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Institute of Historical Research Seminar Series

Rethinking Modern Europe

Der Traum von der Universellen Demokratischen Republik

Frédéric Sorrieu, 1848 – Der Traum von der Universellen Demokratischen Republik

‘Rethinking Modern Europe’ is a new IHR seminar which aims to discuss and stimulate new research on modern European history. It wishes to promote debates on how to integrate regional, national, comparative and transnational approaches to history. Invited speakers will be encouraged to look beyond national borders and paradigms, to engage with comparative work and to review existing trends in the historiographies of Europe. Discussions about Europe with a transcontinental focus, and about Europe’s relationship with its colonial past and with the wider world, will also be considered. Understanding European history to include Britain as well as Europe’s former imperial possessions, the seminar seeks to ask questions about the importance of regionalism in Europe, about the meanings of East, West, South and North in relation to Europe and about changing concepts of Europe and the European.

Most mediaevalists and early modernists easily transcend national boundaries in their research, but scholars who work on modern and contemporary subjects often operate within the parameters of the nation state, and overlook wider European trends in history and historiographical research. While the national framework in modern historiography pays tribute to the ‘age of nationalism’ and acknowledges the importance of the creation of nation states since the late eighteenth century, this focus is also the consequence of increased specialisation within the historical profession. By questioning the limitations of national historiography, we aim to rethink how we teach modern European history and how we can encourage future research which attempts to reconnect different parts of Europe.

‘Rethinking Modern Europe’ follows the pattern of other IHR seminars by addressing itself to established historians and graduate students in London, the UK and beyond. Papers will focus on a wide range of topics covering aspects of European history and historiography from the late eighteenth century to the early twenty-first century. In addition to single-authored research papers, there will be presentations on recent graduate work and a number of panel discussions.

Convenors: Dejan Djokic (Goldsmiths), Alex Drace-Francis (Amsterdam), Christian Goeschel (Birkbeck), Axel Körner (UCL), Stephen Lovell (KCL), Lucy Riall (Birkbeck), Mary Vincent (Sheffield)

Rethinking Modern Europe Seminar Series

2011-2012 Spring Term

All meetings will take place on Wednesdays at 5:30. Due to the on-going works at Senate House the venue of our seminar has changed to Stewart House (32 Russell Square, WC1B 5DN) adjacent to the main Senate House building (close to the Russell Square entrance).


1 February 2012 Simon Dixon,

Celebrity Monks in Late Imperial Russia

Chair: Stephen Lovell

Venue: ST274

14 March 2012

Mark Cornwall (Southampton) and Hannes Grandits (Humboldt University Berlin),

Shifting allegiances among the nationalities in the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires

Chair: Dejan Djokić

Venue: ST274

(In connection with the Centre for the Study of the Balkans, Goldsmiths)

21 March 2011

Patrick Bernard (Freiburg),

Forgotten war crimes. Italy and the ill-treatment of Allied POWs of the Second World War

Chair: Lucy Riall

Venue: ST274

Page last modified on 18 apr 12 13:52 by Gillian Pressley

Contact

If you would like to join our mailing list please contact Dr Axel Körner - a.korner@ucl.ac.uk