Conference on Competition in International History from Antiquity to the Present
On October 1–2, 2026, the annual conference of the Working Group on International History of the Association of German Historians will take place in Siegen, with the theme “Competition in International History from Antiquity to the Present.”
The annual conference focuses on the international dimension of competition as a central mechanism for the distribution of opportunities, recognition, status, and participation—a mechanism that has, however, always been in competition with other distributive mechanisms. International references play a central role in the history of competition and contests, whether as relational reference points for self-positioning, in relationships of cooperation and rivalry, as models or counter-models, or through the cross-border observation and adaptation of regulatory systems, formats, goals, and interpretations.
The annual conference brings together researchers from all historical periods and regions to explore the significance of competition for international history. Where and how were they shaped by cross-border processes and formats, for example with regard to organizers, participants, audiences, or the scope of competition rules? In what international relationships of cooperation, competition, and observation were competitions and the practice of competition embedded? Where and how did competition shape international structures and constellations? What forms did competition take in this context; where and when was it institutionalized and formalized, and where and when was it informal? When and how did competition come under criticism, and what alternative models were developed in contrast to competitive formats? How is the relationship between performance and success shaped?
Please note the roundtable discussion:
