The journal “Tragovi” of the Serbian National Council from Zagreb and the Institute of Social Sciences are organizing an international scientific conference “After the Wars – Consequences, Lessons, Interpretations” on November 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, 2025.
The conference is dedicated to the following topics:
- How are the wars of the 20th century interpreted today, primarily in the area of the post-Yugoslav states, but also in a wider European and global context?
- What policies did the post-war states (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes/Yugoslavia, socialist Yugoslavia, post-Yugoslav states with direct experience of the war in the 1990s) promote in relation to the issues of historical memory, reconciliation and overcoming trauma, condemnation of crimes and policies of preventing the recurrence of wars, attitudes towards the victims of wars and violence committed within wars and in the post-war period, and on the issues of bilateral and multilateral relations of previously warring parties?
- How did wars affect inter-ethnic, inter-confessional, and interpersonal relations in the countries where they occurred?
- How did wars affect the economic situation in the affected countries, on economic development (or regression) policies, on demographic and defense policies?
- How are wars interpreted in cultural production, in film, in books, in theater, visual and musical arts?
- How did wars affect peace policies, anti-war activities, and educational policies after the wars?
- How to place wars in this area in the broader context of global and regional wars in the 20th century and in the first quarter of the 21st century?
- What were the consequences of these wars (especially the one from the nineties of the 20th century) for the policies of the great powers, and for international organizations actively involved in peace-making (UN, EU, Council of Europe, OSCE, etc.)?
- What are the consequences for minorities (national and other) left by previous wars and how do minorities deal with this legacy?
- What are the lessons of the wars of the 20th century applicable to attempts to create lasting peace in the present?
This conference is the second in a series (the first in 2023) with which the journal “Tragovi” and the Institute of Social Sciences encourage academic research and discussions related to the traumatic experiences faced in particular by Serbs and Croats, whose entire 20th century was marked by war and post-war experiences. We want to analyze and research these experiences in a wider global and regional context, therefore encouraging applications for presentations that relate to other cases.
Applications for participation should include the title of the presentation, a short abstract (up to 500 words) and short information about the presenter (a few sentences). Presentations can be in English and all languages of the post-Yugoslav states. The conference program committee will make a decision on accepting applications by March 30th, 2025.
Applications should be sent by March 15th, 2025 to the e-mail address: conferences@snv.hr
