CFP: “ Ambivalent Legacies: Memory and Amnesia in Post - Habsburg and Post - Ottoman Cities”

The empires that once defined the political geography of Europe are no more. One cannot meet a Prussian, Romanov, Habsburg, or Ottoman today; these dusty categories of affiliation have ceded to myriad national identities. Yet it would be mistaken to assume that Europe’s bygone empires have become mere relics of history. Imperial pasts continue to inspire nostalgia, identification, pride, anxiety, skepticism, and disdain in the present. The afterlives of empires as objects of memory exceed historical knowledge, precisely because these afterlives shape and recast the present and the future. Simultaneously, present- and future-oriented imperatives accentuate imperial pasts in selective ways, yielding new configurations of post-imperial amnesia as well as memory.

Our conference, “Ambivalent Legacies: Memory and Amnesia in Post-Habsburg and Post-Ottoman Cities,” aims to bring together an interdisciplinary group of scholars working on post-imperial legacies, especially in relation to eight specific cities: Vienna, Istanbul, Budapest, Sarajevo, Trieste, Thessaloniki, Zagreb, and Belgrade. We seek contributions from historians, sociologists, anthropologists, geographers, and scholars of comparative literature and architecture—among others—that pursue the politics and cultures of memory in one or more of our eight cities. Paper proposals should speak to two general, interrelated questions: "What are the effects of imperial legacies on contemporary cities?" and "How do present-day urban processes reshape the forms of post-imperial memory and forgetting?" 

The conference will convene at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity from April 26th to 28th, 2017. Conference participants will be provided with lodging and will be reimbursed for their travel. 

Please send abstracts of 250 words, along with a brief academic biography, to Marina Cziesielsky at Cziesielsky@mmg.mpg.de by December 1st, 2016.

 http://www.mmg.mpg.de/departments/max-planck-research-group-empires-of-memory/

Workshop: Heritage Studies and Socialism

Date: 23.-25. November 2016
 
Location: GCSC, Alter Steinbacher Weg 38, 35392 Giessen, Germany. 

In the last decade, heritage studies have emerged as a field of cross-disciplinary research covering the topics including the built environment, museums and collections, urban planning, memory, and tourism. This workshop brings together both early career researchers and established researchers for a discussion about the concept of heritage in relation to the Eastern and Central European region. In light of the different traditions in heritage policies and property rights, what notion of heritage do we employ for the study of heritage in socialist and post-socialist societies? 
http://www.herder-institut.de/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/Aktuelles/tagungen/Programm_Workshop_Heritage_2016.pdf 

 

CFP: Populisms in Central and Eastern Europe in the 20 th Century

Workshop and publication of the proceedings in the review Connexe. Les espaces postcommunistes en question(s)
 
11-12 May 2017
EHESS, Paris, France
Deadline: 15 December 2016
Organizer: Roman Krakovsky, LabEx Tepsis, EHESS and IHTP, CNRS, Paris, France
Since the 1990s, several political movements qualified as “populist” have emerged in Central and Eastern Europe, drawing the attention of political scientists. If we want to understand why these movements exercise such attraction and why they are so relentless in this space, it is necessary to cross the study of current politics with the analysis of long term developments. Indeed, since the 19th century, Central and Eastern Europe has known several movements and political parties that have called themselves or have been labelled as "populist". In this sense, the long-term approach allows considering the similarities and the differences, according to different contexts and periods, and identifying the reasons and the mechanisms of action of these movements. At last, this historical approach helps to consider the specificity - if there is any specificity - of these movements in Central and Eastern Europe and to evaluate their impact on political cultures of the region.
In dialogue with the extensive historiography devoted to the analysis of current populisms in Central and Eastern Europe, this workshop will address the phenomenon in its historical developments, from the late 19th century to the fall of communism in 1989. It will consider the space labelled during this period under the term "Central and Eastern Europe", that is, before 1918, the territories of Austria-Hungary and the German, Ottoman and Russian empire, the Romania and the Bulgaria, during the interwar period and the Second World War, the territories of the successor states of these empires and states, and, after 1945, the countries of the "Eastern bloc".
I. Defining "populism"
The indeterminate nature of populism is one of the major reasons of its political effectiveness, as Ernesto Laclau has argued ( On Populist Reason , Verso, 2005). It can incorporate different contents from the right and the left but at the same time, it does not accommodate with all. One way to unravel this extraordinary semantic ambiguity is to consider the following topics:
1. Labeling populism. What are the terms used for the populist phenomenon? In different Central and East European languages, several expressions often coexist: the Polish, for example, uses ludowość (based on the Slavic lud , the people) and populism (based on the Latin populus, by analogy with the English term "populism", encompassing a more pejorative connotation), etc. What does this semantic diversity says about populist movements and political parties and their assessment by their contemporaries?
2. Using the term "populist". Who is qualified and who calls himself as "populist" in Central and Eastern Europe? Why are these qualifications mobilized by different political actors and with what consequences? What are the reasons and effects of the use of the term - and its avoidance – in political or academic sphere?
3. The circumstances of appearance and use. In what contexts populist movements and political parties appear? What relationship do they maintain with other ideologies and political doctrines that Central and Eastern Europe has known during the 20 th century: democracy, liberalism, nationalism, fascism and communism?
II. The constitution of the "people" as political community
These ideologies and political doctrines define the political community according to the dynastic principle (monarchies), the nation (nation states), the race (fascist regimes) or the class (communist regimes). How populist movements consider these definitions of political community? How do they use, in these different contexts, the notion of "people" and how they reflect political pluralism? To consider these issues, we propose to deal with the following themes:
1. The boundaries of the political community. Who, in these different contexts, is considered as being part of the "people" and who is excluded from it, and with what consequences? How populist movements express the relation to the endogenous and to the other?
2. The relation to the elites. How populist movements express the relation between the "people" and the "elite" / "establishment" in these different contexts, particularly during the period of political transition (anti-cosmopolitanism, society without class antagonism, etc.)?
3. The relationship between the individual and the political community. If populist movements proclaim a unity of the "people", how they organize this same "people" in practice? How do they connect the individual to the collective?
III. The representation of the political community
In general, populist movements claim to be the only legitimate representatives of the people. How they recognize the spirit of the people (as political community)? How is it implemented? One way to consider the mechanisms of political representation is to answer the following questions:
1. The spirit or the will of the people. How populist movements mobilize the people in order to strengthen the participation to political life and decisions-making?
2. The leader, the party and the "people". How populist movements and its leaders embody the spirit of the "people"?
3. The vocabulary and the rhetoric. What is the rhetoric and the vocabulary used by various populist movements to mobilize the "people"?
IV. Populism in action
One way to identify populist movements and parties is to observe their behavior, whether in opposition or as a ruling body, especially in times of political conflict and struggle for power (coup d’état, political crises, elections, etc.). We propose to address this issue from the following prospects:
1. Relations with other political actors. What are the relations between populist movements and their partners and political enemies?
2. Action on institutions and legal system . How populist movements act on the legal system (laws, constitutions), especially considering the checks and balances, political pluralism and the mechanisms by which the will of the people is voiced (elections, plebiscites, referendums, membership to political parties, etc.)?
3. Communication in the public space. Finally, what is the relationship between populist movements and media and how do they act in public?
These themes may be considered through a comparative case study of the phenomenon, while remaining within the chronology and geographical scope defined, or through a case study.
The schedule and the submission of proposals
To submit your proposal, thank you to send a summary in English or in French (between 400 and 800 words), accompanied by your CV, by 30 November 2016, to Roman Krakovsky ( roman.krakovsky@ehess.fr ).
15 December, 2016 Deadline for submitting proposals
10 January 2017 Announcement of participants
11-12 May 2017 Workshop
30 June 2017 Deadline for submitting the manuscripts for publication
December 2017 Publication of the proceedings of the workshop in Connexe. Les espaces postcommunistes en question(s)
The workshop will take place at École des hautes etudes en sciences sociales (EHESS) in Paris, on 11 and 12 May 2017. The workshop will be held in French and in English.

Leibniz Fellowships "Historical Authenticity"

The Leibniz Research Alliance Historical Authenticity is pleased to
invite applications for up to three

Leibniz Fellowships "Historical Authenticity"

for the academic year 2017. These one to three-month fellowships provide
an opportunity to research in the alliance's research field and its main
topics in cooperation with one of the participating institutions.

The work of the Leibniz Research Alliance Historical Authenticity
(www.leibniz-historische-authentizaet.de/en) is based on the observation
that society's engagement with the past is increasingly determined by a
striving for historical authenticity. The value placed on "tradition",
"contemporary witnesses", "authentic locations" and "authentic objects"
reflects a new desire for historical experience. These subject- and
object-related claims of authenticity are accompanied by a desire for
things regarded as "genuine", with a wish to reconstruct or preserve the
"true" and "original". The research alliance seeks to explore how
contemporary conceptions of authenticity affect the way we deal with our
cultural heritage by examining the reconstruction and conservation of
historical artefacts, by studying the function of language as a cultural
repository and instrument, by tracing the development of school
textbooks and maps, and looking at the conception of museums, archives,
monuments and memorial sites. In four main topics, we will examine how
the discourse on authenticity has changed over the centuries, how
museums identify, (de)construct and communicate authenticity, and look
at the role of authenticity in constructions of space, as well as in
political conflicts and power relationships.

The Leibniz Research Alliance Historical Authenticity includes
historical, educational, social sciences and spatial research institutes
as well as research museums. It spans a wide range of disciplines from
cultural studies to science and technology. Eighteen Leibniz institutes
and four external partners are currently involved.

The fellowships are intended to promote academic research that fit into
the alliance's research profile. Fellowship holders can, for example,
use the stipend to research in the field of the alliance's research
areas, to develop a research project in cooperation with the host
institution or to write an article or chapter of a book. The project
should be presented in a seminar or colloquium or at one of the
alliance's meetings. Applicants must have a PhD and an outstanding
academic record. Holders of Leibniz Research Alliance Fellowships
receive a monthly grant of 2,000 EUR. The funding should cover all
expenses including travel, housing, and insurance. The host institutes
will provide office space and other relevant research facilities where
possible.

The application deadline is November 15, 2016. Decisions will be
announced by December 15, 2016. Applications in English or German must
include

- a letter of interest including details about the chosen
Leibniz-Institute and the length of the stay (from one to three
months);
- a curriculum vitae (including a list of publications);
- a project proposal not exceeding 1,500 words;
- a letter of recommendation.

Please send your application to:

Dr. Achim Saupe
Leibniz Research Alliance Historical Authenticity
Centre for Contemporary History, Potsdam
saupe@zzf-potsdam.de

Applicants should apply via e-mail (one pdf-attachment only). The letter
of recommendation should be sent in a separate e-mail. For further
information regarding the Leibniz Research Alliance Historical
Authenticity, please refer to www.leibniz-historische-authentizitaet.de
or contact Dr. Achim Saupe: saupe@zzf-potsdam.de.

HUNIWOOD-Hungarian Filmfestival Berlin

October 13 and 24 2016

http://huniwood.berlin/

Crisis Talk: EU-Russia Relations in Times of Multiple Crises

on Tuesday, 27 September 2016, 12h30 – 14h30

at the Representation of the State of Hessen to the EU, Rue Montoyer 21, B-1000 Brussels

Input + Panel discussion 

Dr. Anna Veronika Wendland
Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe

Dr. Jan C. Behrends
Centre for Contemporary History Potsdam

Rebecca Harms
Member of the European Parliament,
Chair of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance

Moderator

Prof. Dr. Peter Haslinger

Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe 

 http://www.herder-institut.de/en/news/details/calendar/event/termin/2016/09/27.html?tx_cal_controller%5Buid%5D=15276&cHash=6917534447b7ef7b26b05d838fd8e6d5

Starter scholarships - Basel Graduate School of History

The Basel Graduate School of History (BGSH) is offering three 1-year
starter scholarships (Start date: 1st of April 2017).

Your tasks
The purpose of the scholarships is to support you during the starting phase of your doctorate. Within the first six months of your scholarship, you must develop a grant application for your doctoral project and submit it to the Swiss National Science Foundation, or another funding institution.

Your profile
The scholarships are intended for graduates who hold a Master's degree
or an equivalent qualification in History, and who are interested in carrying out research within the fields of study represented at the Basel Graduate School of History. A high level of motivation is expected, with the ability to carry out a research project independently over the course of several years as an active member of the BGSH, and tocontribute to academic debates both within and outside the Department of History. For further information on the fields of study at the BGSH see:
bgsh.geschichte.unibas.ch/about-us/research-fields/?L=1

What we offer
The Basel Graduate School of History offers a structured graduate studies programme in history within an intellectually inspiring environment. Doctoral students at the BGSH benefit from a rich scolarly exchange, joint workshops and research seminars, and a vast international and interdisciplinary network. Moreover, the BGSH offers further instruments to pursue your doctoral project and supports the realization of own scholarly events. The 1-year scholarship amounts to CHF 30,000 and is paid in two tranches (with intermediate evaluation).

Application / Contact
Deadline for applications: 6th of November 2016
The application is to be submitted electronically on following web
page: bgsh.geschichte.unibas.ch/application
In addition, please email the following documents to the coordinator at
the Basel Graduate School of History, Dr. Roberto Sala
(roberto.sala@unibas.ch):
1. Covering letter
2. CV (including a list of publications, where applicable)
3. Outline of the dissertation project (max. 3 pages)
4. Degree certificate
5. One or two text samples (incl. master thesis or equivalent)
Please submit the documents in two separate pdf files:
- Documents 1 to 4: one single file with the title >[surname]-bew.pdf<
- Text samples: one single file with the title >[surname]-texte.pdf<
Applications can be submitted in German, French, or English. 

Applicants who are about to complete their studies can apply, provided that they
can submit an official graduation certificate no later than 14th ofFebruary 2017. Applications from doctoral students already enrolled at other institutions will not be considered. Holders of a starter scholarship must enrol as PhD students at the University of Basel.
For further information, please consult bgsh.geschichte.unibas.ch or
contact Dr. Roberto Sala at roberto.sala@unibas.ch / +41 61 207 46 74