Frisian Humanities: Bridges and Boundaries – Fryslân in a Global Context

The Fryske Akademy, the Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning, the Professorship Multilingualism and Literacy of NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, the department of Frisian Studies of the University of Groningen, and the department Language, Technology and Culture of UG/Campus Fryslân invite you to the third Conference on Frisian Humanities.

From 11-14 November 2025, you are welcome to join us at the Oranje Hotel in Leeuwarden to discuss the theme Bridges and Boundaries: Fryslân in a Global Context.

Call for Papers

Geographical subdivisions and connections are a fitting metaphor for the academic landscape of the Frisian humanities. On the map, the Frisian lands appear as a sequence of peninsulas and islands, divided by estuaries, lakes, mudflats, peat marshes, and political borders. A number of dams, canals, roads, railways, and ferries connects these areas, although often with detours. Likewise, the academic disciplines that study Frisian linguistics, history, and culture may seem to be islands and peninsulas. From an international perspective, the same is true for pedagogical approaches regarding regional or minority languages in education as well as for the development of digital technologies for low-resource languages. With our Third Conference on Frisian Humanities we aim at connecting and reconnecting these different fields of research.

At the moment, several distinct Frisian identities co-exist along the continental North Sea coast, as has been the case for centuries. Fryslân, Groningen, Ostfriesland, and Nordfriesland, for instance, have much in common while each also has their own, historically grown identity.

Besides their common linguistic core, the Frisian language varieties have been influenced to a great extent by a millennium of multilingualism and linguistic and cultural contact. The languages, history, literatures, and cultures that we study have thus always been marked both by perceptions of authenticity, otherness, and periphery and by instances of cultural, linguistic, and conceptional borrowing and exchange. 

The Frisian languages are illustrative of Europe’s regional or minority languages; while each is situated in a specific context and faces their own challenges, many parallels can be drawn between them. The Frisian languages can therefore offer various inspiring examples of best practices in education, digital technologies, and language policy for both smaller and larger minoritised languages. Conversely, practices from other regional or minority languages can in turn serve as inspiration for the Frisian case as well. Within the broader scope of the Frisian humanities as a whole, we strive to act as a bridge between the Dutch and the German academic traditions.

The Third Conference on Frisian Humanities aims to bring together scholars and students across the multidisciplinary field of the Frisian humanities (including West Frisian, Sater Frisian, and North Frisian) and/or other minority languages. 

We especially welcome contributions on the following topics: 

−  Frisian linguistics
−  Multilingualism in a minority context 
−  Multilingual education in a minority context 
−  Speech and language technology for low-resource languages
−  Frisian History (e.g. the Middle Ages or the ‘long’ 16^th century)
−  Literature of minority languages, in particular Frisian literature
−  Films or videos in minority languages 

Proposals regarding original, previously unpublished research are invited in two formats: individual papers and posters. Proposals should relate to one or more of the conference themes listed above. The Scientific Committee is open to proposals for colloquia, either workshops or sessions, comprising of three to four papers. If you would like to organise a colloquium during the conference, please contact the organisers at info@frisianhumanities.frl for more information. 
 

Submission instructions for individual papers and posters

Abstracts for oral or poster presentations should be no longer than 450 words (including references and 3-5 keywords). The abstract should include enough detail to allow reviewers to judge the scientific merits of the proposal. 

Oral papers will be allotted 30 minutes, allowing 20 minutes for presenting and 10 minutes for questions. 

The official languages of the conference are all varieties of Frisian, as well as Dutch, German, and English. If a presentation is based on data in any other language, use of multilingual materials (e.g. on slides or handouts) is recommended. The sessions on multilingual education, multilingualism in a minority context, and on speech and language technologies for minority languages will be in English only.

All abstracts will undergo double-blind review, involving a minimum of two reviewers from the Scientific Committee of the 3rd CFH. Abstracts will be evaluated for their contribution to the field, quality of the content, thematic relevance, and quality of the abstract (i.e. organisation and clarity of expression). Participants can submit a maximum of one proposal where they are the first author, and a maximum of two proposals with any other authorship status. 

To submit an abstract for papers and posters, please complete this form. 

During the submission process you will be asked for your name, affiliation, address, phone number, and email address, but these are collected solely for administrative purposes. 
 

Key dates

Submission deadline for individual papers and posters: 16 March 2025. 
Notification of acceptance of individual papers and posters: 15 May 2025. 

Contact

Please visit the website www.frisianhumanities.frl for regular updates on the Third Conference on Frisian Humanities. 
For enquiries, please contact the organisers at info@frisianhumanities.frl. 

We look forward to welcoming you to Leeuwarden in November!
  

Frisian Humanities: Brêgen en Grinzen – Fryslân yn in mondiale kontekst

De Fryske Akademy, it Mercator Europeesk Kennissintrum foar Meartaligens en Taallearen, it Lektoraat Meartaligens en Taalfeardigens fan de NHL Stenden Hegeskoalle, de ôfdieling Fryske Taal en Kultuer fan de Ryksuniversiteit Grins, en de ôfdieling Taal, Technology en Kultuer fan RuG/Campus Fryslân nûgje jo út foar de tredde Conference on Frisian Humanities. Fan 11-14 novimber 2025 binne jo fan herte wolkom yn it Oranje Hotel yn Ljouwert om mei te praten oer it tema Bridges and Boundaries: Fryslân in a Global Context (Brêgen en Grinzen: Fryslân yn in mondiale kontekst).
 

Oprop foar bydragen (call for papers)

De ûnderbrutsen geografy fan ús regio is in moaie metafoar foar hoe’t ek it akademysk lânskip fan de frisistyk derhinne leit. De Fryske Lannen sjogge der op de kaart út as in stripe fan skiereilannen en eilannen, faninoar skieden troch see-earmen, marren, waadgebieten, feanmoerassen en steatsgrinzen. Tal fan diken, kanalen, haadwegen, spoarlinen en fearrûtes ferbine dat gruttere gehiel mei-inoar, mar dat giet meastentiids fia ombochten. Allyksa funksjonearje de akademyske dissiplines Fryske taalkunde, skiednis en kultuer gauris as losse (skier)eilantsjes. Ynternasjonaal besjoen jildt soks bygelyks ek foar de pedagogyk fan regionale of minderheidstalen yn it ûnderwiis of foar it ûntwikkeljen fan digitale technologyen foar lytsere talen. Mei ús Tredde Conference on Frisian Humanities wolle wy dy ûndersyksfjilden (wer) mei-inoar yn ferbining bringe, de grinzen dêrtusken oerbrêgje.

Ferskate Fryske identiteiten besteane neistinoar, oan de súdlike Noardseekust, – no en yn de foargeande iuwen. Westerlauwers Fryslân, Grinslân, Eastfryslân en Noardfryslân hawwe ommers tagelyk in soad mienskiplik en elk harren histoarysk groeide eigenheid. 

Mear as tûzen jier meartaligens en taalkundich en kultureel kontakt hawwe de hjoeddeiske steat fan de Fryske taalfarianten minstens likefolle beynfloede as harren dielde oarsprong. De talen, skiednis, literatueren en kultueren dy’t wy bestudearje hawwe nammers altyd skaaimerke west troch sawol persepsjes fan autentisiteit, oars-wêzen en perifery as troch kulturele, taalkundige en konseptuele ûntliening en útwikseling.

De Fryske talen binne foarbylden fan regionale en minderheidstalen yn Europa, elk mei har eigen kontekst en har eigen útdagingen. Der binne lykwols ek in soad parallellen. Dêrom biede de Fryske talen ynspirearjende foarbylden fan best practices yn ûnderwiis, digitale technologyen en taalbelied foar sawol lytsere as gruttere minderheidstalen. Fierder kinne oare regionale en minderheidstalen ek tige nijsgjirrich wêze foar de Fryske situaasje. Binnen it rommere ramt fan de Fryske geasteswittenskippen stribje wy dernei om in brêge te wêzen tusken de Nederlânske en Dútske akademyske tradysjes.

De tredde Conference on Frisian Humanities wol graach wittenskippers en studinten byinoar bringe út it hiele multidissiplinêre fjild fan de frisistyk (Frysk, Sealtersk en Noardfrysk) en/of oare minderheidstalen. Wy ûntfange graach foarstellen op it mêd fan (mar net behind ta):

−  Fryske Taalkunde
−  Meartaligens yn in minderheidskontekst 
−  Meartalich ûnderwiis yn in minderheidskontekst
−  Spraak- en taaltechnology foar lytsere talen 
−  Fryske Skiednis (bgl. midsiuwen, ‘de lange 16e iuw’) 
−  Letterkunde fan minderheidstalen, yn it bysûnder fan it Frysk 
−  Films yn minderheidstalen 

Jo kinne foarstellen oangeande orizjineel, noch net publisearre ûndersyk op twa manieren by ús yntsjinje: as yndividuële papers of as posters. De foarstellen moatte gearhingje mei ien (of mear) fan de tema’s út de list hjirboppe. De wittenskiplike kommisje stiet iepen foar foarstellen foar dielsesjes of workshops fan meardere papers (3 of 4). As jo op ús kongres sa’n sesje organisearje wolle, nim dan foar mear ynformaasje kontakt op mei de organisaasje fia info@frisianhumanities.frl.

Foarstellen foar yndividuële papers en posters 

Stjoer as abstract in gearfetting (450 wurden ynklusyf bibliografy) fan jo paper of poster yn. By it ynstjoeren freegje wy jo namme, affiliaasje, adres, tillefoannûmer en e-mailadres. It abstract moat genôch details befetsje om de wittenskiplike wearde fan jo foarstel goed beoardielje te kinnen.

De offisjele talen fan it kongres binne (alle farianten fan it) Frysk, Nederlânsk, Dútsk en Ingelsk. De sesjes oer meartalich ûnderwiis, oer meartaligens yn in minderheidskontekst en oer spraak- en taaltechnology foar minderheidstalen sille folslein Ingelsktalich wêze. As in presintaasje oer data yn in oare taal giet, riede wy jo oan om materiaal yn mear as ien taal te brûken (bgl. yn Power Point-slides of op handouts).

Foar it presintearjen fan papers stiet 30 minuten: 20 minuten foar de sprekker en 10 minuten foar fragen.

Foarstellen foar papers en posters moatte jo hjir ynstjoere.
 

Wichtige data

Ynstjoeren fan yndividuële papers of posters, op syn lêst: 16 maart 2025.
Berjocht dat yndividuële papers of posters akseptearre binne: 15 maaie 2025.
  

Beoardieling fan de abstracts

Alle abstracts wurde anonym beoardiele troch de leden fan de wittenskiplike kommisje fan it tredde CFH. Dêrby wurde de bydrage oan it ûndersyksfjild, de ynhâldlike kwaliteit, de tematyske relevânsje en de kwaliteit fan it abstract (opbou, heldere taal) meinommen. Elke auteur mei by ús (a) maksimaal ien paper/poster as earste auteur en (b) maksimaal twa papers/posters mei in oare auteursstatus presintearje.
  

Download

Jo kinne de Call for Papers as pdf dellade yn it Frysk en Ingelsk.