"From Europe to Europe - From Yesterday to Tomorrow" Strategies of Cultural and Public Diplomacy in the Early Modern Habsburg World (1550-1750)

Until recently, historians regarded early modern diplomacy as the realm of formally appointed ambassadors, with academics focussing on the outcomes of diplomatic negotiations on behalf of sovereign states. But this has all changed over the past three decades, with few areas of history undergoing such radical changes as research into early modern diplomacy. Rather than concentrating exclusively on monarchs and their representatives, historians are now taking non-state actors into account in their research. Furthermore, the emphasis has moved from the outcome of diplomatic talks to the negotiation process itself, shifting from political and economic subjects to the cultural and social exchange between states and non-state actors. This “new diplomatic history” is more interested than ever before in the prevailing intellectual and cultural conditions for diplomats.

An international call for papers was announced in September 2017, inviting scholars from all corners of the world to submit their research into this area of study. The successful papers were chosen by an academic committee and will be presented and discussed as part of this conference with keynote speakers Professor Ellen Welch, Professor Bernardo José Garcia Garcia and Professor Arno Strohmeyer.

Venue: Palais des Académies, Rue Ducale 1, 1000 Brussels