Digital evolution in history research does not revolutionise methods of analysis

Digitalisation has had an enormous impact on the research field of history, making it easier to access historical source material as well as leading to new tools for analysing content and visualising results.

“However, it is a double-edged sword. With the rise of AI, basic methods of hermeneutics and critical source analysis are all the more important and will be applied to new questions as well. New insights also arise when combined with methods from other disciplines, such as cultural geography, anthropology or sociology.”

Inventing Luxembourg

The first research project Kmec was involved in after returning to Luxembourg was summarised in the book “Inventing Luxembourg: Representations of the Past, Space and Language from the Nineteenth to the Twenty-First Century”. The project was led by Michel Margue and was done in collaboration with Pit Péporté, Benoît Majerus and Sonja Kmec.

“It proposed a new way of looking at historiography and the Luxembourgish nation-building process.”

This book is divided into three parts: historical narration, territory, and language, focusing on Luxembourg. It examines how historical narratives shape national, gender, ethnic, and racial identities, and how space and time influence history and geography, per Doreen Massey’s space/time concept.

Part One explores the evolution and dissemination of Luxembourg’s national narrative.

Part Two looks at how spatial representations support this narrative, distinguishing between local, national and supranational identifications.

Part Three traces the evolution of the Luxembourgish language post-1919, highlighting its role in nation-building. The book analyses nationalization trends from the late 19th century to the time of writing (published 2010).

International cooperation delves into popular culture of the 1960s

“In the still on-going Popular Culture of the 1960s, we are able to show how the 1960s were not merely a decade of youth uprising and cultural change, but also of much more gradual shifts due to new media practices and technologies. There are also marked continuities of national and colonial narratives in popular songs, magazines and amateur films.

“It’s a large-scale FNR-DFG cooperation, with colleagues from the Institute of History, the C²DH and Saarland University.  I have worked most closely with Julia Wack and Sonja Malzner.”

This project is one of several international projects Kmec has and is involved in. The FNR’s programme INTER supports Luxembourg-based researchers in collaborating with researchers in more than 20 countries.

“The FNR INTER projects were most instrumental in building solid networks with colleagues from the Saarbrücken University (DFG) as well as Groningen, Nijmegen, Oslo, Reading, UC London, Uppsala, Utrecht and UWE Bristol (HERA).”

Understanding past gender stereotypes to overcome future inequalities

A lot of research is also happening in the area of gender studies. Kmec’s research on gender history has generated ample interest from public stakeholders, for example the Ministry for Gender Equality and Diversity, and has led to a longstanding cooperation with the CID | Fraen an Gender.

“These stakeholders deem that studying and teaching how gender stereotypes were constructed and overcome in the past may reduce gender inequalities in the future.”

Kmec explains that gender relations are a research area with many remaining open questions and untapped historical sources, particularly in the field of music history.

“Questions on representations of maternity and masculinity will guide my future research.”