Institute for Economic and Social History, Prague
Karlova univerzita
Nám. J. palacha 2
116 38 Prague 1

Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for European History and Public Spheres, Vienna
Nussdorfer Strasse 64, 4th floor
1090 Wien

The 1989 revolutions have transformed the political, intellectual and scientific landscape in East Central Europe. Identities, collective memories, and behaviors have evolved and been confronted to new challenges. The social scientists invited to the seminar “Communist and Post-Communist Times in Central Europe” will help making sense of these changes by presenting their latest research and innovative research approaches, and by discussing this region’s recent history and present.

Major themes of interest will be:

• The East-West border: what are the limits of the former Iron Curtain? Of transnationalization perspectives? Of national and cultural identities?
• Continuities: the temporal dimension of the analysis has considerably changed in the past two decades. The transformation of Central and Eastern European societies and their apprehension of their own communist past deserve full scrutiny, be it in cultural, social, political or intellectual history.
• Memory: the emergence and development of new memory cultures is a marking phenomenon of the past decades. The public presentation of 20th century history is a central part of social and political mobilizations and of the existing hierarchies’ legitimacy and is intimately linked to communist and post-communist history.

Although this lecture series is primarily intended for an academic circle, its aim is to contribute to public, controversial, debates (such as dealing with the communist past, nostalgia, justice, etc.)

The lecture series will take place on Tuesdays alternatively in Prague (Institute for Economic and Social History, Charles University) and in Vienna (Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for European History and Public Spheres.) Unless otherwise specified, the lectures will take place at 17:00 in Prague and at 15:00 in Vienna.

Here you can find the programme for the winter semester 2011 and the summer semester 2012.