Colloquia Humanistica 15 (2026) – call for papers
Colloquia Humanistica is the interdisciplinary humanities journal of the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Our aim is to introduce a variety of perspectives in discussing contemporary issues. We would like to propose a unique space that allows an intensive intellectual debate and a dynamic exchange of thoughts between researchers of different perspectives in the humanities and social sciences. Colloquia Humanistica hereby invites submissions of manuscripts that address the following topic:
Władysław Mickiewicz and the Fate of the Great Emigration
Władysław Mickiewicz lived from 1838 to 1926, he was the eldest son of Adam Mickiewicz. Raised in France, a believer in the democratic and republican ideas of the Third Republic, throughout his life he strived for the return of the Polish state to the map of Europe. He was not only a historian and journalist who devoted many works to his father’s life and poetry, but also the guardian of the memory of the people of the Great Emigration, i.e. that which followed the November Uprising, as well as its subsequent waves – after the January Uprising and the artistic and economic emigrations at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. He was also an unparalleled organizer of emigration life: He co-directed the Polish Library in Paris, the Polish School in Batignolles, and was the founder and director of the Adam Mickiewicz Museum in Paris at the Polish Library.
Władysław Mickiewicz maintained numerous relationships with the most outstanding people of his era, both French, such as Victor Hugo and George Sand, and Polish, e.g. Józef Piłsudski and Ignacy Jan Paderewski. His Slavic contacts and his activities for the emancipation of these nationalities formed an important chapter in his life.
Władysław Mickiewicz’s rich life is documented in various archives, the basic outlines of which are found in the catalogs compiled by Adam Lewak in 1931 and Andrzej Biernat and Wiesława Kordaczuk (with collaborators) in 2023 as well as, to some extent, a catalog of manuscripts from the Warsaw Museum of Literature, edited by Tadeusz Januszewski. Many testimonies have remained scattered and we encourage you to use and develop them, especially since numerous priceless documents are located in Poland, e.g. in Warsaw and Kraków. It is worth highlighting even narrow but deep issues, publishing even single documents with commentary that will expand our knowledge about the continuations of Romanticism.
The year 2026 will mark the 100th anniversary of our hero’s death. On this occasion, we would like not only to recall his achievements, but also to look at him anew in the light of new sources.
We encourage you to focus on the following topics:
- Władysław Mickiewicz’s identity choices – his attitude to the Polish, French and Jewish heritage, as well as other cultures;
- circle of loved ones – parents, siblings, spouse and daughters;
- his activities for the benefit of the émigré community;
- his activities for Poland regaining independence;
- writings and journalistic work.
We do not limit ourselves only to historical, literary or historical works; we are interested in the cultural life of the émigré community, in fashion, photography and iconography. Another fascinating topic might be Mickiewicz junior’s views on Polish, French as well as Italian art, both ancient and contemporary.
Timeline:
- Abstract in English and in the Author’s native tongue (300 words) and a short bio-note (50–100 words) by May 31, 2025;
- Contacting selected authors by June 30, 2025;
- Submission of the manuscript by October 31, 2025.
Papers should be submitted on the open journal platform.
Feel free to contact the scientific editors of the volume:
- Mikołaj Sokołowski (Institute of Literary Research, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw): mikolaj[dot]sokolowski[at]ibl[dot]waw[dot]pl
- Jolanta Sujecka (Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, University of Warsaw): jolanta[dot]sujecka[at]al[dot]uw[dot]edu[dot]pl
