History

The Novembertagungs began in 1990 when a small group of (primarily) German doctoral students met in Wuppertal for a weekend of academic discussion. The meetings were started in order to fill a perceived gap for rather informal, intellectual exchange among young researchers in history of mathematics. The argument was that by bringing together junior scholars in history of mathematics from the rather small and somewhat isolated academic milieus, networks could be built. And if the young people met without the sometimes-daunting presence of their supervisors, the discussion could be both free and even open to address issues that were tacit or problematic in dealing with supervisors. Since then, the meetings have focused on annually bringing advanced masters’ students, PhD students and post-docs together for discussion, and a nice network has formed among the up-and-coming generations of historians of mathematics.

The first meeting was followed up the next year in Berlin, and in 1992, the Novembertagung was first organised outside Germany when it was held in Utrecht. Since then, it has been a regular event on the calendar of young historians of mathematics, and increasingly it has become an international event, held repeatedly in The Netherlands, Denmark, Great Britain and France, and visiting the Czech Republic, Austria, and Italy (for a list of venues, organisers, and themes, see here). In the beginning, the meetings were in German, but since the turn of the century, the conference language – if not the informal language – has been English, providing a friendly atmosphere for young scholars first presenting in English.

The Novembertagungs are self-organising events in that young scholars organise and participate in the meetings. In the beginning, it was a deliberate aim to limit the influence of senior scholars, perhaps inviting a guest lecturer in for a few hours. Later, as the field gradually changed and former Novembertagung participants became seniors, the original inhibitory role of seniors has perhaps been mitigated, and invited lectures have become an important part of the Novembertagung.

Typically, the meetings would begin on a Thursday with a Vorabendtreffen in a cafe, then feature academic program Friday and Saturday, and an informal conference dinner perhaps combined with a social excursion or tour of the city.

At the end of each meeting, a decision was reached on where to meet next. To organise a Novembertagung used to entail acquiring a key to a suitable university room, brewing some coffee, setting up the program, and facilitating accommodation in a hostel. Thus, since the Novembertagung had no formal structure or recognition, it was very low-budget. For the past decade, with increasing appreciation and more academic backing for PhD students in history of mathematics, organising a meeting may involve applying for funding for travel and accommodation, and even hosting the meeting in a conference facility rather than a vacant university room over the weekend. Increasingly, the meetings have received the attention of institutions supporting research in history of mathematics (such as the International Commission on History of Mathematics and national societies in France, Great Britain or Germany).

During the first decades, the Novembertagungs regularly featured a common theme, which would be discussed in a session. For many, this proved to be eye-opening experiences where texts, approaches, and problems could be discussed that were new, exciting, or controversial.

Throughout, the Novembertagungs have been plastic in the sense that they can form and reform to meet the needs of young scholars in history of mathematics. Among those novel ideas that have been discussed and tried out, some seem to be recurring:

Should the Novembertagung aspire to become “real” conferences? In particular: Are parallel sessions a viable way to accommodate the interest? Should Novembertagungs be institutionalised (with a web presence, with some “board”, with a financial setup)?
Related: Should Novembertagungs offer publication venues for presenters?
And related: How is the group of potential participants best delineated?
Should Novembertagungs be open to mathematics education, to philosophy of mathematics (in some form or another), or to other historical approaches?

To all these questions (and many more), Novembertagung participants and those who identify with the Novembertagung will continually have to negotiate.

Participants of the 1999 Novembertagung in Holbæk (photo by Tinne Hoff Kjeldsen). This was the first time the Novembertagung visited Denmark, and it was held in a former naval station where participants were secluded for the duration of the meeting, except for a visit to nearby Roskilde Cathedral. This meeting saw the first over-seas participant (Sloan Evans Despeaux) and the first occasion when philosophy of mathematics and mathematics education were (formally) included in the program.

Participants of the 2006 Novembertagung in Edinburgh (photo by Ilana Wartenberg). The 2005 Paris Novembertagung had attracted so many participants that parallel sessions were required. Most Novembertagungs, however, were smaller and more intimate venues for discussion.

Participants of the 2018 Novembertagung in Seville, Spain. More than 40 participants from different countries and continents came to this edition.

Among the Novembertagung expats, many have continued in the discipline and now have positions as seniors at universities. Others have gone into secondary teaching, public administration, or the private sector. To most, I believe the Novembertagung has been a memorable experience from the time as a Masters’ student, PhD student or post-doc. And, at least among those who remain in academia, the meetings have provided a network and a common interest in the training of future generations of historians of mathematics.

For many years, I had the role of Startler (or Waldorf) from the Muppets: Sitting in the back row, listening to the discussion, and taking it upon myself to remind the participants of what is good about the Novembertagungs: It provides a welcoming, hospitable, and intellectually generous venue for discussion of new work by young people on the historical studies of mathematics. To continue to achieve that aim, plasticity is required; but so is an awareness of the tradition and the often tacit aims of the very flexible and subtle institution that is the Novembertagung.

- Henrik Kragh Sørensen -

Former participant, organizer and invited speaker at Novembertagung

Section for History and Philosophy of Science, Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen

(May 2017)