Playing War: Simulations, Games, Exercises, and the Representations of Military Force and Violence

When?  27–29 November 2024
Where?  27 November: Room S. 214, Universität Regensburg (13:00–17:30) & Haus der Begegnung, Hinter der Grieb 8, Regensburg (19:00–20:30); 
28–29 November: Altes Finanzamt, Room 319, Landshuter Str. 4, Regensburg
Concept and organization:  Kerrin Langer, Jon-Wyatt Matlack, Frank Reichherzer, Juliane Tomann
Co-funded by and in cooperation with:  Working Group on Military Forces and Violence of the Bundeswehr Centre for Military History and Social Sciences (ZMSBw)

Download the full programme here | Details of the keynote talk on 27 Nov (19:00) here

If you would like to attend in person, please send an email to info@europeamerica.de by 26 November and mention which days/ panels you plan to attend. Registration to attend the keynote lecture in person on 27 November is not necessary.

To join us online please register here. If you are unable to use zoom, please also register here and additionally send an email to receive alternative access.

The conference “Playing War – Simulations, Games, Exercises, and the Representations of Military Force and Violence,” taking place from November 27 to 29, 2024, at the University of Regensburg (UR) and the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (IOS), delves into the depiction and simulation of military violence across various historical contexts. Organized by the Leibniz ScienceCampus in collaboration with the Working Group on Military Forces and Violence from the Bundeswehr Centre for Military History and Social Sciences (ZMSBw), this conference offers an interdisciplinary platform to examine both historical and contemporary phenomena of wargaming.

This conference aims to deepen the understanding of how military force and violence are simulated and represented in various settings, and how these representations shape the practice and perception of real-world phenomena leading to discussions on the boundaries of authenticity and simulation.

At the heart of the conference lies the concept of “play” which serves as an analytical lens to explore how violence functions within imaginatively created environments. This ludic approach includes military training exercises, digital battlefield simulations, historical reenactments, as well as commercial board and video games. The conference seeks to uncover the connections between forms of “playing war” and the imaginations and realities of military violence.

This year's conference is organised by Dr Kerrin Langer (TU Dortmund), Jon-Wyatt Matlack (LSC), Dr Frank Reichherzer (ZMSBw), Prof. Juliane Tomann (UR). The conference will take place from 27 November to 29 November in Regensburg.

Programme Outline

Full programme download here

Wednesday 27 November | Room S. 214 (Sammelgebäude, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg)

13:00–13:50 Welcome & Introduction

14:00–15:30 PANEL 1: "A School of War" – Notes on the History of the Prussian Kriegsspiel

16:00–17:30 PANEL 2: Present Futures, or: Preparing for the Uncertain

Haus der Begegnung, Hinter der Grieb 8, 93047 Regensburg

19:00–20:30 KEYNOTE Lecture & Discussion: Anders Engberg-Pedersen (Odense) | Operational Aesthetics: On War as an Art Form

Thursday 28 November | Room 319, Altes Finanzamt, Landshuter Str. 4, 93047 Regensburg

08:30–10:30 PANEL 3: The Fog of Play – Military Training Exercises as Imaginary Spaces of Power

11:00–12:30 PANEL 4: "The Pity of War" – Crimes, Injury and Hardship in Video Games

14:00–15:30 PANEL 5: Fuzzy History and Distorted Pasts

16:00–17:30 PANEL 6: Between Authenticity and Estrangement – Past and Future Realities

18:30–20:00 Conference Dinner

Friday 29 November | Room 319, Altes Finanzamt, Landshuter Str. 4, 93047 Regensburg

08:30–10:00 PANEL 7: Modeling Realities – Military, War and beyond

10:00–11:15 PANEL 8: Posthuman Gaming – The Human as Interface

11:30–13:30 Conference Reflection and Podium Discussion