This conference aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue on the historical and political dimensions of infant care, child welfare, and family policies in 20th-century Hungary. The conference will examine the political, social, cultural, and gender dynamics that shaped child-rearing practices and state interventions in family life. To contextualize the professionalization of childcare, it is necessary to consider the period from WWI to the present day. This allows for examining the diverse political and ideological regimes that have shaped the childcare field and the memory politics that have influenced its future trajectory. In this way, particular emphasis is placed on the life and work of Emmi Pikler (1902–1984), a doctor and childcare specialist who influenced the evolution of infant care in post-WWII Hungary and established a highly successful international organization. Despite her status as one of the most influential childcare experts in socialist Hungary, Pikler’s life and work have not yet been discussed in an interdisciplinary framework.

The Conference is organized in collaboration with CEU Democracy Institute, Österreichisches Kulturforum Budapest, Ludwig Boltzmann Institut für Kriegsfolgenforschung, Graz – Vienna – Raabs and Institut für Geschichte, Universität Graz.