East Central Europe in the Twentieth Cen

This course analyses the intellectual and cultural history of East Central Europe in the ‘long twentieth century.’ Approaching East Central Europe as a ‘suburb of Europe’ (Jerzy Jedlicki) where some of the most contested questions of modern and contemporary times have been repeatedly raised with great urgency, the course places special emphases on political thinking and history writing while also drawing on examples from literary and visual cultures. Dissecting key achievements in these areas from across the twentieth century, we shall explore intellectual and cultural contributions from East Central Europe to discussions of wider relevance. We shall also consider how the specific forms of creativity in this diverse region may be connected to and embedded in broader European and global trends.