European Social Science History Conference 2025
From 26 to 29 March 2025, Leiden hosted the European Social Science History Conference (ESSHC), a leading international conference in the field of social history research.This biennial conference is organised by the International Institute of Social History (IISH) and attracts hundreds of scholars from all over the world. For the 2025 edition, IISH worked closely with Leiden University, with the Lipsius, Huizinga and Herta Mohr as conference venues. In this testimonial, Els Kuperus shares her experience of the congress and the cooperation with the city of Leiden as host city.
About the congress
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The ESSHC brings together historians and social scientists around the common goal of understanding social developments in their historical context. The conference is organised thematically into over 20 network categories, such as labour, family, migration, religion, gender, economics, health, education and digital humanities. Within these networks, papers and panels are presented that bridge historical analysis and social science theory. The thematic format promotes exchange between disciplines and encourages comparative and interdisciplinary research on a global scale.
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The ESSHC aims to promote innovative approaches within social history by connecting researchers from diverse countries, disciplines and academic traditions. The conference provides a platform for presenting current research, critically testing new methodologies and strengthening international collaborations. In doing so, ESSHC explicitly focuses on stimulating scholarly dialogue between junior and senior researchers, and connecting established themes with current social issues.
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The ESSHC is among the largest social history conferences in the world and plays an important role in shaping international research agendas within the humanities and social sciences. The conference not only provides space for academic deepening, but also contributes to societal discussions on topics such as inequality, migration, social justice and the impact of technology on historical processes. For host cities such as Leiden, the conference represents an opportunity to profile itself as a centre of academic excellence and international knowledge exchange.
Reflection on organisation and impact
According to Els Kuperus, the strength of the ESSHC is that it is a true networking conference, in which all participants - from PhD students to renowned professors - are approached as equals. The aim of the conference goes beyond sharing research: it is a meeting place to expand knowledge, establish new collaborations and inspire each other. To encourage this exchange, space was deliberately created for informal meetings, even outside the conference programme. For instance, special museum deals gave participants the chance to discover the city and expand their network in a low-threshold way. The US delegations described Leiden as ‘a bonbon box of a city’ - compact, surprising and full of content - a characterisation that aptly captures how the congress experience flowed seamlessly into the experience of the city.
Waarom Leiden?
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Scientific value
Leiden is internationally renowned as a city of science and innovation. With the oldest university in the Netherlands, strong research institutes and a tradition of free exchange of ideas, the city offers fertile ground for academic conferences. For the ESSHC, this environment represented a substantive added value: participants could not only count on excellent facilities and support, but also felt part of a city where science is deeply rooted in culture. Moreover, the presence of local researchers and institutions enhanced content exchange and international cooperation.
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Compact city with character
Leiden combines the charm of a historic city with the functionality of a modern conference venue. According to Els Kuperus, the compact layout makes it easy for participants to move between hotels, congress venues and places of interest - often simply on foot. This proximity encourages spontaneous meetings and informal conversations, which contributes to the networking function of the congress. The authentic atmosphere, monumental buildings and lively culture ensure that visitors quickly feel at home. For many international guests, Leiden was a surprising discovery: small-scale, but rich in content and experience.