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Young historians have their say!

Study day 'Young Historians' - promotion 2024

On Thursday November 28 and Friday November 29, CegeSoma/State Archives is pleased to invite you to its two annual study days reserved for talented young historians who recently graduated.

This year, 35 of them will be presenting the results of their research. In addition to the usual themes relating to the two great world conflicts, the Cold War and (de)colonization, these days will also open up to other issues linked to the history of Belgium and to more international dimensions.

As in previous years, the history of World War II will be widely covered, with topics as diverse as the perception of intimate relations between German soldiers and young Belgian women, Belgian soccer during the occupation, and the encounter between Canadian soldiers and the Belgian population at the Liberation in 1944, to name but a few.

Various aspects of the Cold War will also be discussed, such as atomic shelters in Belgium, Belgian socialists and the Prague Spring, and Eurocommunist discourse in Flanders from the late 1960s to the late 1980s.

On the theme of (de)colonization, we'll look at contacts between the universities of Leuven and Kinshasa, the repression of Lubumbashi students in May 1990, and the construction and deconstruction of the colonial past...

The history of migration, sexuality and cultural life will also be in the spotlight this year, with a wide variety of subjects including Spanish Republican refugees, the control of prostitution in Antwerp and, more unexpectedly, the history of the 32nd Eurovision Song Contest in Brussels...

In short, a rich program that will once again enable you to discover the very latest fields of research at our country's universities. As always, this event is open to all ... so welcome!

-> Discover the two-day program.