Conference | Blind Spots of Jewish Moravia and Poland: Crossings, Parallels, and Networks in European History

For centuries, the Jewish histories of Moravia, Silesia and Poland were closely intertwined through a web of religious, commercial, family, intellectual, and migratory ties. Although both regions represented major centers of European Judaism, comparative research and the analysis of specific Polish-Moravian connections across the centuries still offer numerous unexplored topics and blind spots.

Conference Date: April 11, 2027

Venue: Brno, Masaryk University, Komenského náměstí 2, Sir Roger Scruton Hall

Organizers: Mehrin – Moravian Jewish Museum, Masaryk University in Brno

Conference Languages: English / Czech

The goal of the conference is to create a space for presenting the latest research examining the Jewish history of Moravia and Poland in their mutual interaction, dynamics, and within the broader Central European and European context—from the Middle Ages through post-war history to the transformations of memory in the 20th and 21st centuries. In doing so, we are building on previous editions of the conference, during which we focused on the relations of Moravia with Slovakia and Lower Austria.

We welcome paper proposals focusing primarily on the following topics:

Migration, mobility, and family networks
Intellectual, religious, and cultural transfer
Economic and social ties
The Shoah: Border crossings, escapes, deportations, resistance networks, Righteous Among the Nations
Post-war reconstruction, exile, and memory

The conference will take place on April 11, 2027, at Masaryk University in Brno. It is open to both professionals and the general public. Further information is available at www.malymehrin.cz.

Submission Guidelines and Abstracts

Abstract Length: Max. 200–300 words
Submission Requirements: Paper title, abstract, and a short bio of the author (100 words)
Presentation Duration: 20 minutes (+ 10 minutes of discussion)
Abstract Submission Deadline: January 31, 2027
Notification of Acceptance: February 28, 2027

For abstract submissions and inquiries, please contact Táňa Klementová (Mehrin) at klementova@mehrin.cz or +420 777 967 534.

For participants with accepted papers, the organizers will cover Saturday accommodation at Hotel International Brno, Saturday dinner, Sunday lunch, and an honorarium of €120 as reimbursement for travel expenses.

Call for Papers for download: CfP_Blind_Spots_2027.docx

Blind Spots of Jewish Moravia and Poland 2027