Historians are no strangers to crises. We read and write about crises in history. We work and live in a time of crises - political, economic and environmental. And we grapple with all manner of intellectual, professional and personal crises as individuals, from archival absences to job precarity to bereavement. But what defines a crisis? What does a crisis do to those caught in their midst? Can crises be a distraction from other, important historical phenomena that are worthy of research? In this two-day workshop, we will reflect on how crises shape our work as historians. 

Crises are not only events we analyse; they also shape the very conditions under which historical knowledge is produced. Periods of crisis often generate intensified documentation, and they can also shape the gaps, distortions or silences that characterize archival records. Reflecting on crises allows us to identify methodological opportunities and reflect on epistemological challenges: what does it mean to read materials created under exceptional pressure or uncertainty, and how do we account for the conditions of their emergence?

Registration via Course directory (1 ETCS)