This seminar will feature a discussion with the authors of a recently published online special issue of East European Politics and Societies, entitled “Circulation, Conditions, Claims: Examining the Politics of Historical Memory in Eastern Europe.” (To download a copy of the full issue see below).
Note: The event requires registration. Please click here to register.
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Introductory Remarks
Félix Krawatzek, Senior Researcher, ZOiS Berlin; Associate Member, Nuffield College, University of Oxford
George Soroka, Lecturer on Government and Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies; Editor of the CES Open Forum Series & Local Affiliate, Harvard University
Author Presentations (7-10 minutes each)
Susan Divald, Post-Doc in Politics, University of Oxford
Olga Davydova-Minguet, Post-Doc in Migration and Ethnicity, University of Eastern Finland
Félix Krawatzek, Senior Researcher, ZOiS Berlin; Associate Member, Nuffield College, University of Oxford
Discussion & Q&A (10 minutes)
Break/Zoom Stretch (5 minutes)
Author Presentations (7-10 minutes each)
Nikolay Koposov, Visiting Professor, Emory University
George Soroka, Lecturer on Government and Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies; Editor of the CES Open Forum Series & Local Affiliate, Harvard University
Closing Remarks
Krzysztof Jasiewicz, Ames Professor of Sociology, Washington and Lee University; Co-Editor of the Journal East European Politics and Societies and Cultures (EEPS)
Abstract
Across Eastern Europe how the past is remembered has become a crucial factor for understanding present-day political developments within and between states. In this introduction, we first present the articles that form part of this special section through a discussion of the various methods used by the authors to demonstrate the potential ways into studying collective memory. We then define the regional characteristics of Eastern Europe’s mnemonic politics and the reasons for their oftentimes conflictual character. Thereafter we consider three thematic arenas that situate the individual contributions to this special section within the wider scholarly debate. First, we examine the institutional and structural conditions that shape the circulation of memory and lead to conflictive constellations of remembering; second, we discuss how different regime types and cultural rules influence the framing of historical episodes, paying attention to supranational integration and the role of technological change; third, we consider the different types of actors that shape the present recall of the past, including political elites, social movements, and society at large. We conclude by identifying several promising avenues for further research.
