CFP: Challenging the Past, Shaping the Present: German Colonialism, Refugee Politics, and Activism (Deadline: Feb. 28 - Black Diaspora Studies Network, 49th-annual GSA Conf., Sept. 25-28, 2025, Arlington, VA) (https://thegsa.org/conference/current-conference)
Arlington, VA
Organization: German Studies Association
Event: https://thegsa.org/conference/current-conference
Challenging the Past, Shaping the Present: German Colonialism, Refugee Politics, and Activism
(Sponsored by the Black Diaspora Studies Network)
We are delighted to invite submissions for an interdisciplinary panel that foster critical dialogue on the enduring legacies of German colonialism, the sociopolitical currents of populism and asylum politics, and the role of activism in addressing historical and contemporary challenges.
We hope to explore the interconnected narratives of colonial history, migration, and resistance, examining how they shape and are shaped by literature, art, and politics. We encourage contributions that approach these themes from diverse disciplinary perspectives, addressing questions such as: How do the legacies of German colonialism persist in contemporary cultural and political landscapes? What role do historical fiction and cultural memory play in confronting these colonial histories? How do asylum and refugee policies intersect with the rise of populism, and how are these issues reflected in literature and activism?
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
German Colonialism and Post-Colonial Perspectives:
Examining German colonial history and the representations of German colonialism in literature, film, and art, as well as discussions on the cultural and political legacies of German empire; how post-colonial frameworks have reshaped the understanding of Germany’s colonial past; the global implications of German colonial practices and how they resonate in debates about memory, trauma, and restitution.
Populism, Migration, and Asylum Politics:
The intersection of populist rhetoric, national identity, and asylum policies by focusing on the sociopolitical dynamics of migration; how populist movements in Germany and Europe have influenced refugee and migration discourses; what counter-narratives emerge through literature, film, and activism to challenge exclusionary politics and xenophobia.
Activism and Literary Responses:
The role of literature and art as forms of activism, how writers and artists have responded to the challenges posed by colonial legacies, populism, and refugee crises, ways literature challenge traditional conventions to address issues of justice, belonging, and resistance.
Historical Fiction and Cultural Memory:
Analyses of how historical fiction reinterprets Germany’s colonial past and its aftermath by exploring the intersection of history and imagination; how fictionalized narratives amplify marginalized voices or challenge dominant historiographies; the role of literature in shaping cultural memory and identity in post-colonial contexts.
Please send a brief abstract (~350 words) and a short bio to Cynthia D. Porter (porter.506@osu.edu) and Peter Ogunniran (po2@williams.edu) by February 28, 2025. Please note that all participants must be members of the GSA at the time of panel submission in March 2025.
Cynthia Porter
