Research project (Self)-Images of a Habsburg Periphery in High Modernity What roles did picture postcards play in the nationality struggle of the late 19th century? How were the different ethnic groups portrayed? What did the (self)-images of the crown land, which together with Galicia was considered the poorhouse of Cisleithania, look like? These and other questions...
Background article Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Habsburg Colony (1878-1918) Historians have struggled to interpret the colonial status of Bosnia-Herzegovina, because the Habsburg Empire itself officially denied the idea of any colonization. This paper argues that MPs in the Hungarian sub-empire unanimously thought of Bosnia-Herzegovina as a colony between 1878 and 1918.
Series DigiOst DigiOst is a digital publication series on the history of Eastern Europe. It offers high-quality and up-to-date anthologies and conference proceedings, source editions, and monographs. On request, copies can be ordered via a print-on-demand process.
Digital Forum Central and Eastern Europe The Digital Forum Central and Eastern Europe e. V. (DiFMOE) has been dedicated to researching and digitally indexing historical sources from Eastern Europe and operates a digital, freely accessible online library for their publication.
Digital Library of the Digital Forum Central and Eastern Europe The Digital Forum Central and Eastern Europe e.V. (DiFMOE) has been operating a digital, freely accessible specialized library with historical documents on Eastern Europe since 2008. In the middle of 2023, its holdings of periodicals included 254 titles, encompassing newspapers, magazines and annual...
Picture gallery Emil Orlik Emil Orlik (1870–1932) was one of the most famous and versatile Czech artists of the turn of the century. He was known primarily as a graphic artist and draftsman whose artistic work ranged between realism and art nouveau. His extensive oeuvre includes drawings of famous contemporary musicians and composers – whom Orlik also liked to show practicing their art.
Background article Habsburg Bukovina – a Colonized Entity? Gregor von Rezzori achieved fame for his fictionalized representations of bygone Czernowitz. In his memoir, he reveals perspectives on postcolonial life there after the collapse of Austria-Hungary.
Introduction Jewish History in Eastern Europe: The 19th Century In Jewish history, the 19th century stands for a time of comprehensive change in all areas of life. Jews, who had previously seen themselves primarily as a religious group, now became supporters of various political or national movements. This gave rise to a range of new, constantly contested Jewish affiliations.
Background article Lemberg's Coffeehouse Culture Before the First World War The east Galician city of (Lemberg) Lviv had a lively coffeehouse culture during the Habsburg Empire. Poles, Jews and Ukrainians would gather over pots of coffee and tea. As the First World War approached, however, a growing sense of nationalism could also be felt in these otherwise convivial spaces.
Muses to the front! "Inter arma silent musae". This classical saying referring to the silence of the muses during wartime is based on the idea that the arts, as a product of the human spirit, should remain untouched by blood and violence. In reality, however, no battles were fought without writers and artists making...
Background article Prague Coffeehouse Culture around 1900 It would be almost impossible to imagine the rich history of European café culture without the Vienna coffeehouses or the Paris cafés. By contrast, the Czech capital, Prague, tends to be more associated with the consumption of beer. Yet, in the history of that city, the tradition of the coffeehouse played a significant role in the development of public life, not least as a meeting point for its culturally diverse population.
Background article Synagogue, Workers’ University, Cultural Center Once the largest Sephardic synagogue in Yugoslavia, the Il Kal Grande was built in 1930 in the center of Sarajevo. After its partial destruction by german soldiers in 1941, the building has fulfilled a number of different functions and had a varied history, that is little known to this day.
Background article The History of the Creation of the Austro-Hungarian Border After the First World War The border demarcation between Austria and Hungary after 1918 is considered a prime example of the general post-war turmoil in East-Central Europe. The article traces the lengthy border-drawing process of the heterogeneous area, which initiated a slow disentanglement.
Research project The National Language of the Jews or a Jewish Language? Is there such a thing as a Jewish national language and if so, what is it? Yiddish, Hebrew or both? The research project, which is being developed in cooperation with the Bukovina Institute, is dedicated to the question of the Jewish language and brings together a number of research discourses.
Introduction The National Opera in Central and Eastern Europe Today it is the passion of a select few music lovers – but in the 19th century, opera was a major social event, an expression of national consciousness, or even the musical declaration of national independence. But how did this happen? What role does the national opera play in Eastern Europe? And what makes an opera a national opera?
The Schaleks – a Central European Family / Schalekovi – středoevr+ opská rodina A war correspondent, an artistic witness of the Shoah, a resistance fighter and escape helper, a judge in the Hanussen trial and an activist of the German minority – all from one German-Czech-Jewish family.
Editorial The Sounds of Bukovina A region with many voices: The cultural diversity of Bukovina is particularly evident in its little-known music and singing culture – past and present. Twelve musical contributions provide an insight into the musical history of a multifaceted landscape on the northeastern edge of the Carpathians.
Background article The debate between Austrian and Hungarian The region of Burgenland was transferred to Austria in 1921. After the First World War the country was compensated with a territory which had previously been a part of Hungary. Since its “birth”, Austria’s historical claim to the region was contested by Hungarian historians. In contrast, Austrian historians were eager to integrate Burgenland into their new national histories. What follows is a comparative case study of how historians participated in creating histories based on nation, region, or ethnicity.
Background article The “Polish Economy” and the “German Pig” The end of the First World War marked a turning point in the power relationship between Poland and Germany. But did traditional images of superiority and inferiority also change? Caricatures provide an interesting lens through which to answer this question.
