Frankfurt (Oder)/Słubice  (Germany/Poland), 19 – 21 September 2024

The 11th Tensions of Europe conference “Transformations. Fundamental Change and Technology” (ToE24) was held at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) and Słubice 19 – 21 September 2024. The conference preceded the ToE Early Career Scholars’ summer school from 16 – 19 September.

The aim of the conference was to shed light on technological, but also political, societal and environmental sides of transformations in Europe and other regions in past and present. Technology can be a major factor to enhance, slow down or ease such transformations. Processes of circulation and appropriation of knowledge, ideas and artefacts provide a broad field of research to better understand aspects of political, societal or environmental transformations in connection with technology.

ToE24 was opened by the round table “Co-Transformations in Central and Eastern Europe in Past and Present” and closed by the key note “Writing Transformative Envirotech History in the Anthropocene: Provocations and Opportunities” held by Helmuth Trischler. The recorded key note speech by Helmuth Trischler (Deutsches Museum and Rachel Carson Center) is available to watch here.

132 researchers from all over Europe attended ToE24 in person, 22 colleagues presented online. Contributions were given in 39 panel sessions. 15 young scholars participated in the preceding summer school. You may the Programme of the Conference, here.

The conference dinner was held at the conference building directly next to the Oder river and, as always, included a live band and dancing. We received very positive feedback from a whole range of participants. Thank you for coming here! We are looking forward to seeing you all again at the next ToE conference in the Netherlands.

Read the report for the 11th ToE Conference Report by Michal Ďurčo (Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of History), here.