International Research Workshop of the Ladenburg Research Network – University of Heidelberg at IMMA

The Museum Foundation of the Macedonian Struggle and Modern History of Macedonia (IMMA) was delighted to host, on October 9–10, 2025, the sessions of the Ladenburg Research Network (The Aggressor: Self-Perception and External Perception of an Actor Between Nations), organized under the auspices of the University of Heidelberg and the Daimler and Benz Foundation.

The intensive workshop, held under the academic supervision of Alexandra Bounia, Professor of Museology at the University of the Aegean, and Ilaria Porcini, Professor of Modern and Contemporary History and Historiography at the University of Bologna, and coordinated by the project’s scientific director Thomas Maissen, Professor of History at the University of Heidelberg, brought together museologists, historians, and social scientists from universities across Europe.

Participants had the opportunity to tour IMMA’s Permanent Collection with Athina Pavlidou, Philologist–Museologist and Director of IMMA, and Dr. Konstantinos Papanikolaou, Historian and Research Associate of the Foundation. They engaged in discussions about the museum’s narrative approach, memory management tools, and contemporary methods of interpreting history through the museum space.

During the sessions, the researchers presented and analyzed their findings from the study of historical museums worldwide, while discussing the challenges and prospects of museums as open spaces for culture, education, and social dialogue.

IMMA’s participation in international research networks and programs represents significant recognition of its scientific and museological work, strengthening its connection with the European and global museum community. Through such collaborations, the Foundation promotes knowledge exchange, innovation, and dialogue on the management of historical memory and cultural heritage.

Photos © Vilma Vaskelaitė