Home page | Copernico. Geschichte und kulturelles Erbe im östlichen Europa

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“Boys, boys, as you came, so you will leave here”

The history of Ukraine has been shaped by conquest and terror not only since 2022. On the occasion of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion, today we remember the horrors and destruction already brought by the Nazis on cities like Kharkiv.

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Crossing the Lopan River by rowboat - behind the destroyed road bridge the dome and the bell tower of the Annunciation Cathedral. bpk / Hermann Hoeffke, Free access - no reuse

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Kopernikus#550

On the occasion of the 550th anniversary of the birth of Nicolaus Copernicus (February 19, 1473 - May 24, 1543), the West Prussian Regional Museum and the Copernico Portal commemorate the canon, diplomat and physician who became famous as an astronomer.

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Kopernikus-Porträt aus dem Rathaus in Thorn, um 1580, Wikimedia Commons CC0

Discover Copernicus with maps

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Important locations in Copernicus’ life

Varmia and Northern Italy

Nicolaus Copernicus rose to fame due to his interest in the stars. But where did he spend his life on Earth? Most of his sites of activity are found in present-day Poland, and many of them also relate to German history.

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The Copernican network

Friends, followers, and successors

Despite living in relative isolation, Copernicus maintained a number of significant contacts during his time as a scholar and cleric. Astronomers from many parts of Europe carried on his work after his death.

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Commemorating Copernicus

Contested, reinterpreted, exploited

Since the 19th century, numerous Copernicus monuments have been built around the world. Even today, new sites of remembrance honoring the astronomer emerge, especially in Poland. Each site has a unique agenda, narrative, and background.

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In Copernicus’ name

Societies, associations, foundations

These days, there are a whole host of organizations in Poland, Germany, and the USA bearing the name Copernicus. Although they all relate to the same historical person, they have quite different goals.

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Culinary Cultures in Eastern Europe

Few topics are as multifaceted as the subject of food and drink. It ties individual sensory experience and culinary satisfaction to practically every other aspect of human life. It is also an important, but often overlooked, part of our shared cultural legacy. Eating and drinking, therefore, to a great extent both shape and are shaped by our history, as shown in the contributions to this key topic.

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Fotografie dreier aus Flaschen trinkender Personen vor freiem Himmel

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Fasting Rules Become Food Taboos

How The Russian Old Believers Wanted To Distinguish Themselves From The Orthodox By Abstaining From Food

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In almost all religions, dietary rules and food taboos play an important role. The example of the Russian Old Believers shows the importance that food practices and body images can have in differentiating them from those of other faiths.

Mayonnaise

The quintessence of Russian cuisine

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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...

Laima chocolate – a Riga icon

Latvia’s most famous confectioner and its Jewish origins

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If you’ve ever visited Latvia, you’ll probably have heard of the chocolate brand Laima. Perhaps you’ll even have seen the Laima Clock, a popular meeting point in central Riga. Laima products have been among Latvia’s most successful exports all the way back to the 1920s. What’s less well...

Migration (hi)stories

A photo of refugee children from 1946 edited with color overlays

European history is a history of migrations. This is especially true for the history of Eastern Europe. Join us in an exploration of this multifaceted and emotionally charged topic, which still polarizes people to this day. Spanning centuries and a vast array of themes, these stories extend from the...

"Sleeps a song in all things" - Music Cultures

A photo of two trombonists in a military camp, edited with color overlays, circa 1945

“Sleeps a song in all things”? Music is and always has been many things: a means of entertainment or elitist self-expression, an obvious or hidden bridge between cultures, a propaganda weapon or a symbol of cultural independence. And music and sound are part of historical, submerged...

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Portraits of artists bearing witness to their times

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A short film accompanying the exhibition "Borders in Art. Three generations of Czech art"

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Migration stories around Steinort / Sztynort Castle

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Biographies of people, places and things

17 portraits that tell of the fate of the last lord of the castle, Heinrich Graf von Lehndorff, his family and the villagers - before and after 1945. And of enthusiasts who are bringing the dilapidated castle back to life.

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