Monitoring mobility and keeping records of the population and/or individuals present in a state’s territory seems an indispensable element of modern statehood and knowledge-based governance. However, different countries used different criteria, set different priorities, and employed different methods and tools to register and locate people. Even today, there is no universal understanding of population registration.
This workshop aims to discuss the history of population registration from a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective, focussing on Europe from the late 18th to the 20th century. We are particularly interested in the (continuous) monitoring and documentation of the abode or stay of (permanent or temporary) residents as well as travellers or migrants. Our focus is on the practices and uses of registration, as well as on the interactions between those involved in such procedures.
Deails (pdf)
The two-day workshop will be held at the University of Vienna on the 11th and 12th of February 2027. It is organised by the FWF-funded research project “Categorizing, Registering and Reporting of Mobility and Stay” (10.55776/PAT9328724); principal investigator: PD Dr. Sigrid Wadauer.
Submission guidelines:
- Please submit an abstract of 300-500 words together with a short biographical note of around 150 words to sigrid.wadauer@univie.ac.at
- Deadline for submissions: 31.07.2026
- Notifications of acceptance will be sent by mid-August 2026.
