The Age of “Modern” Empires (1798–1970) as a New Concept of an Historical Epoch? Workshop on Periodization and Historiographical Approaches in Modern and Contemporary History

The CES-members Tim Kiewitt, Andreas Johannes, and Vitalij Fastovskij will host a workshop followed by a panel discussion on November 5, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The title is “The Age of ‘Modern’ Empires (1798–1970) as a New Historical Period?” The workshop will address periodization and historiographical approaches in modern and contemporary history. The workshop itself will take place in Room ULB 101 at Krummer Timpen 5, and the subsequent panel discussion will be held in Lecture Hall JO1 at Johannisstraße 4.

The workshop is intended as a space for collaborative exploration and discussion. Interested master’s students, doctoral candidates, and postdocs are invited to participate as discussants or presenters. In short keynote presentations, speakers will introduce their projects and explicitly address questions that extend beyond individual cases—such as historiographical approaches, the research concepts employed, and periodization. The focus will be on discussing the extent to which the conceptual framework of “modern” empires could enrich one’s own research, where problems arise, and what further questions emerge. Kevin Lenk (University of Heidelberg) and Maximilian Klose (University of Freiburg) will provide context for the discussion based on their research backgrounds and offer critical analysis. They will discuss the keynote presentations with the participants and will also serve as the main discussants in the public panel discussion, during which the findings will be presented and debated more broadly. Christoph Lorke (LWL Institute for Westphalian Regional History) will moderate the event.

For a more detailed description of the workshop, click here

Interested master’s students, doctoral candidates, and postdocs may register as discussants or presenters by October 15, 2026. Proposals for short presentations lasting 10 to 15 minutes (including a title and an abstract of no more than two pages) should be submitted, along with a brief academic CV (no more than 150 words), to Tim Kiewitt (tim.kiewitt(at)uni-muenster.de) by the same date. The conference language is German, but presentations in English are permitted. Unfortunately, travel expenses cannot be covered. No registration is required for the concluding panel discussion.