CFP: Emotions and Holocaust Studies

The organizers of an upcoming workshop on recent research on how the history of emotions has helped broaden academic understanding of the holocaust invite original, unpublished, and historically-informed papers from diverse fields and disciplines that research positive and negative emotions during the Holocaust as well as feelings and affections involved in its postwar responses and memories. Submissions are due by April 15, 2022.

Of particular interest are papers that explore one or two emotions (fear, shame, trust, guilt, grief, love, hate, denial, hope, compassion, belonging, gratitude, revenge, etc.) in relation to different perspectives and situations, for instance, in migration, hiding, rescue, postwar restitution claims, trials, etc. The organizers also welcome papers looking at the emotional significance different places and sites (e.g., synagogues, cemeteries, homes, camps, archives) had for Jewish survivors. They ask participants to reflect on how to detect these emotions and how studying them contributes to our understanding of such topics as survival strategies, mourning and loss, and dealing with dehumanization, and consider which political and social functions they serve and articulate.