Welcome to the second annual symposium of the centre for research in Memory, Testimony and Historiography (MYTH). The symposium will be held in Källan, Arken (C201), at 9.30 on 8.5.2026.
The centre for research in Memory, Testimony and Historiography (MYTH) is a meeting point for interdisciplinary work in memory studies, testimony research and the theory and ethics of historiography. We proudly celebrate the second annual meeting of MYTH by announcing a symposium on Truth and Reconciliation in the Nordic Countries: Witnessing, Experience, and History. The symposium features key lectures by internationally acclaimed researchers on the subject; Malin Arvidsson (Lund University), Daniela Alaattinoğlu (University of Tuku), Klas-Göran Karlsson (Lund University), and Otso Kortekangas (Åbo Akademi University). Everyone who is interested is welcome to participate in the symposium. No registration required.
The program of the symposium
9.30-9.45 Welcome to “Truth and Reconciliation in the Nordic Countries”: The leaders of MYTH
9.45-10.30 Klas-Göran Karlsson, “The Swedish Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Tornedalians, Kvens and Lantalaiset and the Reconciliation of Two Historical Truths” (Professor of History, Lund University)
10.45-11.30 Otso Kortekangas, “TRCs and Historical Responsibility in the Nordic Region: Transgenerational and Transnational Silences in Narratives of Sámi History” (Åbo Akademi University, Docent in Nordic Studies)
11.30-13.00 Lunch
13.00-13.45 Daniela Alaattinoğlu, “Settler State Responsibility and the Nordic Sámi Truth and Reconciliation Commissions” (Associate Professor of Laws, University of Turku)
14.00-14.45 Malin Arvidsson, “Speaking out Without being Heard: Letters to the editor Criticising Institutional Care for Children as a Tool for Assimilation before the TRC Era” (Senior Lecturer in Human Rights Studies, Lund University)
14.45-15.00 Closing words: The leaders of MYTH
15.00-16.00 Coffee and Cake (everyone is welcome)
18.00 Dinner (please contact the organizers if you are interested in joining)