2023 Conference: Refugees from Nazism in Trade, Industry and Engineering

Booking for the 2023 Triennial Conference is now open:

https://ilcs.sas.ac.uk/events/refugees-nazism-britain-trade-industry-and-engineering

Inside H Sigler Factory Chemnitz — Workers at the hosiery factory H. Sigler in Chemnitz (image courtesy of Nick Sigler)

The conference focuses on refugees from Nazism to Britain in trade, industry and engineering, a subject which has not so far been given general scrutiny. While there have been publications on the local stories of refugee enterprises, papers given at the conference will include subjects such as the Trading Estates in Special Areas of Britain in the 1930s and the refugee enterprises established there, the implications of internment on refugee industrialists, the significant technological contribution by the refugees to the war effort as well as many individual accounts of businesses transferred from Germany and other countries under Nazi threat to Britain. That these industrialists were major providers of employment, foreign currency and innovation in industry has so far been insufficiently acknowledged.

Programme [PDF]

All are welcome to attend, however, registration is essential and fees apply, whether attending in person or online. Please register by Friday, 8 September 2023.

Selected papers from the conference will be published in the Research Centre’s Yearbook 21 (2024), edited by Dr Anna Nyburg and Professor Charmian Brinson.