Volumes
2006
2005
2003-2004
2001
2000
1999
Editorial
Articles
Debate
Reviews
Bulletin
CIHIS
Activities
2005
2003
2001
2000
1999
Articles (abstracts):- Luisa Passerini, "History and Semiotics"
- Wolfgang Weber, "Gaps in a nation's memory: body culture and Nazi politics in interwar Austria"
- Theodore Kritikos, "Science and religion in Greece at the end of the nineteenth century"
- Haris Exertzoglou, "Shifting Boundaries: language, community and the 'non-Greek speaking Greeks'"
- Discussion on "National history: construct or/and reality?"
- Miroslav Hroch - Jitka Maleckova, "The construction of Czech national history"
.
The nature of history as a communicative process is the central theme of the article. In opposition to a narrow structuralist perception that views history as an incoherent plethora of facts and temporal zones, the semiotic interpretation defines plurality in history as an important point of entry into the links and relations that determine the historical past. Historical semiotics do not only emphasize on the multiplicity of the historical field itself (in terms of agents, subjects, areas etc.) but, by turning their interest into the various signs through which the past is interpreted, they establish history as a form of communication with the past and between the past and the present rather than as a detached but still authoritative form of knowledge. The changing relationship of history with the concepts of memory and subjectivity is interpreted as a gradual opening toward a semiotic conceptualization which analyzes the signs of the past in their relationship to various discursive forms. The historical discipline has a long way to go before it distances itself from its positivist preconceptions and proceeds to the recognition of its communicative potential into the contemporary cultural arena.
Wolfgang Weber, "Gaps in a nation's memory: body culture and Nazi politics in interwar Austria"
The relation between gymnastics, sports and politics in interwar-Austria is examined in the article. Although, sports clubs emphasize their detachment from party politics even currently, their role in the diffusion and propagation of national socialist ideological principles in the inter-war era remains crucial. The inception of the Deutscher Turnerbund (DTB in 1919 marked the beginning of a long and consistent effort to reinforce Aryan principles, anti-semitism and the vision of a greater Germany among the Austrian youth. In the mid-twenties and thirties, the DTB gradually moved towards the National Socialist Party (NSDAP) and incorporated most of its principles. Although they strongly denied any political or ideological engagement, DTB leaders actively contributed to the diffusion and strengthening of Nazi ideals through sports and a specific form of body culture.
Theodore Kritikos, "Science and Religion in Greece at the end of the nineteenth century"
The article discusses the diffusion of scientific ideas in the intellectual circles of late 19th century Greece and primarily focuses on the interaction between secular thought and religious metaphysics. Based on a close reading of two relevant journals (Anaplassis and Prometheus), the analysis stresses the "clash" between "scientific" ideas and "religious" principles. Special emphasis is given on the implications of this "clash" in terms of the symbolic/social status of religion (and further of the Orthodox Church), of its interaction with the Greek national identity, of the various interpretations of scientific ideas as "western" and consequently of the politics that undelied intellectual debates. By examining a specific national context and its specificities, the discussion attempts to contribute to the wider issue of the encounter between secular and religious problematics within modernity.
Socrates Petmezas, "The formation of early Hellenic nationalism and the special symbolic and material interests of the new republican intelligentsia (ca. 1790-1830)"
The process of the formation of early Hellenic nationalism (ca. 1780-1830) is explored in an analysis that combines economic and socio-cultural factors and attributes particular emphasis to the role of the intelligentsia. Within the Ottoman Empire, a religious identity (i.e. the Orthodox Christian) prevailed for large numbers of its population while the Orthodox Church functioned as the central institution for the establishment of a specific political and cultural order. The impact of the economic and sociopolitical processes of the late 18th and 19th centuries upon the Ottoman Empire destabilized the status quo. The Enlightenment influence firstly contributed to the formation of a group of "enlightened" scholars who conceptualized the project of a "Greek Monarchy" in the Near East. This project was soon replaced by a new one, that of the formation of an independent Greek state with a distinct republican character after the principles of the French Revolution. A growing number of intellectuals actively contributed to the de-legitimization of the ecclesiastic authority and to the reinforcement of a new form of collective consciousness and of a new political program.
Haris Exertzoglou, "Shifting Boundaries: language, community and the 'non-Greek speaking Greeks'"
The article examines the various ways "non-Greek speaking Greeks" (mostly Slavic, Vlach, Albanian but also Turkish and Arabic speaking) were treated in the Greek nationalistic discourse in the late 19th century. While language stood as an essential component of national identity from the very beginning, a re-examination of its status and a dislocation from its primary position came as a response to complex political situations Greece faced in the late 19th c., particularly in Macedonia. The emergence of other Balkan nationalisms (especially of the Bulgarian nationalism) and the "discovery" of a large non-Greek speaking Orthodox population in Macedonia and elsewhere led to the formation of new -but always complementary to the dominant one- discourses of national identity. The already established criteria of belonging to the national community were modified, linguistic "de-hellenisation" was attributed to various factors (foreign subjugation, political decline etc.) while "re-hellenisation" was advertised as essential due to the superiority of Greek culture and to its privileged relation with western European civilization. The discourses on "non-Greek speaking Greeks" reinforced in a new way the Greek nationalist projects and they provide essential material for reflecting on the changing nature of national discourses, on their continuities and discontinuities and on the multi-dimensionality of their internal logic.
Discussion on "National History. Construct or/and Reality?"
A workshop addressing the general theme "National History. Construct or/and Reality" was held at the European University Institute (Florence) on the 2nd and 3rd of May 1997. Professor Miroslav Hroch (European University Institute and University of Prague) organised and conducted this project which aimed at a comparative approach of the formation of national histories mostly within the Central and Eastern Europe. Specialists from different countries offered papers which focused on specific case-studies. The first two sessions (Friday, May 2nd, morning and afternoon) were devoted to the exploration of "The Concept of our National History". The following scholars (according to the order of presentation) focused their analysis on certain cases of national histories:
A. First session - Professor Otto Dann (University of Koln) - Germans - Professor Miroslav Hroch (EUI and University of Prague) - Czechs- Dr. Jitka Maleckova (University of Prague) - Czechs - Professor Ottar Dahl (University of Oslo) - Norwegians- Professor Marjatta Hietala (University of Tampere) - FinnsB. Second session - Dr. Eva Ring Agh (University of Budapest) - Hungarians - Dr. Bronislav Hronec (University of Bratislava) - Slovaks- Dr. Effi Gazi (University of Crete) - GreeksThe third session (Saturday, May 3rd 1997) comprehended a general discussion of the general theme "Reality and Myth in Undertanding National History". Professor Georg Iggers (Distinguished Professor, University of Buffalo) and Professor Stuart Woolf (University of Venice) also participated in this session.
We are presenting a summarised version of this discussion which constitutes an interesting and stimulating exchange of ideas on controversial issues such as nationalism, national identity, historiography, state policy, cultural politics etc.
Miroslav Hroch - Jitka Maleckova, "The construction of Czech national history"
The article examines the process of the formation of Czech national history. Special interest is shown to the school of historiography introduced by Frantisek Palacky in the mid-nineteenth century. The shift from the concept of the territory to that of the ethnic group, the particular emphasis on Bohemia, the gradual inclusion of Silesia and Moravia, the turn into state-politics, the conceptualization of the Germans as the primary "other" constitute the most important features of the first phase of Czech national history. The "school" of Jaroslav Goll re-elaborated the schemas of positivistic history and proceeded to a more sophisticated form, which became also effectively popularized in the late 19th century.
Henriette Benveniste, "Ésquisse d' une histoire de la responsabilité dans les récits juifs de persécution: les témoignages du Moyen Age"
The central theme of this article is the ways persecution, exile and genocide were interpreted by Jewish communities in the past. The analysis is based on Jewish chronicles referring to the persecutions of 1096 while the concept of "responsibility" stands as the main analytical tool in the exploration of their discursive strategy. Within a religious mental framework, persecution was interpreted by Jewish communities as an expression of divine will, as an evidence of collective suffering and punishment. By turning persecution into a form of martyrdom, it became possible to come to terms with traumatic experience. This form of martyrdom had also political connotations, since through this perspective, it became possible to re-employ the "elect people tradition" and to re-adapt the community status in collective consciousness. Contrary to rationalistic interpretations of the Holocaust in the contemporary era, medieval Jewish chronicles turned to religion and metaphysics in order to interpret collective suffering.
Michael Mitterauer, "Millenien und andere Jubeljahre:Warum feiern wir Geschichte?"
Historical anniversaries, i.e. the celebration of history itself, have their own history which is worth of attention and further investigation -especially as the "millenium discourse" becomes fashionable . Their origin can be traced in medieval religious practices reflecting an eschatological perspective while protestantism and the new historical consciousness it introduced contributed to their secularization. During the 19th and 20th centuries, celebrating history acquired a strong political flavor within the confines of the nation-state without abandoning totally its metaphysics. It is especially this "metaphysics" that should be problematised since celebrating history can often inflict a sense of canonicity with regard to the choices and processes of entire societies; particularly with reference to the case of the millenium and the ways it is presented and interpreted in mass culture.