Playing God: Eugenics in Modern History, Gdańsk, 18th–20th November 2026 (Deadline: 1st June 2026)
The Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk (Poland) invites researchers, educators and others to take part in an interdisciplinary academic conference entitled ‘Playing God: Eugenics in Modern History’ (18th-20th November 2026)
Playing God: Eugenics in Modern History
The history of modern biological engineering and social control is inextricably linked to the rise of eugenics. This movement stemmed from the seemingly noble aim of “bettering” the human race through selective breeding – a facet of the unprecedented scientific progress of the 19th century. Soon, enthusiasts began advocating for the mobilization of the modern state’s bureaucratic apparatus to turn these theories into practice.
In time, various countries introduced eugenic measures. The tragic pinnacle of this trend was reached in Nazi Germany with Aktion T4-a systematic program of mass murder through involuntary euthanasia, which claimed approximately 300,000 lives. This crime served as a technological and ideological precursor to the Holocaust.
However, eugenics was not a localized phenomenon, nor did it end with the defeat of Nazism in 1945; it was a global movement that permeated medical, legal, and social structures across continents. Many countries maintained eugenic regulations well into the final decades of the 20th century and beyond. This conference aims to examine the multifaceted nature of eugenic thought, from its intellectual origins to its practical, often violent, criminal and tragic applications.
We invite scholars from the fields of history, sociology, philosophy, (bio)ethics, medicine, law and political science to submit proposals. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
1) Sources of Eugenic Thought: On the origins of the “improvement” of the human race.
2) Intellectual Genealogies: The influence of Social Darwinism and the “science” of heredity.
3) The T4 Program and Beyond: Analysis of “euthanasia” programs, their victims, and medical ethics in the German Reich (1933–1945).
4) Global Perspectives: Eugenic legislation and sterilization practices worldwide.
5) Institutional Eugenics: The role of psychiatric hospitals, laboratories, and welfare systems in promoting “racial hygiene.”
6) Gender and Eugenics: Control of female reproduction and the concept of “fit” motherhood.
7) Modern Echoes: The legacy of eugenic thinking in contemporary genetics and bioethics.
Please submit your completed applications forms to: conference2026@muzeum1939.pl
Submission Deadline: 1st June 2026
Notification of Acceptance: 19th June 2026
Programme
The programme will be published by the end of June 2026.
Contact
Source
Playing God: Eugenics in Modern History, in: H-Soz-Kult, 26.03.2026, https://www.hsozkult.de/event/id/event-161401.