This interdisciplinary and bilingual conference (held in German and English) will address exchange processes of material and intangible cultural heritage between Southeastern Europe and the German-language sphere. Shaped by often uneven power dynamics, these processes arose over centuries of cultural, political and socio-economical entanglements in these regions, most prominently in the second half of the 20th century and the early 21st century.
With a particular focus on the influence of intangible heritage, which has attained new significance in the globalized age due to its dynamic and mobile properties, this conference seeks to explore the histories and practices of cultural heritage transfer in literature and the arts, as well as in politics and society. The conference seeks to stimulate the dialogue between literary and cultural studies researchers on the one hand, as well as historians and social scientists on the other, in order to bring together different perspectives on cultural heritage and the methodologies with which its various manifestations in these regions can be investigated. Theoretical engagement with recent heritage debates will be expected from all participants, a reader with key texts will be made available in advance.