The conference "What is a city? Essence and endurance" will take place at the Museum of Warsaw and the T. Manteuffel Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences, both located at the Old Town Square in Warsaw. ✨ Important dates: - 📩 by January 31, 2026 – submission of presentation proposals - ✅ by February 28, 2026 – notification of acceptance - 🗓️ April 13–15, 2026 – conference - 📝 by August 31, 2026 – submission of texts for publication ABOUT THE CONFERENCE What is a city? Defining what a city is has posed many problems. A city, as a gathering of people engaged not only in trade, crafts, and agricultural activities, has been defined mainly by its size, population density, or functions. However, an essential feature of larger urban organisms is also their endurance. Since their beginnings, cities have been, on the one hand, sources of innovation and culture, but on the other, great threats in themselves. They were places where dangerous epidemics broke out, attracted foreign armies, and fell under the pressure of natural forces. However, if they fulfilled important functions, they proved more enduring than the forces that destroyed them. Until the 19th/20th century, cities were essentially large cemeteries, where more people died than were born. Therefore, the endurance of a city always depended on its ability to attract new residents. These newcomers often brought new ideas, fresh energy, and genes. Thanks to this, cities could be recreated and renewed, thus resisting all destructive forces. This topic is especially relevant today – in the face of wars, the growing number of natural disasters related to climate change, and the ever-decreasing birth rate. The aim of the second edition of our Varsavianist conference is to reflect on the essence of urbanity by analyzing the category of endurance from a broad perspective. We are particularly interested in the case of Warsaw, but we do not want to divert attention from other cities in the European cultural circle. We are interested in issues such as: - cataclysms to which cities have been exposed – wars, epidemics, natural disasters; - reconstruction after all kinds of destruction, the rebirth of the city or its parts. We would like to analyze issues such as: - functions performed by the city over the centuries that enabled its renewal, - urban institutions supporting development despite tragedies, - demographic factors allowing cities to survive, - the long endurance of places, institutions, and functions – districts, marketplaces, theaters, museums, places of worship and learning, - reflections on the phenomenon of the city as a lasting organism. ℹ️ Organizational information We invite researchers from various fields: history, art history and architecture, archaeology, ethnology and cultural anthropology, architecture, sociology, geography, and cultural, religious, and art studies. Submissions (abstracts and short CVs) should be sent by January 31, 2026 via the attached form to the email address (varsovia@ihpan.edu.pl): Application form: https://muzeumwarszawy.pl/FORMULARZ-ZGLOSZENIA-NA Notifications of acceptance will be sent by February 28, 2026. The aim of the conference is also to publish a scientific monograph, so we will ask for a written version of your reflections on the endurance of cities by August 31, 2026. No conference fees are charged. The aim of the conference is also to publish a scientific monograph devoted to the endurance of cities. No conference fees are charged. Conference Scientific Committee: - Barbara Arciszewska, Institute of Art History, University of Warsaw - Błażej Brzostek, Museum of Warsaw / Faculty of History, University of Warsaw - Robert Blobaum, West Virginia University - Jarosław Czubaty, Faculty of History, University of Warsaw - Matthieu Gillabert, University of Fribourg - Andrzej Karpiński, Institute of History, Polish Academy of Sciences - Jerzy Kochanowski, Institute of Art History, University of Warsaw - Mikołaj Madurowicz, Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Warsaw - Halina Manikowska, Institute of History, Polish Academy of Sciences, emerita - Joanna Nalewajko-Kulikov, Institute of History, Polish Academy of Sciences - Marta Rakoczy, Institute of Polish Culture, University of Warsaw - Małgorzata Rozbicka, Faculty of Architecture, Warsaw University of Technology - Andrzej Sołtan, Society of History Enthusiasts in Warsaw Secretaries: - Aleksander Łupienko, Institute of History, Polish Academy of Sciences - Krzysztof Zwierz, Museum of Warsaw Educational partner of the Museum of Warsaw – PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna S.A. https://www.gkpge.pl
