The scientific conference "Playing God: Eugenics in Recent History" will be held at the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk from November 18–20, 2026. Researchers from the fields of history, sociology, philosophy, (bio)ethics, medicine, law, and political science are invited to submit proposals for presentation topics. The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2026.
In 2024, the Polish Parliament declared 22 September as the Day of Remembrance for Victims of the Extermination of People with Mental Disorders in Occupied Poland during World War II. On that day in 1939, the first residents of the former psychiatric hospital in Kocborowo near Starogard Gdański were murdered. It was one of a number of centres where, during the German occupation, sick and disabled people were killed, thus fulfilling one of the goals of Nazi Germany's eugenics policy.
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.
Themes and Topics
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:
- Sources of Eugenic Thought: On the origins of the “improvement” of the human race.
- Intellectual Genealogies: The influence of Social Darwinism and the “science” of heredity.
- The T4 Program and Beyond: Analysis of “euthanasia” programs, their victims, and medical ethics in the German Reich (1933–1945).
- Global Perspectives: Eugenic legislation and sterilization practices worldwide.
- Institutional Eugenics: The role of psychiatric hospitals, laboratories, and welfare systems in promoting “racial hygiene.”
- Gender and Eugenics: Control of female reproduction and the concept of “fit” motherhood.
- Modern Echoes: The legacy of eugenic thinking in contemporary genetics and bioethics.
Submission Guidelines
Please submit your completed applications forms to: conference2026@muzeum1939.pl
- Submission Deadline: 1st June 2026
- Notification of Acceptance: 19th June 2026
Organizational Information
- The organizers will select the submissions and notify all applicants by 19th June 2026.
- Successful applicants will be provided with accommodation covered by the Museum.
- Please note that the organizers do not cover travel costs.
- Conference proceedings may be recorded.
