Secrets of former celebrities during a scientific conference at the Faculty of History of UG

What do we not know about the greats of this world? What did Ramses II, Nero, Bona Sforza, Sigismund II Augustus, Isabella d'Este, Napoleon Bonaparte, Teofila Radziwiłł and others hide? This is what we will find out during a two-day conference entitled Celebrities of past eras and their scandals, secrets, love affairs and other excesses, which will be held on March 11-12, 2021, at the Faculty of History of the University of Gdańsk.

- 'Nowadays, we are surrounded by the world of celebrities and we may ask ourselves whether it was like that in the old times,' - says prof. dr hab. Beata Możejko, who together with dr hab. Anna Paner prof. UG, both from the Faculty of History of UG, organised a popular science conference devoted to celebrities of the old times.

'Contrary to the role of Leopold Pisanello (played by Roberto Beligni) in Woody Allen's film "Lovers in Rome", which, let us remind you, was famous for being famous, former celebrities were famous after all. - They were known for various political, artistic and other achievements, they often influenced the fate of the world, and at the same time they were accompanied by the interest of crowds,' - explains prof. dr hab. Beata Możejko. She also announces that the two-day conference will feature eighteen speakers from several Polish universities and research institutes. - 'We would like to invite first of all our students to the conference, but also everyone interested in epochs from antiquity to the beginning of the 20th century,' - adds prof. dr hab. Beata Możejko.

Topics will include the most ancient scandals of ancient Egypt and Rome, the medieval secrets of European and Polish aristocrats and the later history of the homes of crowned heads. - 'What do we not know about the greats of this world? What did Ramses II, Nero, Bona Sforza, Sigismund II Augustus, Isabella d'Este, Napoleon Bonaparte, Teofila Radziwiłłowa hide?' - wonders and encourages to take part in the conference prof. dr hab. Beata Możejko. The authors of the papers will reach back to Old Testament stories, private letters or school textbooks. All this will be done in order to bring closer the less known and unknown secrets of the personal lives of former celebrities. Let us add that the conference will be held online via MS Teams.

Conference programme

Ewa Cichocka / Press Office of University of Gdańsk