Public history

Sur son stand aux "Rendez-vous de l'histoire" début octobre à Blois, le C²DH a présenté ses principales activités de recherche en mettant l’accent notamment sur les trois axes thématiques suivants : l’histoire contemporaine du Luxembourg, l’historiographie numérique et l’histoire européenne.

The fifth Forum Z focused on those who tell the story of Europe. Professors and researchers gathered to share their thoughts and discuss with the public about the challenges of developing a new narrative for Europe in the digital age.

During the ForumZ conference “A new narrative for Europe: Quo Vadis?”, the internationally renowned Belgian artist Pierre Kroll showcased how press cartoons contributed to write the history of European integration. Part of his work is shown below.

Pour ceux qui sont fascinés par la vie dans des forteresses modernes, la citadelle souterraine est un lieu de mémoire incontournable. La citadelle de Verdun dessinée pour pouvoir abriter 2 000 hommes, était construite entre 1886 et 1893 dans le cadre du système Séré de Rivières. Elle a joué un rôle majeur pendant la bataille de Verdun.

On 27 September 2017, a new website was launched by CegeSoma (the Belgian Centre for Historical Research and Documentation on War and Contemporary Society): Belgium World WarII. A virtual platform on Belgium and its population during WWII.

2018 will be the European Year of Cultural Heritage, as proclaimed by the European Union. The kick-off event for Luxembourg took place on 29 September.

Digital Media and Technology has transformed how we teach, learn and present. In a transferable skills training of the doctoral school here at university, Robert Reuter introduced us to new media and tools that can enhance teaching and learning. Based on the eight learning events defined by Leclercq and Poumay at the university of Liège, we came up with several online tools that can extend and enhance teaching and engage the students or audience.

Lecture by Prof. Michael Frisch, Talking Pictures LLC, New York

How do historians investigate the past? What methods and tools do they employ, what are they trying to understand, and how do they transfer their findings to society?

How can historians tell the story of European integration – the story of Europe – in the digital age?

Can video games be a serious research topic or are they only entertainment products? At the Gamescom Congress in Cologne, a series of talks and panel discussions were dedicated to video games from many different perspectives. In this blogpost, I will discuss some of them illustrating that video games can and should be taken seriously.

In this essay, I would like to reflect upon what happens when archival material and research are transferred into the three-dimensional physical space of a museum. A main focus will be on what happens when restored, digitised and partly retouched glass plates are framed and staged in a museum setting.

The fourth and final ForumZ of this academic year took place on 6 July at the Banque de Luxembourg. In an effort to provide a platform for “the critical discussion and academic study of questions related to the contemporary history of Luxembourg from a transnational perspective,”(1) the C²DH had invited five panellists along with moderator Bernard Thomas to discuss the ‘glocal’ history of the Luxembourg financial centre.