Bonn, Germany, June 25-26, 2026

The Archiv für Sozialgeschichte invites contributions for a conference and subsequent publication examining the transformation of rural societies from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. The aim is to move beyond the traditional urban–rural contrast and to explore rural communities as socially, economically, and politically dynamic environments.

The conference welcomes proposals on a range of topics, including the development and persistence of social and economic inequalities within and between rural societies; the role of political reforms, state institutions, religion, and local governance; and the evolution of community life, self-images, and visions for the future. Other topics of interest include the impact of agricultural capitalism, technological innovation, and ecological challenges on labor, trade, and social structures; the global interdependencies of rural economies; and strategies and responses of rural populations to these transformations. Contributions addressing developments since the 1970s are also encouraged, including industrial restructuring, digitalisation, migration and out-migration, tourism, changing land use, corporate investment, EU policies, and shifting cultural and political perceptions of rural life.

Proposals (max. 3,000 characters, in German or English) should be sent to afs@fes.de by 15 January 2026. Selected authors will present their work at the conference, and revised papers will be published in Archiv für Sozialgeschichte 67 (2027). Final manuscripts, around 60,000 characters, are due 31 December 2026. Further information available at this link.

Below is the official call for papers