- The website of the CISH Centennial Conference in Leipzig (26–30 August 2026) is online! More information here.
- The CISH General Assembly elected a new Board in Leipzig on 27 August 2026. More information here.
- Sacha Zala was elected as CISH president on 27 August 2026. More information here.
- A new Constitution for CISH has been adopted by 41 delegates during the General Assembly in Leipzig.
- Anthony Grafton is the laureate of the International Prize for History 2026. The award will be delivered in Rome, Italy on 15 October 2026. More information here.
Documents on the History of CISH
Building an Oecumene of Historians. Documents on the History of the Comité International des Sciences Historiques 1926–2026
«Not only international … œcumenic may in future be the community of our scientific cooperation!».
In May 1926, in Geneva, scholars from numerous countries founded the Comité international des sciences historiques (CISH). In the aftermath of the First World War, this initiative sought to restore scholarly exchange and to establish a permanent framework for international cooperation in historical research. From the outset, it reflected a tension between national traditions and the aspiration to create a broader community of historians. Despite political crises, ideological divisions and global conflict, this network grew larger over the twentieth century. Through congresses, commissions and collective projects, CISH helped structure an international space for historical scholarship and gradually expanded its borders to include an increasing number of countries and specialised historical organisations.
The volume edited by Sacha Zala and Lila Zeller in the series Quaderni di Dodis from the Dodis research centre (Diplomatic Documents of Switzerland) presents 50 documents and provides access to a total of approximately 340 documents through the Dodis database, tracing these developments from 1926 to 2026. It brings together sources from several archives showing how cooperation among historians was organised, transformed and sustained across changing political and intellectual contexts.
The book can be downloaded as a PDF or e-book, or ordered as a print-on-demand copy on the Dodis website.
The General Assembly of the CISH has elected a new Board
The General Assembly of the Comité international des sciences historiques (CISH) has elected a new Board
At its congress marking the centennial of its founding on 14 May 1926, the Comité international des sciences historiques (CISH), the international organization of historians, held its General Assembly in the presence of 41 delegates from national committees and affiliated organisations.
In accordance with the association’s constitution, the General Assembly elected a new Board. CISH had received a total of 13 candidatures. All the candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee — composed of Catherine Horel, Edoardo Tortarolo, Katalin Szende, Veronica Zárate, Tomasz Schramm, Radhika Seshan and Olafunke Adeboye — were elected by the General Assembly. With 3 former members of the Board and 11 new Board members the 14 members of the Board offer a large geographic, gender and thematic diversity.
Members of the new Board:
- Sacha Zala (President, Swiss Society for History) – former
- Katalin Szende (Commission for the History of Towns / Hungarian National Committee) – former
- Matthias Middell (German National Committee) – former
- Gabriela Pellegrino Soares (Brazilian and Chilean National Committee) – new
- Radmila Švaříčková Slabáková (Czech National Committee) – new
- Anne Conchon (French National Committee) – new
- Tyson Retz (International Committee of the History and Theory of Historiography) – new
- Mahmood Kooria (International Consortium for Oceanic History) – new
- Joanna Wojdon (International Society for History Didactics / International Federation for Public History) – new
- Irene Gaddo (Italian National Committee) – new
- Tamar Herzig (The Historical Society of Israel) – new
- Milos Vojinovic (Serbian National Committee) – new
- Kimberly Welch (American Historical Association) – new
- Elina Ziehm (International Students of History Association) – new
The new Board will serve the next term, continuing CISH’s mission of promoting historical scholarship and international cooperation among historians worldwide.
Sacha Zala appointed as CISH President
The General Assembly elected Sacha Zala as President.
Zala is Director of the research centre Dodis (Diplomatic Documents of Switzerland) and Professor of History at the University of Bern. He joined the CISH Board as Treasurer in 2017 and served as President of the Swiss Society for History (SSH) from 2012 to 2026. He succeeds Catherine Horel of France, who was elected President of CISH in 2022.
In his acceptance speech, Zala outlined four priorities for his term:
1. Complete CISH’s institutional reform, professionalise its structures and secure the financial resources required for its long-term sustainability.
2. Strengthen cooperation among CISH members, particularly by forging closer ties with National Organisations and deepening collaboration with Affiliated International Organisations.
3. Further develop CISH’s international congresses, making them more dynamic, financially sustainable and attractive to historians worldwide.
4. Defend academic freedom and strengthen CISH’s role as the world organisation representing historians and promoting international scholarly cooperation.
New Constitution
The General Assembly of the Comité international des sciences historiques (CISH) has adopted a new Constitution
At its congress marking the centennial of its founding on 14 May 1926, the Comité international des sciences historiques (CISH) held its General Assembly in the presence of 41 delegates from national committees and affiliated organisations.
On this occasion, the General Assembly adopted a new Constitution, enabling CISH to professionalize its structures and become a more agile organisation. The reform, prepared by the Board since March 2025 through an extensive consultation with the organisation’s members, refocuses the Constitution on core principles.
The new Constitution notably:
- clarifies CISH’s mission, affirming its role as the world organisation of historians committed to academic freedom, scholarly standards, human rights and the responsible public use of history;
- reorganises CISH’s governance, distinguishing the General Assembly, the Board, the Presidium and a professional Office led by an Executive Director;
- opens individual membership to scholars not represented through a national committee;
- gives the Board the final decision on future Congress venues, based on a shortlist established by the General Assembly, to strengthen CISH’s negotiating position;
- introduces flexible terms of office (three to five years), aligned with a more flexible Congress cycle
These changes give CISH a clearer and more transparent constitutional framework for the future, combining institutional continuity with modern governance. The two explanatory notes detailing the reform process and the discussions held at the Preliminary General Assembly are available here and here.
Hundred Years CISH
CISH turns 100 today!
One hundred years ago today, on 14 May 1926, the Comité international des sciences historiques was founded in Geneva. A century on, CISH unites 54 national committees and 27 international associations dedicated to historical research across the globe.
For a hundred years, CISH has championed the historical sciences and fostered international scholarly cooperation. To mark this milestone, the CISH Board has declared 2026 the Year of the CISH, culminating in the Centennial Conference in Leipzig, 26–30 August 2026.
👉 Register now.