The fifth edition of EUROM’s annual Subaltern Memories conference will focus on voices too often forgotten in the memory of environmental and natural disasters. Organised in collaboration with the European University Institute (EUI), the event will take place in Florence on 16 April 2026.
As the consequences of climate change become increasingly visible—often through devastating and deadly disasters—the conference aims to highlight the experiences of communities affected by past environmental catastrophes and the memory initiatives that have long remained overlooked in public discourse.
Marking the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the programme will examine its lasting human, social, and environmental impact, as well as the struggles of affected communities for recognition and remembrance. Additional panels will address major natural disasters in Italy and explore wider transnational perspectives, including the environmental consequences of armed conflicts such as the Spanish Civil War and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Through these discussions, Subaltern Memories will critically explore how environmental suffering has been remembered—or neglected—in Europe, bringing subaltern experiences to the fore and challenging dominant narratives of progress, responsibility, and resilience.
Confirmed Speakers
- Achim Klüppelberg
- Corinna Unger
- Polina Baitsym
- Chiara Calzana
- Monika Baar
Participation
The conference will take place both in person and online via Zoom, and the full programme and registration details will be announced soon. Participants attending in person will also have the opportunity to visit the Historical Archives of the European Union, with special attention to original documents related to the conference themes.
Cover picture: Red Forest visible in the background, behind the buildings. Pripyat (Ukraine). November 4, 2017. Author: Jorge Franganillo from Barcelona, Spain, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Survey
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- Reference of the Project: 101236354
- Type of activity: Mutual-Learning
- Title: Subaltern Memories 2026
- Date: April 16, 2026
- Hybrid event