„WE WILL LIVE AFTER BABYLON“*. Armenian and Jewish Historical Experience between Epulsion, Exile and Destruction

The conference is organised by the European Centre for Jewish Music and the German-Armenian Society (DAG)
Date: 24 – 27 February 2019
Venue: Kulturzentrum Pavillon Hannover, Lister Meile 4, 30161 Hannover, Germany

Topic:

Not only were Jews and Armenians forced into statelessness and a life outside their homelands for centuries, they also shared another fate: in the 20th century, in the shadows of two world wars, they were threatened with collective annihilation. The European Centre for Jewish Music (EZJM) and the German-Armenian Society (DAG) take this convergence as a starting point for a jointly organised conference, which will focus on the Jewish and Armenian historical experience. The conference will not only consist of academic paper presentations, but also of a cultural programme reflecting the broader topic of the symposium.

The speakers represent a wide variety of disciplines and fields of research, such as Theology, Literature, Musicology, History, Sociology, Political Science and Cultural Studies. The conference topics – Diaspora, Minority Issues, Genocide and the Holocaust and their commemoration and reception as well as the relationship between Jews and Armenians today – reflect the common dimensions of the Jewish and the Armenian experience.

A rich supporting programme, including documentaries with academic introducion, workshops, a theatre performance, a concert and a panel discussion, aims to make the public more familiar with the subject. In the panel discussion at the end of the conference, the different policies of commemoration in Germany relating to the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide will be discussed.

We cordially invite you to participate!

* Ara Güler (1928–2018)

24.–27. Februar 2019:

• Alajaji, Sylvia, Prof. Dr.
  Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster/PA
  An Invitation to Mourn With: Music and Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide
• Baer, Marc David, Prof. Dr.
  The London School of Economics and Political Science
  Sultanic Saviors and Tolerant Turks: Writing Ottoman Jewish History, Denying the Armenian Genocide
• Baron, Lawrence, Prof. em. Dr.
  San Diego State University/CA
  Persistent Parallels: Evoking the Holocaust in Feature Films about the Armenian Genocide
• Bohlman, Philip V., Prof. Dr.
  The University of Chicago/IL
  The Nations Will Hear and Tremble” – The Architecture of Expulsion, the Geography of Exile, the Flight from Destruction
• Cohen, Judith, Dr.
  York University, Toronto
  „If you see me walking alone on the road“ – Sephardic songs of exile, expulsion, memory - and return
• Crowdus, Miranda, Dr.
  EZJM der HMTMH, Hannover
  Broadening the Jewish Experience: Collective Memory and Convergeant Dispossession(s) in Cross-Cultural Musical Initiatives
• Diner, Dan, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c.
  The Hebrew University of Jerusalem/Universität Leipzig
  Keynote: Imperiale Residuen – Über Minderheit, Nationalstaat und Genozid
• Georgelin, Hervé, Dr.
  National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Turkish and Modern Asian Studies Department
  Historical Awareness in Zaven Biberyan’s Autobiographical Fragment: A Rare Perception of Both Armenian and Jewish Suffering
• Gerson, Daniel, Dr.
  Universität Bern
  „The Last Swiss Holocaust Survivors“: Anerkennung und Vereinnahmung von Holocaustüberlebenden in der heutigen Schweiz
• Ginat, Avital
  Tel Aviv University
  The Influence of the Armeniens Genocide of the Zionist Movement During first World War
• Hartmann, Elke, Dr.
  Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München
  Die Thematisierung von Völkermord, Heimatverlust und Fremde in der Musik der armenischen Überlebenden
• Hovannisian, Richard G., Prof. em. Dr.
  University of California, Los Angeles
  The Armenien Genocide with its Ramifications of Exile, Acculturation, and Assimilation
• Kerem, Yitzchak, Prof. Dr.
  The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  Armenians and Jews in the Holocaust (Shoa)
  
• Klebe, Dorit, Dr.
  Universität der Künste Berlin
  Influences of Armenian Musical Elements to Ottoman-Turkish Urban and Courtly Songs? – Discussing Early Sound Documents of the Aleppo Province (1902)
• Körner, Birgit, Dr.
  Universität Basel
  Holocaust und Genozid in Ephraim Kishons „israelischen Satiren“
• Kurt, Ümit, Dr.
  Harvard University/Van Leer Institute Jerusalem
  Legal and official plunder of Armenian and Jewish properties in comparative perspective: The Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust
• Leupold, David, Dr.
  University of Michigan
  Southeastern Turkey as a "Mnemonic Cell of Resistance"?: Vehicles of Local Memory and the Armenian Genocide (1915–1916)
• Maniero, Arpine, Dr. des.
  Collegium Carolinum München
  Armenian and Jewish Students at German Universities at the Beginning of the 20th Century
• Marutyan, Harutyun, Dr.
  Genocide Museum-Institute Jerewan
  The Armenian Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust Trauma and its Influence on Identity Changes of Survivors
• Müller, Sven Oliver, PD Dr.
  Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen
  Überraschende Feindschaften? Zum Verhältnis von Gewalt und Emotionen in der Zivilbevölkerung im Ersten Weltkrieg
• Muti, Öndercan, Doktorand
  Humboldt-Universität Berlin
  Velvet Revolution and Reshaping the Culture of Remembrance in Armenia
• Norkina, Ekaterina, Dr.
  St. Petersburg State University
  The Celebration of the 1500th. jubilee of the Armenian alphabet creation at the beginning of the XXth. century: memory and Armenian self-consciousness
• Pschichholz, Christin, Dr.
  Lepsius-Haus Potsdam
  Aghet und Schoah – geschichtswissenschaftliche Entwicklungen im Vergleich
  
• Ritter, Laurence, Dr.
  independent researcher, Jerewan
  Converted and hidden Armenians from Turkey, from silence to uncertain awakening
• Sanamyan, Emil
  IHS Janes (Information Handling Services Janes) und EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit), Washington D.C.
  Arming a Genocidal State? Consequences of Israel’s military sales to Azerbaijan
• Stone, Michael E., Prof. em. Dr.
  The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  Jewish apocalypticism in Amenian tradition
• Was, Maciej, Doktorand
  Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)
  „The Jews of Caucasus“ – Perception of Armenians in the German and Polish Travel Literature
• Zimmermann, Heidy, Dr.
  Paul-Sacher-Stiftung Basel
  „Die schönsten Lieder der Ostjuden“. Jiddische Musik als identitätsstiftendes Idiom in der Diaspora

24 February, in the evening:

• Stone, Michael E., Prof. Dr.
  Hebrew University Jerusalem
  From Ararat to Zion

25 February, in the evening:

• Petrovic, Ankica, Dr.
  Sarajevo
  The Key from Spain: The Songs and Stories of Flory Jagoda

25 February, in the afternoon:

• Cohen, Judith, Dr.
  York University, Toronto
  Singing the Exile: Songs of the Sephardic Diaspora
  

25 February, in the afternoon:

• Knocke, Roy
  Lepsius-Haus Potsdam
  Der Völkermord an den Armeniern. Bausteine für eine Unterrichtsreihe

26 February, in the afternoon:

• Reichelt, Bettine
  evangelische Theologin und Schulpfarrerin, Leipzig
  Karen Jeppe (1876–1935): Frieden finden, trotz allem
  

26 February, in the afternoon:

• Stach, Michael
  EZJM der HMTMH, Hannover
  Völkermorde und Menschenrechte in der Lehre

26 February, in the evening:

• Edgar Hilsenrath:
  Das Märchen vom letzten Gedanken, Bühnenfassung
  Ensemble ZAKHOR unter der Leitung von Stefan Habel, Hannover

27 February, in the afternoon:

„Dieses Leid unzähliger Armenier darf und wird nicht vergessen werden. Dazu wird Deutschland seinen Beitrag leisten“ (Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel am 24. August 2018 in Armenien).
Erinnerungskultur im Spannungsfeld von leeren Versprechen und Ritualisierung

Chair:

• Dr. Raffi Kantian

Panel members:

• Prof. Dr. Micha Brumlik
• Ulla Jelpke MdB
• Dr. h. c. Herbert Schmalstieg, Oberbürgermeister a. D. (Hannover)
• Prof. Dr. Julius Schoeps

27 February, in the evening (programme):

• Assaf Levitin/Naaman Wagner
  Berlin/Tel Aviv/Hannover
  Alberto Hemsi (1898–1975): Coplas Sefardíes
• Saul Zaks and Ensemble Kramim
  Buenos Aires/Cordoba/Aarhus
  sefardische Lieder
• Ensemble INDIVIDUAL
  Jerewan
  armenische Volksmusik
• Stepan Gantralyan/Emil Georgiev
  Berlin/Jerewan/Sofia
  armenische Chansons