[Bilimsel Haber] CFP: Turks in the Balkans

[Gonul Pultar]

     	 *The Relevance of Encounters with Strangers for Historical 
Consciousness. From the Early Modern Period to the End of the Long 19th 
Century.*

	

	

	

	

Since Georg Simmel's famous definition of the stranger as a migrating 
person "who comes today and stays tomorrow" many studies on sociology, 
history, literature, culture and philosophy have deepened our knowledge 
of description and meaning of the stranger. Today, one has to add with 
Rudolf Stichweh's observation that the stranger is also someone "who 
maybe, but only maybe, continues to migrate the day after tomorrow". For 
a long time, early modern society has been depicted as mainly immobile 
and cohesive. A closer look, however, reveals that encounters with 
strangers was an everyday, though not trivial, experience well before 
the mass migrations of the 20th century. The Mongolians who invaded 
Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages influenced Europe as strangers, as did 
the Turks from the 16th century as well as foreign traders and religious 
exiles. Conversely, many people from Europe moved into foreign 
countries, observed the people whom they found "strange" and experienced 
first hand what it means to be a stranger. Explorers and conquerors, 
commissioned by European monarchs, collected such experiences, as did 
missionaries or the many emigrants. These processes have been intensely 
but not yet exhaustively explored.
These encounters with strangers, whether firsthand or imparted by media, 
were not without impact on the historical consciousness of both the 
migrants and the permanent residents. The international and 
interdisciplinary colloquy at the Institute of European History in Mainz 
will pursue this aggregate of themes by exploring the consequences of 
the experiences of and with strangers for historical consciousness: What 
did the encounter with immigrating strangers mean for the historical 
consciousness of a society, and its political, social, religious and 
moral orientation over time? How did the historical consciousness of a 
group of emigrants or immigrants change when they were in a new country? 
What were the consequences of the "discovery" of new countries and 
cultures for the historical consciousness in Europe and in what ways did 
non-European historical consciousness change by contact with migrating 
Europeans?
These questions will be treated under three headings: The Stranger in 
One's Own Country (immigration), The Stranger in Another's Country 
(emigration) and The Perception of Strangers in Foreign Countries. 
Genuine historiography can be addressed, as well as historical concepts 
and interpretations of history. Topics could be:

1. The Stranger in One's Own Country (some of the topics could be 
treated under the second heading as well, by looking at it from the 
other group's perspective)
• German/English etc. historiography on Huguenots
• Christianized Africans/Asians etc. visiting Europe in the long 19th 
century
• The integration of the arrival of Europeans in the historical 
consciousness of non-European cultures (China, Japan, Latin America)
• Polish people in the Ruhr Area
• Turks in the Balkans
• Russians in Poland
• Englishmen in Ireland
• Finns in Russia

2. The Stranger in Another's Country
• Historiography of religious exiles
• Historical consciousness of emigrants, for instance to the Americas, 
in the 19th century
• The encounter of colonial rulers, traders and missionaries with 
non-European cultures
• Modifications of the historical consciousness in Europe by the 
socially or religiously motivated emigration of certain groups

3. The Perception of Strangers in Foreign Countries
• Modifications of the historical consciousness in Europe by the 
"discovery" of non-European countries and cultures
• The encounter of different groups of migrants in a third country
• The depiction of strangers in literature or fine arts, related to history
• The meaning of non-European cultures for European 
historiography/philosophy of history (for instance Max Weber)


The colloquium is organised by the research group "Change of values and 
historical consciousness" of the Institute of European History in Mainz. 
Conference languages will be German and English. Expenses for travel and 
accommodation will be paid by the Institute of European History.
We are looking forward to proposals by researchers of all historical 
disciplines such as history, church and religious history, ethnology, 
studies of literature, and art history. Please submit an exposé of not 
more than 3000 characters, a short CV and, if extant, a list of 
publications before *10 November 2009*. If you have any questions do not 
hesitate to contact us.

PD Dr. Bettina Braun
Institut für Europäische Geschichte
Abt. Universalgeschichte
Alte Universitätsstr. 19
55116 Mainz
Germany

Tel.: 06131/3939364
Email: braun at ieg-mainz.de


Dr. Judith Becker
Institut für Europäische Geschichte
Abt. Abendländische Religionsgeschichte
Alte Universitätsstr. 19
55116 Mainz
Germany

Tel.: 06131/3939359
Email: becker at ieg-mainz.de

	PD Dr. Bettina Braun
Institute of European History
Alte Universitätsstraße 19
55116 Mainz
Germany

Phone: +49 6131 3939364
Email: braun at ieg-mainz.de <mailto:braun at ieg-mainz.de>

Visit the website at http://www.ieg-mainz.de