)

• Havi Dreifuss (Yad Vashem)

• Barbara Engelking (Polish Center for Holocaust Research IFiS PAN)

• Éva Kovács (Wiener Wiesenthal Institut fűr Holocaust-Studien)

• Stephan Naron (Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies)

• Christine Schmidt (The Wiener Holocaust Library)

• Zofia Trębacz (The Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute)