“Accounting for Salvation“ Salvation Economics and Pilgrimage in the Early Modern Period.

The starting point for this international conference is the interdisciplinary research project SALVEMED (Salvation Economics and Media. Constituting Social Spaces via early modern Pilgrimage in Lower Austria), funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, which aims to make a new contribution to a differentiated view of the diverse mechanisms of early modern pilgrimage in Austria by investigating the mediality and the associated socio-spatial networks of pilgrimage sites. In this project, pilgrimages are analysed as a phenomenon of “condensed” mediality, which manifests itself in dense communication based on a variety of closely interrelated media.

The conference will focus on aspects and questions relating to the expectations of pilgrims with regard to the attainment of salvation. These include both (ecclesiastical) legal issues and the examination of networks of actors, as well as the disposition of pilgrimage sites as destinations of a special kind:

I. Pilgrimage media and the economics of salvation

II. Networks of actors and social space formation – production – acquisition – distribution

III. Praxeological aspects of pilgrimage (in relation to the media)

They welcome proposals for 20-minute presentations in German or English from all relevant disciplines. Travel and accommodation expenses for speakers will be covered if necessary. Please send an abstract (approx. 300 words) and a short CV by 28 February 2026 to the following address: [email protected].

CALL FOR PAPERS: Deadline on 28 February 2026

DATES OF CONFERENCE: 19–20 October 2026