Nevertheless, she noted that scandals can facilitate progress by normalising and solidifying emerging ideas. In Astor’s case, the scandal advanced the notion that women could be both competent mothers and passionate lovers, reinforcing challenges to traditional views of femininity – views that were already under strain during the Great Depression. For more insights into Sharon Marcus’s perspective on scandal, see her interview with the Austrian Academy of Sciences here. 

The keynote set the tone for the conference, with many subsequent papers engaging with Sharon’s 12 theses. Over the course of two days, scholars from various countries, including Austria, Germany, Italy, Hungary, the UK, the USA and Canada, presented their research, examining scandal from historical, literary, cultural and socio-political perspectives. Topics ranged widely, including scandalous historical court cases, the scandalous marketing of horror movies, controversial books and theatre performances, cases of abuse of power, sex scandals, harassment scandals and scandals of political mismanagement. The diversity of approaches and subject matter underscored the complexity of scandal as a phenomenon that transcends time, place and disciplinary boundaries.

The conference also featured impressive papers by talented graduate students. To celebrate their contribution to the discussions, the conference included the awarding of the Best Paper by a PhD Student prize. After a vote, in which all conference participants took part, Rachel Peacock (Queen’s University, Canada) was announced as the recipient of the award, which came with a small cash prize but, more importantly, the honour of recognition for her outstanding contribution to the conference.

The paper presentations concluded on Friday with a dynamic panel discussion moderated by Sylvia Mieszkowski. The panellists included Sharon Marcus, the conference’s keynote speaker; Tony Warner, the founder of Black History Walks in London; and Nina Krebs, responsible for the u:respect campaign at the University of Vienna. The discussion provided a platform for reflection and synthesis, tying together loose strands from the conference and establishing connections to various individual papers presented over the previous two days. The panellists began by reflecting on the question of which scandal had a formative influence on them and prompted them to pursue their current work. The discussion also explored the different nuances of the word “scandal” in English and German, revealing further layers of meaning and complexity inherent in the concept. Additionally, the panellists reflected on types of scandal that had not been addressed during the conference, such as financial scandals and environmental scandals, broadening the scope of the conversation.

Two of the panellists, Tony Warner and Nina Krebs, offered insights into their work, illustrating scandal’s potential for catalysing change for the better. Nina discussed the u:respect initiative at the University of Vienna, which aims to strengthen the prevention of sexual harassment and implement a more effective reporting system. While the campaign did not develop in response to a specific scandal, it emerged in the wake of various high-profile sexual harassment scandals, such as the Harvey Weinstein case, which brought global attention to these issues and underscored the need for institutional action. Similarly, Tony shared details from his textbook, Migrants in Britain c. 800–Present, which covers the key knowledge for Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1). Tony’s book seeks to make minority voices visible, showing their essential role in shaping both Britain’s past and present and, at the same time, foster a deeper understanding of the historical and still pervasive challenges and structural inequalities faced by marginalised communities – issues that were starkly brought to light by events such as the Windrush scandal.