The inspiration for organising the conference is the reopening of the Archdiocesan Museum in Wrocław. Following several years of renovation, this Catholic institution, with a history spanning over 120 years, was reopened to the public in 2024 with a a completely renewed exhibition. While wishing to situate the Wrocław museum within the context of comparable institutions, the organisers do not, however, intend to restrict the thematic scope of the conference to the sphere of Catholic or Christian collections. On the contrary, they aim to encourage a broader discussion concerning the collection and display of sacred heritage from a variety of religions and denominations, undertaken by different types of museums.

The organisers’ primary focus is on museums operating within the organisational structures of various religious denominations, as well as those managed by entities identifying with religious teachings. They are also interested in former places of worship and prayer (including temples, churches, synagogues, mosques, and others) which, no longer serving religious functions, have been transformed into museums dedicated to the preservation and presentation of sacred heritage in as integral a form as possible. It is primarily with such institutions in mind that they have used the term ‘post-religious museums’ in the title of the conference. They also propose including in this category various types of secular institutions which, having no religious agenda per se, collect and exhibit artefacts once used in worship and present their histories to audiences in a secularising world.

In addition, a separate panel is planned, devoted to the Archdiocesan Museum in Wrocław. They invite contributions examining the history, profile, and collections of this institution, as well as its position within the wider context of other Catholic diocesan museums.

The topics to be addressed at the conference fall within the scope of interest of a range of academic disciplines and research traditions. Accordingly, the organisers aim for our meeting to be interdisciplinary in nature. They invite specialists in art history, museology, cultural and religious studies, archaeology, heritage studies, and related fields to participate in the conference.

Proposals that do not directly address the issues identified above are also welcome.

Presentations should last no longer than 20 minutes. The official language of the conference is English.

Organising institutions:
The University of Wrocław Institute of Art History
The Archdiocesan Museum in Wrocław

Date: 18–20 June 2026

Conference venues:
The Institute of Art History, ul. Szewska 36, Wrocław
The Archdiocesan Museum, pl. Katedralny 16, Wrocław

Submission guidelines:
Contribution proposals, including a 200-word abstract and a short biographical note, should be emailed by 15 January 2026 to agata.kubala@uwr.edu.pl and joanna.lubos-koziel@uwr.edu.pl
Notification of acceptance of contributions will be sent by 15 February 2026.

The conference fee is €150 and €120 for PhD candidates. The fee includes meals (lunch Thu–Sat, dinner Thu–Fri) and conference materials. After the conference, selected papers will be published in a double-blind peer-reviewed volume.

Read more: https://historiasztuki.uwr.edu.pl/konferencje-naukowe/call-for-papers-sacred-heritage-on-view-religious-and-post-religious-museums-of-the-modern-era/