Opening of the Leibniz ScienceCampus Regensburg Annual Conference 2026 Elias Wiedemann, Universität Regensburg
Struggles for freedom and sovereignty have repeatedly generated new forms of dependency, exclusion and inequality: A paradox that still shapes modern history today will be discussed by international scholars at the 2026 Annual Conference of the Leibniz ScienceCampus (LWC) "Europe and America in the Modern World” from 17 to 19 June 2026 in Regensburg. Many participants come from universities in Kansas, Arizona, Toronto, Łódź, and Ann Arbor, among others, which have long-standing academic ties with the University of Regensburg. The scholars represent disciplines ranging from history, cultural studies, and sociology to law, ethnography, and political science.
As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of its independence, the conference “In/ter/dependence: Transitions of Power, Frictions of Freedom” examines how moments of political self-determination – from the American Revolution to decolonization processes to the emergence of new states after the collapse of empires and the end of communism in Europe – have changed political, social and economic orders.
"Taking the 250th anniversary of American independence as its starting point, the conference not only makes an important contribution to a critical, multi-perspective and decolonial discussion of history and memory. As a collaboration between REAF and LSC, it also demonstrates the transnational potential and international visibility of interdisciplinary Area Studies in Regensburg", explains Dr. Birgit Hebel-Bauridl, Managing Director of the Regensburg European American Forum (REAF) and member of the LSC Boad of Directors.
Birgit Hebel-Bauridl conceptualized the conference together with historian Professor Dr. Ulf Brunnbauer (Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies IOS and University of Regensburg), Dr. Carmen Dexl (American Studies, University of Regensburg), and Dr. Paul Vickers (Leibniz ScienceCampus “Europe and America”).
"The LSC here in Regensburg and its annual conference regularly bring together renowned international scholars from various disciplines, thus manifesting what cutting-edge scholarship and science are about: interdisciplinarity, internationalization, and innovation," said University of Regensburg President Professor Dr. Udo Hebel in his opening remarks. He emphasized that "theme-oriented, multidisciplinary, and interdisciplinary research such as that of the LSC is key to successful research, especially when it comes to addressing the great challenges and questions of our time."
About Independence and Freedom
While independence is often celebrated as a triumph of freedom, it has frequently produced new hierarchies, dependencies, and forms of exclusion. Conference participants will investigate these tensions across different historical and geographical contexts, while also exploring how struggles for sovereignty intersect with questions of race, gender, class, and power.
The freedom of some often can entail a lack of freedom for others. This applies just as much to the independence of the USA as it does to independence movements elsewhere, such as in Eastern and Southeastern Europe. Through this conference, we aim to demonstrate that true freedom can only be conceived of in universal terms,’ emphasizes IOS Scientific Director and LSC Spokesperson Professor Dr. Ulf Brunnbauer.
By examining how freedom and dependence have been negotiated across different historical and political contexts, the conference offers new perspectives on some of the defining challenges of the present – from democratic resilience and academic freedom to inequality, conflict, and competing claims to sovereignty. In doing so, it invites reflection on what independence has meant in the past, what it means today, and for whom it remains an unfinished project.
‘Particularly in a time of global crises and social polarization, there is a need for spaces where nuanced and multi-perspective discussions can take place. The conference opens up a transnational and interdisciplinary dialogue on freedom, sovereignty and interdependence in the past and present, and highlights the interconnection between historical developments and current challenges,’ says Dr. Carmen Dexl, researcher at UR’s Chair of American Studies.
LSC Managing Director Paul Vickers summarizes: "At a time when international dialogue is under growing strain, bringing scholars together across borders is more important than ever. We are delighted to welcome colleagues from across the world, including many from our partner universities, to explore the complex promises and paradoxes of independence from multiple perspectives."
Keynotes and Panel Discussion Open to the Public
1 Florida: “The Villages”
The conference opens on 17 June at the University of Regensburg with a keynote lecture by Professsor Dr. Mita Banerjee (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), a leading scholar in interdisciplinary American Studies and a member of the LSC Scientific Advisory Board. Drawing on her research in Aging Studies, Banerjee examines the United States at 250 through the lens of The Villages, Florida’s well-known retirement community. Often described as a “Disneyland for adults,” the community serves as a revealing microcosm of contemporary America, highlighting how narratives of successful national aging are intertwined with ideals of successful individual aging among affluent retirees.
2 Panel Discussion “The (In)Dependence of Knowledge? Academic Freedom Today.”
The opening day also features a public panel discussion, “The (In)Dependence of Knowledge? Academic Freedom Today.” Bringing together scholars from Regensburg and the University of Kansas – one of the University of Regensburg’s strategic partner institutions – the discussion addresses the state of academic freedom at a moment when universities and researchers face growing political and societal pressures on both sides of the Atlantic. Professor Ben Chappell (University of Kansas) will chair the debate with Professor Ulf Brunnbauer (IOS / LSC / University of Regensburg), Dr. Marie Beyrich (University of Regensburg), Professor Marike Janzen (University of Kansas), Dr. Livia de Souza Lima (DIMAS, University of Regensburg) and Professor Marta Vicente (University of Kansas).
3 Interdisciplinary Conference Panels
The conference continues on 18 June at the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (IOS), where the second keynote will be delivered by Prof. Dr. Amrita Chakrabarti Myers, Ruth N. Halls Professor of History and Gender Studies at Indiana University Bloomington. In her lecture, “Dangerous Characters”: Black Women, Constructions of Freedom, and White Violence in the Post-Civil War South, Myers draws on her award-winning research into Black women’s history to explore the contested meanings of freedom in the aftermath of slavery. Her work highlights how struggles for liberation have often unfolded alongside persistent structures of racial violence and exclusion.
Across two days of panels, scholars will address topics including the global resonances of US independence in regions such as India and Latin America; contested sovereignties and state formation; the relationship between environmental resources and political autonomy; and the role of international organizations, military power, and transnational cooperation in shaping freedoms and dependencies.
The 2026 LSC Annual Conference is co-organized with the Regensburg European American Forum (REAF) and supported by the Hans Vielberth Foundation at the University of Regensburg.
Contact for scientific information:
Dr. Birgit Hebel-Bauridl
Prof. Dr. Ulf Brunnbauer
Dr. Carmen Dexl
Dr. Paul Vickers paul.vickers@ur.de
