The historical and literary legacy of World War I is the focus of the Death of Empires Conferencescheduled for September 18-19, 2015, at Daemen College (4380 Main Street, Amherst, NY).

The Death of Empires Conference is presented by the Departments of English; History & Political Science; and Visual & Performing Arts at Daemen College. The conference will bring together humanities scholars, humanities educators, and the general public to share research findings and explore the impact of the Great War on the home front and the battlefront, as well as the war's place in public memory. Members of the general public and students are invited to attend the academic sessions along with the related performances and exhibits, which examine the meaning and legacy of World War I through a variety of academic disciplines and media. All events are free and open to the public. 

Planned to coincide with the centennial anniversary of the war, the conference features humanities-based academic and artistic presentations that consider the pivotal role of World I in bringing about the death of empires and the creation of a new world order. Sometimes described as the first "modern war," World War I erased distinctions between "war front" and "home front," amplified ethnic tensions, and signaled the limits of imperial power in ways that continue to resonate today.  

The conference includes:  I. Research Presentations by American and international scholars organized into panel sessions; II. "The Collapse of Empires: The View from Warsaw (Poland) During World War I," conference keynote address by Dr. Robert Blobaum; III. "The Rose that Grows in No Man's Land," a theatrical reading of women's wartime writing by Buffalo's Red Thread Theatre Company; IV. "Little Empires: Toy Soldiers during the Great War, 1914-1918," an exhibit of military-themed toys; and V. Nikifor Exhibit: artworks by "primitive" artist Nikifor Krynicki (1895-1968) from the Lemko region of Poland. (Keep reading for more details about each part of the conference.).

Le professeur Nathalie Tousignant y présentera une communication intitulée "Untold stories: Cohabitating with the Allies. Canadian troops on the Ypres Salient (1915-1918)".

Enika Ngongo, doctorante, y présentera une communication intitulée "‘We did not go to war for Congo, but for Belgium’. Congolese Soldiers and Carriers facing the First World War". 

Le programme complet du colloque peut être consulté ici sur le site internet du Daemen College.

18-19 septembre 2015

Daemen College

4380 Main Street,

Amherst, NY (USA)

Contact : empires.conference@daemen.edu