Fwd: Population Exchange Conference
Roland Moore
Begin forwarded message:
Date: October 12, 2025 at 2:01:13 PM PDT
To: in...@academyofathens.gr
Subject: Population Exchange Conference
Dear Professor,
Sorry for the unexpected e-mail but as I thought that the conference might attract your interest, I am approaching you
😊
We are pleased to announce the conference "The Shadow of the Aegean," dedicated to the topic of the Population Exchange between Greece and Turkey. This event will be held in Gießen, Germany, on February 12-14, 2026.
We kindly request that you share this call with interested members of your networks.
We look forward to your participation.
Sincerely,
Şahin Yaldız
(Text of attachment pasted in):The Shadow of the Aegean
Memory, Identity and Trauma:
Aftermath of the Population Exchange (1923) between Greece and Turkey
12-14 February 2026
Gießen/GERMANY
Justus Liebig University (JLU)
Graduate Center for the Study of Culture (JLU GCSC)
Gießener Zentrum Östliches Europa (GiZo)
The "Shadow of the Aegean" conference, hosted by the Chair of South-Eastern
European History Department at Justus Liebig University Gießen and the Graduate Center
for the Study of Culture, will explore the ongoing impacts of the 1923 Greek-Turkish
Population Exchange. The event will investigate how the exchange is remembered,
forgotten, and passed down through generations. Key topics include refugee identity,
memory dynamics, commemoration and forgetting, and the intergenerational
transmission of trauma. The conference invites interdisciplinary submissions from fields
as history, anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies.
The early 20th century witnessed a period of profound instability in Southeastern Europe,
characterized by the dissolution of empires and the surge of potent nationalist ideologies.
Within this era of significant geopolitical transformation, the 1923 Population Exchange
between Greece and Turkey, a direct outcome of the Treaty of Lausanne, remains a
watershed event that continues to exert a palpable influence on the relationship between
the two nations and neighbouring nations. Not only did the forced displacement of
approximately 1.5 million Anatolian Greeks and 500,000 Turkish Muslims from Greek lands,
mandated by the Treaty of Lausanne 1923, irrevocably changed the demographics and
economics of both countries. It also played strongly into the formation of collective
consciousness and post-migration identities. The role of memory in shaping long-term
cultural identities of forced migration is crucial, influencing how individuals and
communities remember or choose to forget the traumatic experiences.
While the historical aspects of this compulsory population transfer have received
considerable scholarly attention, the intricate dimensions of memory, identity formation, and
collective trauma experienced by those displaced and their descendants have often been
relegated to the periphery of academic inquiry. This conference aims to investigate the multi-
layered ways in which the exchange is remembered, forgotten, and transmitted across
generations, focusing on the representation of refugee identity, the complex dynamics of
memory, the diverse forms of commemoration, and the transgenerational transmission of
trauma and stigma in post-migration societies as Greece and Turkey.Central to our understanding of post-migration societies is the concept of memory,
understood as a social construct and expressed in powerful narratives. As many studies
have shown, displaced populations carry effective narratives of loss, exile, and a persistent
longing for the "lost homeland" (χαμένη πατρίδα (Greek)/kaybedilmiş vatan(Turkish)),
narratives that continue to shape identities in both Greece and Turkey. This forced
migration often resulted in a sense of “permanent displacement”, with nostalgia becoming a
defining feature of refugee identity.
In this conference we are thus interested in investigating firstly, the contradictory nature of
identity formation in the aftermath of displacement and the complex and often ambivalent
relationship with the "refugee" label (πρόσφυγα), and its parallels among
Grecophone/Turkophone Greek Muslims in Turkey (mübadils). While memory studies often
emphasize remembering, the process of forgetting is equally significant. In both Greece and
Turkey, state narratives have often selectively silenced or downplayed certain aspects of
the population exchange frequently prioritizing narratives of national unity while
marginalizing the experiences of displaced communities.
Commemoration practices have evolved significantly, ranging from early religious and familial
rituals to contemporary museums, literary works, films, and public monuments. Thus, the
role of public commemorations in either reinforcing or challenging these dominant
narratives and silences is the second key theme for this conference. It is a known fact that
nostalgia, historical grievances, and a sense of shared experience continue to shape identity
politics across generations in both Greece and Turkey. Hence, our third field of interest is
the transmission of memories across generations which is crucial to the formation and
perpetuation of refugee identity. Descendants inherit memories through family narratives,
cultural practices, and community traditions raising complex questions about their
own identity construction and negotiation. Finally, we are interested in exploring the
questions of how to compare these experiences with other historical instances of forced
migration and population transfers and how far interdisciplinary approaches can help in
understanding the long-term impact of displacement.
We welcome abstract submissions that engage with the aforementioned themes, as well as
other relevant topics. Early career scholars are strongly encouraged to submit abstracts for
the conference. The conference will be held in English
-Submission Guidelines
Abstracts should be 250–400 words and include a title, key arguments, and methodology. Include
a short bio (150 words) with your submission. Submissions should be sent to
migrations...@uni-giessen.de by 1 November 2025. Travel and accommodation costs
will be covered by the organizers – on the condition that the conference is funded. Admitted
participants will be notified in detail as soon as possible.The results will be circulated on 15
November 2025. Selected papers will be considered for publication in an edited volume planned
for June 2027. Funding information for flights and accommodation will also be circulated after
the submission of abstracts.