The Sword and Man 2 Conference: Selected Chapters on the History of Swords and People

The Sword and Archaeology / The Sword and Technology / The Sword and Symbolism / The Sword and Society / The Sword and Asia

The event will consist of two main components: a scientific conference and practical workshops, which will also be open to the general public. The scientific conference will feature presentations limited to 20 minutes in length. Poster presentations will also be accepted. The conference will be conducted in Czech or Slovak. A projector and other standard presentation equipment will be available. After the conference, a proceedings volume will be published containing all submitted contributions; the format of this volume is still to be determined. The workshops will take place at the Visitor and Education Center and the Trocnov Archaeological Open-Air Museum, where participants will have the opportunity to demonstrate sword-making techniques or the art of fencing.

Each participant is responsible for arranging and paying for their own accommodation, transportation, and meals. The organizers will send links to potential accommodation options in advance. Refreshments will be provided during the conference sessions, and a social evening with a reception will be held after the first day of the conference.

A registration fee will be collected when participants register; the exact amount will be announced in due course (estimated at 700 CZK including a buffet, 350 CZK without a buffet, and a reduced rate for students).

You can find the binding online registration form for the conference here

The registration deadline was March 15, 2026.

If capacity is exceeded, the lecture portion will be moved to the main building of the South Bohemian Museum in České Budějovice (Dukelská 1).

Further details will be sent to registered participants well in advance.

ORGANIZATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONFERENCE

The conference is organized by the South Bohemian Museum in České Budějovice, with co-organizers including the Faculty of Arts at the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, the Faculty of Arts at Trnava University in Trnava, the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Brno, and the National Heritage Institute – Regional Office in České Budějovice and the Dr. Hostaš Regional Museum in Klatovy. The conference will be supported by the European university alliance KreativEU.

PRELIMINARY PROGRAM

We look forward to seeing you!

On behalf of the organizers

Ondřej Chvojka (South Bohemian Museum, University of South Bohemia), Hana Hojerová (South Bohemian Museum), Monika Konrádová (National Heritage Institute), Jan Török (South Bohemian Museum), Eduard Droberjar (University of Trnava), Balázs Komoróczy (Architectural Research Institute of the Czech Republic), Petr Žákovský (Architectural Research Institute of the Czech Republic), Lucie Hotová (M Klatovy)