Unveiling the Layers of History

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History isn't just what happened - it's who gets to tell the story. In this episode, we sit down with public history researcher Dr. Joëlla van Donkersgoed (C2DH, University of Luxembourg) to explore how communities are reclaiming their narratives and reshaping our understanding of the past.

From the streets of Esch-sur-Alzette to the remote Banda Islands of Indonesia,  Joëlla's work reveals how traditional historical methods often miss crucial perspectives. She breaks down the real challenges of public history: building trust with communities, sharing authority over historical narratives, and creating platforms that actually last beyond academic projects. Through her Historesch Gesinn project and other initiatives, Joëlla demonstrates how sustainable community engagement can transform historical research from a top-down academic exercise into a collaborative exploration. 

USEFUL LINKS

Historesch Gesinn - https://historesch.lu/

More about Joëlla - https://www.c2dh.uni.lu/de/people/joella-van-donkersgoed

More about C2DH https://www.c2dh.uni.lu/

More about Hikayat Lonthoir - https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.com/whats-on/exhibitions/manuscript

The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch by Lewis Dartnell - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18114087-the-knowledge

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Public History with Prof. Thomas Cauvin

Negotiating Narratives And Public History with Tina de Gendt