A conference and exhibition at the UB brings together children’s and women’s memories of the war in Europe

Organized by the UNED and the European Observatory of Memories (EUROM) of the UB Solidarity Foundation, the event will bring together international researchers who will analyse how these experiences, often forgotten or marginalized, continue to shape contemporary understanding of conflict. The sessions will be held at the UB’s Chapel (Aula Capella) and will be simultaneously interpreted in Catalan, Spanish and English. For more information and registration, visit the official website of the event. 

The event is complemented by the temporary exhibition “Childhoods in a World at War (1939-1945)”, which can be visited from 22 to 30 October in the UB’s Historic Building. 

Key lectures 

On the first day of the conference, historian Joanna Bourke (University of London) will give a lecture on gender and violence in wartime. Bourke is a renowned Professor of History at Birkbeck College, specializing in social and cultural history. Her work has had a major impact on the study of gender, violence, emotions and war. Among her most influential publications are books such as An intimate history of killing and rape: a history from 1860 to the present. She is known for her ability to analyse the effects of war and violence on society, especially from the perspective of the victims, and for addressing often-silenced issues such as sexual violence in war. She is also a fellow of the British Academy and a regular voice in the media, offering critical perspectives on the culture of violence. 

Xosé Manoel Núñez Seixas, professor of Contemporary History at the University of Santiago de Compostela, will give the closing lecture. He is one of the leading historians in the study of nationalism, historical memory and European conflicts of the 20th century. He has published numerous works on the Spanish Civil War, fascism, and the politics of memory in Europe, including Volver a Stalingrado: el frente del Este en la memoria europea and Guaridas del lobo: memorias de la Europa autoritaria, 1945-2020. The expert is a corresponding member of the Royal Academy of History and has been a visiting professor at several international universities.