Bridging Boundaries. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Environmental History of the Low Countries

The Bridging Boundaries conference takes stock of recent research, ongoing projects, and current debates in the field of the environmental history of the Low Countries during the longue durée.  It explicitly encourages exchange between scholars working in different disciplines, including environmental history, environmental archaeology, historical ecology, and historical geography. The two-day conference consists of an opening keynote, 28 papers in thematic sessions and an exciting round table on bridging the boundaries between humanities and beta sciences research. Research themes include weather and climate, woodlands, water and wetlands, landscape history, animals, vermin, food, environmental management, and biodiversity.

The conference will take place in Ghent, in the magnificent historical city centre. Venue will be the Conference Center ‘Sint-Baafshuis’, located in the former diocesan seminary building from the seventeenth century.

Bridging Boundaries is organised by Ghent University (Henri Pirenne Institute for Medieval Studies and Research Group Human-Environment Dynamics ), University of Antwerp (Environmental and Rural History of Urbanised Societies-research cluster), and KU Leuven (Research Group Middle Ages). Friday morning is co-organised with the Roman Society Research Center, a joint research center of Ghent University and Free University Brussels.

You can find the full programme here.

Direct link to the registration page: https://event.ugent.be/registration/bridgingboundariesconference

Please take care to register per day and do not forget to register for lunch breaks and/or the reception, should you wish to join us. Registration closes 3 November 2026 at 5pm.

Questions can be directed to Prof. dr. Sander Govaerts (sander.govaerts@ugent.be ) and dr. Stefan Meysman (stefan.meysman@ugent.be ).

Organizing committee: prof. dr. Maïka De Keyzer, dr. Sander Govaerts, dr. Stefan Meysman, prof. dr. Thijs Lambrecht, prof. dr. Tim Soens en prof. dr. Christophe Verbruggen.