Thirty years after the fall of Communism in East-Central Europe, the key caesura of 1989 needs a critical reassessment. The narrative of peaceful systemic transformation as the beginning of a steady progression towards liberal democracy and the values of free movement and European integration crumbles as right-wing populism and new authoritarian tendencies push the region into isolationism and illiberal democracy establishes itself as a viable option. This two-day workshop addresses the caesura of 1989 not only as a turning point that triggered the emergence of new hegemonies, but also as a period marked by continuities that underlie the post-1989 transformations in the region. We want to examine 1989 as a transformative moment of empowerment and promise, but also as a period of tension and ambivalence, in which the existing value systems are either replaced or reinforced.
We are interested in receiving papers that address the emerging post-1989 hegemonies in East-Central Europe including:
• the rise of neo-liberalism and turbo-capitalism,
• shifting gender roles,
• the role of religion and the Church(es),
• the ascendancy of ethnic nationalisms and xenophobia.
Key note speaker during the workshop will be Prof. Andrzej Leder (Polish Academy of Sciences).
Please send an abstract (250 words) and a short bio to Jacob Nuhn (nuhn@uni-bremen.de) by September 1st, 2019. The organizers will provide a reimbursement of travel and accommodation costs up to the sum of 150 EUR.