Pictured: Attendees and presenters of the IOHA 2025 Conference in Krakow, Poland

By Nancy MacKay, Independent Oral Historian

In September 370 oral historians from gathered from around the world for the biennial International Oral History Association (IOHA) conference, representing 55 countries, including more than 50 participants from the United States. I was one of the lucky Americans who attended. The conference took place in Krakow at the Jagiellonian University, founded in 1364! Sessions were in English and Spanish.

The 23rd IOHA conference started with a keynote address by Mary Marshall Clark from Columbia University, an OHA past president and active current member. She used her recent studies in Jungian psychology and psychoanalysis to suggest a more caring approach for the interviewer as receiver of a narrator’s story, stressed the importance of the interviewer-narrator relationship and above all the value of listening. Her emphasis on the human side of doing oral history was well received and set the stage for serious discussion throughout the week.

The presentations that followed consisted of lively and thought-provoking discussions on oral history in relation to community archives, family history, wartime, migration and refugees, ethics and new technologies. We all left feeling confident about the importance of our oral history work, no matter where in the world we are working. Recordings from all four plenary sessions together with a photo gallery will be available on the website of Polish Oral History Association: https://pthm.pl/home/ in November.

Among the U.S. speakers were: Doug Boyd, Adrienne Cain Darough, Natalie Fousekis, Michael Frisch, Fanny Garcia, Mary Gordon, Michelle Holland, Farina King, Leslie McCartney, Natalie Milbrodt, Sarah Milligan, Todd Moye, Kathy Nasstrom, Martha Norkunas, Troy Reeves, Stephen Sloan, Amy Starecheski and Angela Zusman;

IOHA participants didn’t spend all their time attending sessions. In fact, some of our richest moments came in the hallways, in cafes, the dance floor, or informal chats on the square, where we met up by chance or choice, connected over common interests, and always came away inspired by new friends and new ideas. I can say with some assurance that everyone who came to Krakow for the first time fell in love with the city. And, like me, we Americans went home with much to think about, having experienced a country that has suffered so very, very much and in a few generations has risen to a happy, healthy, well-run country.

The IOHA provides a forum for oral historians around the world. The next meeting is in Macau in 2028. Membership options are available for individual, student or professional rates. This is a great way to get involved in the international community, and exchange ideas with colleagues from around the world. Here is the link to join, https://ioha.org/join-ioha/.