XI Międzynarodowa Konferencja Naukowa OBLICZA WOJNY – Granice

11th International Scientific Conference ‘Faces of War’ • 11–12 June 2026 • Boundaries

We cordially invite you to take part in the 11th International Scientific Conference ‘Faces of War’ series, which will take place on 11–12 June 2026. The conference will be held on-siteand online.

The theme of this year’s conference is Boundaries.

For centuries, borders have been among the key factors shaping armed conflicts. They define the space of state sovereignty and the political order, while often becoming sources of tension and objects of military and legal rivalry. During our conference, we wish to address borders not only in their political sense and the military actions associated with them, but also through a multidimensional approach to borders in wars and armed conflicts.

The conference is interdisciplinary; therefore; we invite proposals that explore the theme of borders from the perspectives of, among others, history, archaeology, political science, legal studies, literary studies, cultural studies, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, psychology, as well as trauma studies, migration studies, and identity studies.

Faces of War is a conference addressed to scholars at all stages of their academic careers – from students and doctoral candidates to experienced researchers. We also encourage participation by individuals affiliated with cultural, educational, and heritage institutions, as well as artists and creators who engage with themes of war and borders in their practice.

The schedule and information on fees will be announced soon.

Proposed thematic areas

1. Political and state borders

• state borders as causes of wars and armed conflicts
• border changes because of writing wars: annexations, treaties, arbitrations
• border-crossing operations
• memory of border wars
• migration, forced displacement, humanitarian corridors
• borders and propaganda
• border conflicts in art

2. Borderlands as military spaces

• borderlands as zones of permanent threat
• the role of border cities in military operations
• sabotage, diversion, and irregular warfare in border regions
• everyday life during war in border areas

3. Guarding the borders

• border troops and services
• border garrisons
• border fortifications
• soldiers and officers of border formations

4. Limits of military technology

• limits of the technological capabilities of armed forces
• the “end” of the significance of branches of the military and weapons
• the boundary between war and peace
• limits of state resilience

5. Limits of law in wartime

• borders in the light of wartime conventions and international law
• the law of war as an attempt to define the limits of violence
• military courts and international war crimes tribunals
• humanitarian law and total war
• war crimes and responsibility – individual and collective
• the law of war versus the reality of conflict
• limits of obedience

6. Borders within urban space

• divided cities – origins, everyday life, military and political significance
• urban borders as tools of military and political control
• city walls: their decline and legacy
• occupation zones, segregated areas, ghettos
• the symbolism of walls, checkpoints, and urban barriers

The organizers also welcome proposals that fall outside the suggested thematic areas if they clearly relate to the main theme of the conference: Boundaries.