[Bilimsel Haber] CONF. CFP: "Revolutions in the Balkans. Revolts and Uprisings in the Era of Nationalism (1804-1908), " 31 October- 2 November 2013, at Panteion University, Athens

[Gonul Pultar]

Revolutions in the Balkans. Revolts and Uprisings in the Era of 
Nationalism (1804-1908)

CALL FOR PAPERS
International conference
31 October- 2 November 2013
Panteion University, Athens




Revolutions in the Balkans
Revolts and uprisings in the era of nationalism (1804-1908)

The chronological frame of the conference extends from the first Serbian 
uprising(1804) to the Young Turk Revolution (1908). During these hundred 
years, the map of Southeastern Europe was reshaped through a series of 
revolutionary movements,mainly national and liberal. Besides, this part 
of Europe, mostly under Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman rule, experienced 
the echo of the European revolutions in 1830 and 1848, and of the 
unification of Italy and of Germany. We may claim that the “Age of 
Revolutions” in the Balkans expanded until the early twentieth century.

Starting from the main thematic axis of revolutionary movements in the 
Balkans, our objective is to revisit the existing literature in order to 
put new questions in a comparative and multiperspective way. We are 
interested in new empirical data that will support comparative thinking 
about various Balkan cases but also with reference to the Western 
paradigm. Fields of study could be the personnel involved in different 
ways in these movements (focusing particularly on the role of women), 
the diverse ways Europe and the West responded to these movements and 
how these movements mirrored European developments, the varied 
identities (pre-existing or under construction) and the ways these 
movements were commemorated in different national contexts during the 
nineteenth and the twentieth century. A specific emphasis is placed on 
the economic and social parameters of revolts as well as on reforms 
initiated in order to prevent social upheavals or as a result of the 
modernization project. Experiencing the Revolution at the local and 
everyday life level by ordinary people will also be an important field 
of study.

The main aim of the conference is to convey a multi-disciplinary 
analysis of the question what a “Revolution” in the Balkans was during 
the long nineteenth century in a broader semantic and social context: Is 
it possible to build a typology of revolutionary movements in the 
Balkans? What is the relation of these movements with the ones in 
Western Europe of that time? Is there a kind of “revolutionary recipe” 
travelling around Europe via cultural transfers? What are the local 
characteristics of revolts in different parts of South-East Europe? Who 
were the revolutionaries? Which is the relation between Revolution and 
Reform? Which is the historiography and which is the memory of these 
movements? It is also important to investigate the instances of what was 
opposite to Revolution, its conceptual ‘other’ under different faces: 
counter-revolution; reform; evolutionism/traditionalism;alternative 
loyalties etc.

In particular the conference will be organized around the following themes:

a. Nationalism and the creation of nation-states: different cases and 
processes of nation-building expressed through revolts and uprisings. 
Alternative forms of political loyalty and group identity that were 
competitors to nationalism.

b. People: Intellectuals, Military, Politicians, Women. We are 
particularly interested in “hybrid” cases and fluid identities 
-personalities participating in other than their national revolutionary 
movement or changing identity during their life.

c. Counter-revolutions: the fear of revolution; reactions to revolutions 
from the old political and social order.

d. Revolts and Violence: violence as part of traditional societies; 
violence as catalyst in historical change; revolutionary violence; the 
stereotype of a “Balkan” violence.

e. The everyday life during a revolution: City and country; how ordinary 
people experience a revolutionary movement; changes in people’s lives as 
long as a revolt lasts; the everyday life of revolutionaries.

f. Symbols and rituals of a revolution: Flags, songs, all forms of 
symbolic expression.

g. Europe and the Balkans: Responses to the Balkan revolutionary 
movements in the West and how the West perceived these events; cultural 
transfers between Western and Southeastern Europe (ideas, people, 
vocabulary);transfer of western ideologies in a Balkan context; the role 
of the “Great Powers”.

h. Tradition, Modernization and Reform: Traditional and modernizing 
elements in revolutionary movements; reforms as a result of 
revolutionary movements; reforms without revolts; reforms in order to 
avoid revolts.

i. Historiography: National historiography on revolutionary 
movements;western historiography; alternative and revisionist approaches.

j. Art and Memory: Commemoration of revolts, uprisings and revolutions. 
How art represents these events then and how memory deals with them over 
time.


Scientific Committee:
Prof. Halil Berktay, Sabanci University, Istanbul
Prof. Hannes Grandits, Humboldt University, Berlin
Assoc. Prof. Alexander Kitroeff, Haverford College, USA
Prof. Christina Koulouri, Panteion University, Athens
Prof. Diana Mishkova, Centre for Advanced Study, Sofia
Prof. Stefanos Papageorgiou, Panteion University, Athens
Assoc. Prof. Dubravka Stojanovic, University of Belgrade


Organizing Committee:
Christina Koulouri (Panteion University)
Kostas Katsapis (KENI, Panteion University)
Alexandra Patrikiou (KENI, Panteion University)
Evdoxia Papadopoulou (KENI, Panteion University)
Chrissa Tzagaroulaki (KENI, Panteion University)


Secretariat: Alexandra Patrikiou (KENI, Panteion University)


We welcome proposals for papers of 15-20 minutes from established 
scholars,postdoctoral researchers, postgraduate students, independent 
researchers and educators from various backgrounds.

Submission of 300-word proposals in English (abstract only; no full 
papers) along with short bios should be sent to 
keni.panteionuniversity at gmail.com by 1 April 2013.

Since funding to cover the entire conference is not certified yet, 
guests are encouraged, if indeed they have this possibility, to acquire 
individual funding from their home Institution. We will notify for the 
approved papers by 15 May 2013.



Christina Koulouri
Professor of Modern and Contemporary History
Director of the Research Centre for Modern History (KENI)
Department of Political Science and History
Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences
136, Syngrou av.
17671 Athens, GREECE
tel. +30 210 9201823

Email: keni.panteionuniversity at gmail.com
Visit the website at http://194.177.220.110/keni/index.php/en