The Feuchtwangers and Britain
From Weimar to Hope - Exile from the Interwar to the Postwar Period
INTERNATIONAL FEUCHTWANGER SOCIETY CONFERENCE
Senate House, University of London, September 13-15, 2024
We are happy to inform you that the eleventh biennial meeting of the International Feuchtwanger Society (IFS) will take place September 13-15, 2024, in London, United Kingdom.
The conference is jointly organized by the Leo Baeck Institute London, the Research Centre for German & Austrian Exile Studies, University of London, and the International Feuchtwanger Society.
The conference centers around the idea of Britain, the British Commonwealth, and the British Mandate of Palestine as hub and transit for Jews, intellectuals, artists, and political opponents of the National Socialist regime in the interwar and postwar years.
A special focus of the conference is the Feuchtwanger family, their lives, work, and networks in relationship with Britain and the role that Britain played as a waystation for members of the Feuchtwanger family and other exiles.
We are particularly seeking papers that discuss the importance of the immigration to and through Britain and the cultural exchange of exiles during their time in Great Britain and other regions under British influence, the short and long-term impact of these experiences such as the influence of British artists and British cultural politics on German-speaking artists and vice versa.
Other topics of interest include the Feuchtwanger family’s relationship with British literature and publishing around the time of WWI; the reception of German-speaking exiles during the interwar years and the administrative hurdles, prejudices, economic burdens they faced; the role(s) of women, including their motivations to leave Germany, and gender dynamics in exile in general. Further areas to consider: the impact of the British Mandate in Palestine on Jewish exile and its cultural and publishing efforts; the effects of exile on literary and artistic works for those starting anew in a different culture and language; the role of English translations of Lion Feuchtwanger’s work (and the work of others) as a prerequisite for the American exile; the reception of Lion Feuchtwanger’s work as a Jewish writer and thinker; and the reception of new translations of Lion Feuchtwanger’s work by audiences today. Papers dealing with topics not outlined above but within the broader context of the conference themes are welcome.
Abstracts are due on January 26, 2024. You will be notified about the decision regarding your abstract no later than March 29, 2024.
Papers should not exceed 20 minutes. Please submit a PDF of your brief abstract (maximum 300 words) to Marje Schuetze-Coburn (schuetze@usc.edu) and Michaela Ullmann (ullmann@usc.edu).
Papers by graduate students and postdocs who are researching the conference topic are especially welcome. The IFS supports new scholars by providing them with opportunities to present their work and facilitating a stimulating exchange between young researchers and those already established in the field. Please share this Call for Papers with students and anyone interested, and encourage them to submit an abstract.
The conference organizers acknowledge that not all participants may be able to attend the conference in person and while they encourage in-person attendance, they are considering allowing papers to be delivered remotely.
The conference will take place in a hybrid format, meaning that audience members can watch presentations via Zoom remotely. We would like to make presenters aware of this as written consent to record and make available your presentation will be required.
The conference organizers anticipate that speakers will need to secure funding through their home institutions or other sources to attend the conference. Feel free to contact Michaela Ullmann (ullmann@usc.edu) with any questions.
Conference organizers compiled a list of hotels close to the conference venue for attendees to make their reservations themselves but cannot guarantee pricing and availability. We encourage you to also look for accommodations yourself as London is a popular destination and making early reservations is probably best.
Some additional programming such as a dinner and a tour of the Wiener Library might be offered for speakers on Thursday, September 12, 2024, so please consider this for your travel plans.
A selection of revised conference papers will be published in a volume of the Feuchtwanger Studies series (Peter Lang: Oxford).
Conference languages: German and English.
Download the call for papers as a PDF file here.
