Annual Conference of the Collegium Carolinum in Cooperation with the German Historical Institute Rome (Max Weber Foundation) and the Institute of History of the Czech Academy of Science
Marion Averbeck-Dotter and Jaroslav Šebek
Fischbachau, 12th–16th November 2026
Migration as a global and trans-temporal historical phenomenon has already been extensively researched with regard to the 20th century. Even in this age of increasing secularisation, religious affiliation is still considered a key factor in long-term mobility. It could lead to the restriction of fundamental rights and even to life-threatening persecution of people in their homelands. Religion was therefore one of the reasons for flight and expulsion, but it also played a role during and after the migration process itself. Religious actors (dignitaries, organizations, interest groups, etc.) could be part of this process, influence it or be subjected to forced exile themselves. In East-Central and South-Eastern Europe in particular, religious identities could also be strongly intertwined with national or ideological attitudes, which could contribute to the formation of diaspora groups in host countries around the world.
The aim of the Collegium Carolinum’s annual conference 2026 is to shed light on the role of religious actors and the significance of religious affiliation on migration movements from Eastern Europe from the 1930s to the 1960s. ‘Religion’ refers to the three major religious communities in East-Central and South-Eastern Europe: Christianity (Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodoxy), Judaism and Islam. The central question of the conference is how religious actors influenced migration regimes from Eastern Europe from the interwar period to the Cold War, and developed their own understanding and strategies for these processes. At the same time, we want to show the agency of migrating believers and dignitaries: How did individuals and newly formed diaspora groups implement their ideas of religion and, related to this, of politics and society in their new home countries?
Three aspects can be relevant:
- Large refugee movements gave rise to humanitarian and charitable initiatives. Religious aid organisations took on their traditionally important role in providing care and support, from reception in refugee camps to the issuance of visas to host countries worldwide or repatriation to the former home regions. Questions can be asked about how these organisations cooperated with each other or with state actors, how they classified and assessed migrants, and what kind of assistance (material vs. spiritual) they offered. At the same time, we are interested in how those in need interacted with confessional organisations, e.g. by appealing to religious solidarity to improve their situation.
- Secondly, we encourage contributions on how exiles from East-Central and South-Eastern Europe were used by religious actors (such as the Holy See) in political, diplomatic and societal processes during and after their migration. They received the status of informants, translators, or experts; played an important role in anti-totalitarian propaganda or international organisations; and could become part of charitable, pastoral, or symbolic political support structures for fellow believers in Eastern Europe. At the same time, ideological and national radicalism in exile groups could meet with criticism within their own religious communities.
- Finally, we ask how confessional groups from Eastern Europe in exile and diaspora helped to shape discourses on religion, migration, and Eastern Europe. They founded associations and institutions with a religious focus; developed theological, historical, or political science theories based on their experiences; and actively influenced the social and religious life of their new homelands.
Contributions that take a comparative approach or address areas of conflict and cooperation between members, organisations, and networks of different denominations are very welcome.
The conference is organized by the Collegium Carolinum in cooperation with the German Historic Institute Rome (Max Weber-Foundation Project Group “The Global Pontificate of Pius XII”) and the Institute of History of the Czech Academy of Science (Prague). It will take place in Fischbachau in the Bavarian Alps from 12th – 15th November 2026. The conference languages are German and English. Subject to available funds, the organizers will cover the travel and accommodation costs of all participants. Papers should last approx. 20 minutes, followed by a discussion of equal length. Scholars of all career stages are invited to submit paper proposals by 17th April 2026 to Dr. Marion Averbeck-Dotter (marion.dotter(at)collegium-carolinum.de) and Dr. Jaroslav Šebek, Ph.D. (sebek(at)hiu.cas.cz). These should be in English and not exceed 3.000 characters in length (incl. spaces). Please also submit a short CV.
A publication in English is planned in the series “Bad Wiesseer Tagungen des Collegium Carolinum”.