[spectre] CFP: Ruptures in European History (Oxford, 15-17 Apr 26)

[Andreas Broeckmann LEU]

From: Hannele Hellerstedt
Date: Jan 12, 2026
Subject: CFP: Ruptures in European History (Oxford, 15-17 Apr 26)

University of Oxford, UK, Apr 15–17, 2026
Deadline: Jan 18, 2026

Ruptures in European History: Individuals, Institutions, and Historical 
Practices in Times of Uncertainty.

The 20th Graduate Annual Conference in European History (GRACEH).

‘The absurd, with its rupture of rationality - of conventional ways of 
seeing the world - is in fact an accurate and a productive way of 
understanding the world.’ - William Kentridge

What do an earthquake, a war, and the abolition of serfdom have in 
common? Ruptures can be experienced individually, locally, nationally, 
or globally, calling into question what is normal, natural, or everyday. 
As a metaphor, rupture carries more emotive weight than other 
descriptors like ‘transformation’ or ‘turning point’: it suggests a 
break in the perceived historical order, a crumbling of what once felt 
solid, a shock to the system - or a long-awaited breakthrough to a 
desired future. Moments of rupture can be experienced as catastrophe, 
but they can also represent opportunities for creativity, innovation, 
and adaptation, inspiring new ideas, communities, and ways of connecting 
with people and the environment.

In a moment felt by many as one of historical rupture, the 20th Annual 
Graduate Conference in European History invites graduate students 
working on any topic or period in European history and/or Europe in the 
world to submit papers on this theme. How do we define instances of 
sudden or extreme change in history? What events culminate in the 
tearing apart of previous systems? And what comes after? How have 
narratives of rupture changed over time? How productive is rupture as a 
concept for thinking historically?

Possible topics include but are not limited to:

Crisis as Rupture

Two most common man-made forms of crisis are revolutions and wars, but 
do they always constitute rupture? Are the changes wrought by war or 
revolution always long-term? How do postwar orders imagine, build on, or 
attempt to negate a pre-war, pre-rupture past?

Environmental Rupture

How have sudden or far-reaching environmental changes impacted 
societies, cultures, as well as the movements of people? How, or to what 
extent, have humans adapted to challenging environments? What if rupture 
is constant – e.g., during prolonged periods of climate instability or 
recurring natural disasters?

Economic Rupture

How are moments of economic rupture (bankruptcy, financial crisis, 
system collapse, far-reaching state interventions) experienced at the 
individual, local, national, and global level? What is the relationship 
between severe economic disruption and social, cultural, or political 
change?

Art as Rupture and Renewal

What constitutes ‘rupture’ in the arts and culture? What role have the 
arts played in precipitating, recording, or reflecting broader social, 
cultural, or political upheavals? How do moments of rupture allow for 
artistic and intellectual creativity and innovation?

Rupture and Fragment

Does a rupture have to be a singular drastic change? Must it be 
all-encompassing or can it be partial or fragmentary? When does a 
fragmentary change become a rupture? What is the difference between a 
‘rupture’ and a ‘turning point’?

Narrating Rupture

How do we know when a rupture has taken place? Is this decided in the 
moment or after the fact? How do geopolitical disruptions impact 
methodological approaches? What new or alternative means of gathering 
information arise in times of historical rupture and how do they change 
history writing? What assumptions about historical continuity or change 
are embedded in the terms we use to describe it?

DATES AND INFORMATION

Please send abstracts up to 300 words and a brief biography (max 100 
words) to: graceh2026 at history.ox.ac.uk by 18 January 2026.

Participants will receive a notification of acceptance by 15 February 2026.

We particularly encourage submissions from those who have yet to present 
their work at conferences or are from underrepresented regions and/or 
institutions.

If you have questions, you can get in touch with the organizational team 
here: graceh2026 at history.ox.ac.uk or visit our website 
(https://2026graceh.wixsite.com/home) for more information.

ABOUT GRACEH

The Graduate Annual Conference in European History (GRACEH), launched in 
Budapest in 2007, is organised by graduate students from Central 
European University, the European University Institute, the University 
of Vienna, and the University of Oxford.

The central aim of GRACEH is to create a network of graduate students 
and early career researchers in the field of European history, covering 
topics that range from the early modern period to the recent past. 
GRACEH functions as a platform for historiographical, methodological, 
and theoretical discussion among peers and senior academics. 
Participants are encouraged to share their research within the framework 
of the conference topic.

Committee Organisers for the 20th Graduate Annual Conference in European 
History (GRACEH):
Fionnuala Ennis (Balliol College, University of Oxford), Hannele 
Hellerstedt (Lincoln College, University of Oxford), Euan Huey (Wolfson 
College, University of Oxford), Yevhen Yashchuk (Wadham College, 
University of Oxford), Ioana Zamfir (St Catherine’s College, University 
of Oxford)

Academic Advisory Board:
Dr Katherine Lebow (Christ Church, University of Oxford) and Dr Norman 
Aselmeyer (Wadham College, University of Oxford)


Reference / Quellennachweis:
CFP: Ruptures in European History (Oxford, 15-17 Apr 26). In: 
ArtHist.net, Jan 12, 2026. <https://arthist.net/archive/51465>.