Info
Please note that registration is closed for organisational reasons, if you still want to participate, please contact conference@erih.net to check availability.
Welcome to the ERIH Annual Conference 2026
Industrial Heritage and Migration
28 - 30 October 2026 in Athens, Greece - Draft Programme tbc
Venue: Technopolis City of Athens
Discover the living connection between industrial history and migration – two foundational pillars of European development. The ERIH Annual Conference “Industrial Heritage and Migration” invites you to explore new perspectives together, discuss innovative approaches, and bring to light the diverse stories of the people who shaped Europe.
Since the dawn of industrialisation, migration has profoundly influenced the development of our cities, regions, and industries. From rural communities moving to the factories of growing urban centres, to movements within Europe and beyond – migration has always been a driving force of change, bringing knowledge, culture, and new perspectives. Yet this rich history often remains untold.
That’s why this conference is an important space for all who care about the future of cultural heritage.
Experience inspiring examples of how industrial heritage sites are:
- integrating migrant perspectives into their narratives
- reaching out to and engaging new audiences
- developing participatory formats that involve local communities
- creatively using collections to reveal historical connections
- highlighting knowledge and cultural transfer through migration
The speakers programme will be available online in July.
The ERIH Annual Conference in Athens is more than a meeting – it’s a space for encounter, learning, and shared work on an inclusive heritage culture that truly belongs to everyone.
Register now and become part of a conversation that doesn’t just talk about heritage – but helps shape it.
Industrial history is not only the story of machines. It is also the story of the people who came, worked, lived – and helped shape Europe.
WEDNESDAY, 28 October 2026: Members' Day
Venue: Industrial Gas Museum
13:00 Short guided tour by foot industrial Gas Museum and Gazi / Pireos street area (tbc)
Pireos str. proved very beneficial for the city since the very first decades of Athens as the capital of Greece, since it facilitated the transport of raw materials, from the port of Piraeus to Athens.Pireos street was completed in 1836 and had a total length of 8 km. The founding of the Athens Gasworks in the same year consolidated the industrial character of the area. In the following decades, the Gasworks gradually attracted around it, more and more industrial facilities, which used coal gas for lighting and heating purposes. During the 10th century, Pireos Street transformed into one of the largest industrial zones in Athens. Industrial plants, such as textile factories, spinning mills, metalworking and chemical industries and all types of small and large industrial facilities were established along its entire length. Today, the industrial buildings along and around Pireos Street, have been declared monuments of modern cultural heritage.
15:30 Arrival and refreshment in the Industrial Gas Museum / Registration
16:00 Opening of the ERIH Members' Day
- Welcome
- News from ERIH
- Introduction of new ERIH members
- Report of the National Coordinators
- Search and find: Open stage for exchange and networking
- Space for meetings of ERIH multipliers and theme groups
- National Coordinators
- Regional Route/Network Coordinators
- ERIH YP's
- Further groups as required and upon request
19:00 Welcome reception and get-together
THURSDAY, 29 October 2026: Conference Day
(Gasmuseum, Technopolis City of Athens)
09:00 Registration (Gasholder 1 – Auditorium “Miltiadis Evert”)
09:30 WELCOME
Dr. Walter Hauser, President ERIH, Germany
Kostis Papaioannou, President of the Technopolis City of Athens, Greece
Maria Florou, Head of Museums Technopolis City of Athens, Greece
Olga Deligianni, ERIH National Representative, Greece
Marianthi Anastasiadou, Head of the International Relations Department Directorate of International Relations and EU, Ministry of Culture
10:00 PRESENTATIONS
“Museums in a Migration Society” – openness and accessibility, anti-racist practice, participation and multiperspectivity
Sara-Marie Demiriz, LVR Industriemuseum Zinc factory Altenberg, Germany
From Telling Migration History to Exploring the Impact of Industrial Heritage Sites by Migrants
Dietmar Osses, Ruhrmuseum, Essen, Germany
Honouring the past, walking towards the future
Saskia Schmitt, Visit Minett - Regional Tourism Office, Luxembourg
Migration: Building the textile industry – sharing the heritage
Tuuli Ravantti, Forssa Museum & Pattern Centre / The Spinning Mill Area, Finland
Textile Industry, Migration and Memory: Reframing Industrial Heritage at the Museu de l’Aigua i el Tèxtil de Manresa
Eduald Serra Giménez, Estefania Santacreu Ramirez, Museu de l’Aigua i el Tèxtil de Manresa
13:00 Lunch and Group Photo (Purifier)
14:15 Conference: PRESENTATIONS
A recipe to engage with migrant communities: food, memory and migration at UNESCO Mining Site Bois-du-Luc
Cyril Broncard, WHS Bois du Luc, Belgium
From Industrial Production to Human Experience: Labour, Memory and Community Participation
Foteini Papadopoulou, Tomato Industrial Museum 'D. Nomikos', Santorini, Greece
15:00 End of Presentations / Farewell to Stream Participants
15:30 WORKSHOPS (selection of workshops will be done on site)
Workshop 1: V.I.D.A. Team Vault of Industrial Digital Heritage
Hercules Fassourakis, Maria Daniil, Workshop on documentation and recording of industrial heritage monuments and buildings
Workshop 2: Giving Space and Value: Exploring migration through storytelling
Dr. Sara-Marie Demiriz & Meltem Küçükyılmaz
The workshop adopts the methodology developed within the European network and project FeMigLab - “Female Labour Migration in European History”. Max 15 pax
Workshop 3: ERIH Young Professional’s Workshop
ERIH YPs Sergey Makarov & Uroš Antić
The workshops explores the role of migration in the development of European industrial sites by case studies, mapping and discussion.
17:30 End of the Conference
19:00 Bustransfer from Moxy Hotel to Kypseli City Market
19:30 Evening Programme and Dinner (Kypseli City Market, Negri Fokionos 42, Athens)
FRIDAY, 30 October 2026: Excursions (Tour 1 and Tour 2 alternativ)
Meeting / Starting Point of the excursions: Omonia Square (Moxy Athens City Hotel)
9:30-14:00 / 15:00 Return to the city. Drop-off at the airport if needed (available option only from Lavrion, Tour 1)
Tour 1: Lavrion Area (60–65 km from Athens) 9:30 to 15:00
Thorikos, Lavreotike
Mineralogical Museum of Lavrion
Lavrion Technological and Cultural Park
Drop-off at the airport around 14:30 h
Return to city around 15:00
Tour 2: Industrial Athens (9:30 to 14:00)
Athens School of Fine Arts Industrial Buildings
Athens Railroad Museum
Steam Power Plant of Neo Faliro (in Athens)
Return to the city around 14.00 h (option to leave the tour earlier and go to the airport by public transport)
SATURDAY, 31 October 2026: Post-Conference (optional)
If there is sufficient interest, we will organize a post-conference tour on Saturday: a guided tour of the Acropolis and a visit to the Acropolis Museum.
Please indicate your interest on the registration form. We will keep you updated.
Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.