The event marked the conclusion of the three-year research project Beyond Sacred/Secular Cities: Exploring the Politics of Memory, Space, and Religion, led by project chair Torsten Janson.
Gathering both Swedish and international scholars from a wide range of disciplines, the symposium explored how national ideas and identities take shape in city life. Over six sessions, speakers presented case studies from cities including Cape Town, Jerusalem, Istanbul, Malmö, Beirut, and Sarajevo - looking at how places, buildings, and public spaces reflect and challenge ideas about community and belonging.
Topics included memory activism, cultural regeneration, and how history is remembered - or forgotten - in urban landscapes. The symposium ended with a roundtable discussion on how cities themselves play a role in shaping collective memory, offering perspectives on how we live together in increasingly complex and diverse urban environments.
