Background Article Poland as a Colonial Power? Poland as an object of colonial policy has been much discussed in recent research on the 19th and 20th centuries. But was Poland itself a colonial power in former times? We examine this possibility using two case studies.
Background Article Ruthenia quasi est alter orbis "Rus' is almost another world" wrote the Krakow bishop Maciej around 1150. What was the basis of this differentiation? How powerful was it and how did it play out in reality? In search of answers, this article also discusses the dimensions and ambivalences of border demarcations.
