On October 9 and 10, 2025, the interdisciplinary early-career conference Beyond Empires – Focus on Eastern Europe will take place at the Berlin Institute for Eastern European Studies.
The two-day event is dedicated to analyzing historical and contemporary imperial structures in Eastern Europe and examining their impact on politics, society, and culture.
Through lectures, panels, and workshops, young researchers from various disciplines will be brought together with external experts from journalism, politics, academia, and civil society. The goal is to develop perspectives beyond established narratives and to create space for new research approaches and critical discussions.

Program
The detailed program is available for download as a PDF in both German and English.

The conference will be bilingual – presentations will be given in English and German without translation technology.

There will be occasional updates on project partnerships and speaker participation. The fastest way to access current information is on Instagram: @conference_be.

Registration
Guest registration is possible here. Seats are limited!:

• Registration Form (German)
• Registration Form (English)

Please De-register via Mail (fu.studikonferenz@gmail.com), if you can not attend, so we can give your seat to another person.

Registration for the workshop “Reframing” on October 10 from 12:15–13:15 must be done here: Registration for the Workshop.

Catering & On-Site Organization

• Vegetarian catering, including coffee and snacks, will be provided during the lunch break on both days.
• Rooms will be signposted on-site on the day of the event.

Important Information

• The German Society for Eastern European Studies (DGO) has been classified as extremist in Russia. Participation in the conference may therefore have legal consequences if you live in or travel to Russia. More information can be found on the DGO website.
• Photo and video recordings by participants are prohibited.
  • The conference itself will be recorded by the organizing team.
  • It is possible to opt out of appearing in photos or videos. Further information will be provided during on-site registration