Introduction Jazz in the Eastern Bloc More than just music: During the Cold War, jazz suddenly found itself between all fronts – at the same time, it served as a propaganda weapon, a symbol of freedom and a musical bridge between East and West.
Digitalization project Jewish German Bukovina 1918+ "Jewish-German Bukovina 1918+" is a digitization project of the Digital Forum Central and Eastern Europe and offers free access to historical and contemporary documents from Bukovina or related to Bukovina. The time period ranges from the end of the First World War to the present.
Introduction Jews in Twentieth Century Eastern Europe The twentieth century brought monumental changes and unprecedented challenges to the East-European Jewry. Its story is told here in the voices of six Jewish women, whose lives were marked by its turbulent course.
Research project Karl Stumpp (1896-1982) Research into the culture and history of the Russian-Germans is highly relevant both from a historical perspective and today. Karl Stumpp still plays a key role in the formation of the Russian-German identity.
Special exhibition Kunst - Mensch - System ("Art - man - system") Adaptation or resistance: these were the two poles between which many artists in the Soviet Union moved. The exhibition "Kunst - Mensch - System" ("Art - man - system") uses the example of the sculptor Jakob Wedel to show the influence the totalitarian regime had on an artist's work and everyday...
Background Article Mayonnaise Russian cuisine, especially festive cuisine, is simply unimaginable without mayonnaise. Salads such as seledka pod šuboj (herring in a fur coat), salat oliv'e (olive salad), krabovyj salat (surimi salad), mimoza (mimosa salad) and many more, as well as meat dishes such as mjaso po franzuski (meat à la française) are prepared with mayonnaise. Originally a French sauce made of egg yolk, mustard and oil with a little salt and pepper, mayonnaise gained popularity in Russia in the 1990s and is now one of the most popular sauces on the Russian dinner table.
Travelling exhibition My name is Eugen "Thirteen young Russian Germans bear the name Eugen. They have never met each other, yet they share a striking experience: they were all formerly called Evgenij. Their stories and experiences are unique. The author Eugen Litwinow travelled with them into the past, sharing long conversations about...
Journal Nordost-Archiv The "Nordost-Archiv" is published in the form of annual volumes on selected topics.
Research institute Nordost-Institut The research of the Nordost-Institut centers around the history and culture of the countries from Poland to Russia. The focus is on the manifold interconnections of these regions with German history. Therefore, questions of relationship and regional history are pursued as well as aspects of minority...
Background Article Post-War Jewish Migration from the USSR and the refuseniki movement The post-WW II Jewish migration from the Soviet Union (and also after its dissolution) is one of the largest in modern history. Altogether 2.75 million Soviet Jews left the USSR for Israel, the United States, Germany and elsewhere. The position of the Soviet state with respect to emigration was remarkably ambivalent: in some cases, it was allowed and even encouraged, in others, others; it was controlled and strongly limited. The Jewish emigration movement that arose in the late 1960s and continued throughout the 1970s-1980s became an example of resistance and activism within the authoritarian system, which increasingly alerted international attention. In one way or another, it affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and changed the appearance of many cities and towns within the Soviet Union and outside it.
Recommended Reading: Die heutige Ukraine und ihre sowjetischen Wurzeln (Today's Ukraine and its Soviet Roots) Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has been in the focus of world attention. Is now the hour for experts on Ukraine to be recognized and heard? The war has made many people aware of how little they actually know about this country and its history. To fill this knowledge gap or to...
Online exhibition Russian-Germans The virtual exhibition "Russian-Germans", which has been created at the Martin Opitz Library, focuses on Russian German literature. By focusing on the literary works of this heterogeneous group, the exhibition doesn't just talk about the Russian-Germans, but gives them a voice and listens carefully.
Research project Structures, strategies, methods and mechanisms of infiltration and the creation of compliancy towards the Evangelical Church of Augustan Confession in Romania under the communist state (1945-1969) The circumstances within and around the Evangelical Church A.C. in communist Romania were often ambivalent and full of tension. Under increasing pressure from the regime, the religious community tried to defend itself against state repression and appropriation. A research project at the Institute...
Background Article Summer 1941: Jews from the Baltic States flee for their lives The long shadow of the past. Only a few Jews from Lithuania and Latvia managed to escape the Holocaust in the Baltics. Here are some of their accounts and the reasons for their difficult escape.
Background Article The Diaspora of Transition In spring 1946 the small village of Meerbeck in the Schaumburger Land was the setting for a special chapter in European postwar history: fourteen top players met in a DP camp for an “international” chess tournament. Their contest reflected the political tensions of the time, the hopes of an uprooted elite and the complicated encounters between the refugees and the local German village community.
Background Article The History of the German-speaking Volhynians as Part of a Global Migration History From the mid-nineteenth century onward, innovations such as steam navigation and the advent of the railroad led to a sharp increase in global migration movements. The German-speaking Volhynians were part of this development, which moved between the ideal-typical poles of voluntary and forced migration and was significantly influenced by the enforcement of the ethnonational principle. This article focuses on the emigration movements of this group from the Russian governorate of Volhynia in the period between the 1860s and the First World War. The subsequent forced migrations of the German-speaking Volhynians are also briefly discussed.
Travelling exhibition The Life of the Baltic Nobility Magnificent chandeliers, ornamental stuccoed ceilings, and salons filled with music – was aristocratic life in the Baltic really so splendid?
Teaching materials Thematic Issues of the Dubnow Institute The thematic issues of the Dubnow Institute allow for various aspects of Jewish everyday culture to be discussed in the classroom. They are intended for lessons from the 7th class and up as well as for political adult education and may be used for individual lessons or project days. The issues...
Ukrainian Literature and Culture in German-Speaking Countries Very few people in Germany know about Ukrainian literature and culture. In this discussion, Maria Ivanytska, Professor at the Chair of Germanic Philology and Translation at Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv, now MSCA4Ukraine fellow at the University of Tübingen, and Claudia Dathe, one of...
Research project | Publication project Under surveillance This project focuses on the observation of displaced persons' organizations and functionaries by the socialist intelligence services.
