After the Vancouver meeting one might have expected the next step would be taken to form a European chapter  of the Society of Architectural Historians. Instead people questioned the idea of a organization subordinated to the American organization. A new organization could even be counterproductive like in England where there are maybe already too many organizations and institutions soliciting for funding someone stated in the opening remark. But many underlined the need of some kind of European network. Affiliation with the US organization was considered all right but it was stressed by many people it would be politically incorrect and unwise to be associated too much with the U.S. at this moment. On the other hand many argued they did not want to lose the U.S. scholarship. Some people even doubted the use of any geographical boundaries in the field of architectural research. On the other hand it was argued that a clearly and ever evolving body of knowledge did exist although definitions of boundaries change in time and depending on the perspective of the research.
Nearly everybody agreed we should work bottom up. Everybody who feels the need for a European network and is not afraid of some kind of association or cooperation with organizations in the U.S., Canada, U.K. is welcome to work with us or take our place. The best way to continue seems to be to start with a provisional organization under French law. Members of the association select committees to find means to start with the tasks following from the mission statement.

MISSION STATEMENT

The provisional European Society of Architectural Historians wants to encourage research and education in architectural history by providing a public forum for the dissemination of the knowledge and research questions concerning the theory and history of architecture – including  town- and landscapes – of Europe with special emphasis on the crossing of boundaries in time, place and between cultures. As soon as possible but after researching the best way of making use of and connecting to existent organizations the European Society will get a more permanent character. The provisional association will have the goal of elaborating a project of bylaws for the functioning of the European network as a permanent organization and after discussions put it to the vote of its members. 

How to continue?

Everybody agreed we should start immediately if possible with some kind of internet medium which will give more people access to results and ungoing projects by architectural historians. We need to find answers to the following questions as soon as possible:
_ do we create our own portal and what way do we link it to the SAH?
_ could we find resources to have an editor for a real webzine with at least information about as many research projects and as many formal and informal information as possible about local, regional, national and international related initiatives and organizations?
_ do we try to be a central point of information about the jobmarket for European positions and international positions for European scholars?
This may in no way be an alternative for more contact between people in Europe in person. It is great that these great meetings like the one now in Paris takes place. It must be possible to continue it but also organize meetings more often at a smaller scale. There was no time to discuss this but could this be combined with the excursions to Europe by S.A.H. It would be a great opportunity for young researchers to present their projects to an international audience and maybe it could make the excursions also more affordable to American graduate students.

Christine Mengin, Rob Dettingmeijer, August 31, 2005.

Mailing list

If you are not already subscribed to the EAHN mailing list and wish to be added to the list, send an email with your full name and email address to eahn.office@gmail.com. This will allow you to get informations on the current activities, publications and job openings related to architectural history. It will also provide you with informations about the activities of the EAHN, as well as the creation process of a European Society for Architectural History.

Even if you don't subscribe, you are welcome to post information to the mailing list at: eahn.office@gmail.com.

Please note that the messages on the mailing list should be in English; attachments may be in another European language.

The EAHN mailing list has been hosted by the Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art (INHA, Paris).
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact the mailing list moderator, Ms Alice Thomine, scientific advisor, Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art, 2 rue Vivienne 75002 Paris, 01 47 03 86 02.

From September 2008 onwards, the Google Mail's mailing list service will be used, and the new moderator is our secretary at Delft, Isabel van der Zande.

Temporary association

The European Architectural History Network (EAHN) has created a temporary association under the French law. It is called "Association de préfiguration du réseau européen d'histoire de l'architecture". The goal of the association is to develop by-laws for establishing the European Architectural History Network as a permanent organization. The temporary association will organize the discussion and vote of the members, and will hold a constituent assembly in early 2006.

The members of the EAHN committee form the board of the temporary association. The president is Christine Mengin, the vice-president Rob Dettingmeijer, the secretary Alice Thomine, the treasurer Carmen Popescu, and the webmaster Bernd Kulawik. The other members of the committee are Barbara Arciszewska, Maristella Casciato, Dietrich Neumann, Alona Nitzan-Shiftan, and Belgin Turan Özkaya.

The EAHN temporary association is located at the Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art (INHA), 2 rue Vivienne 75002 Paris.

The by-laws of the temporary association, which can be consulted on the EAHN website, were declared at the Paris "Préfecture de Police" on October 6, 2005. The temporary association will be official when the by-laws are published in the "Journal officiel de la République française" by the end of November 2005.

When the temporary association is official, an invitation for membership will be sent via the mailing list and posted on the EAHN web-site.