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https://urbanjewishheritageconference.wordpress.com/about/&#160;We are delighted to announce a new international Conference which is taking place as part of the European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018. Urban Jewish Heritage: Presence and Absence is being held from 3-7 September 2018 in the World Heritage City of Krakow, Poland. The Conference will bring together academics, planners, policy makers and community leaders to examine and discuss the pasts, presents and futures for cities with Jewish Heritage, particularly in Europe.Over the centuries, cities across Europe and around the world have been impacted by their Jewish communities; as places of both presence and absence. This Conference seeks to explore themes such as sustainability, tourism, conservation, representation and interpretation of urban Jewish heritage across different sectors and disciplines.The Conference is being organised by the Ironbridge International Institute for Cultural Heritage and the Foundation for Jewish Heritage, in association with the City of Krakow and the Villa Decius Association, Poland.Professor Mike Robinson, Director of the Ironbridge International Institute for Cultural Heritage said of the Conference:‘The cultural diversity of every city is an essential heritage resource; it forms part of the narrative of place. In this Conference we wish towns and cities across Europe to focus upon how they can re-vitalise, interpret and be proud of their Jewish Heritage in its tangible and intangible forms, not only for the present Jewish community but for wider society and future generations. We are delighted to be working with our Polish partners to bring you this important International Conference and to focus on state of the art research, policy and practice that will be of value to many urban centres.’ Michael Mail, Chief Executive of the Foundation for Jewish Heritage added:‘The Jewish people have a vast cultural heritage that has produced many unique and beautifully constructed buildings.  However the tragic events of the 20th century have meant that many Jewish communities simply disappeared leaving buildings unused and highly vulnerable. There has in recent years been growing interest in preserving, and presenting, Jewish heritage right across Europe.  With 2018 designated by the EU the ‘European Year of Cultural Heritage’, this seemed an excellent moment to bring together leading theorists and practitioners working on Jewish heritage to consider collectively the various models that are emerging and the issues and questions these pose; to look at both achievements and challenges ahead.’The call for papers is now open, and we encourage participation from the fullest range of disciplines and sectors. To read the full call for papers, with details of the indicative themes of the Conference, and information on how to submit an abstract, please click on the link below. The deadline to submit a 300 word abstract is 9th April 2017.