Subcultures as Integrative Forces in East-Central Europe, 1900-present

This project focuses on identity construction in East-Central Europe (ECE) in the 20th century. The area has seen some of the most dramatic events in modern history fought out over the invention of 'ethnic nations', still a powerful form of collective identity building today. Scholarship often considers these identity building projects either from the 'top-down', on the level of the nation state or region, as agents of construction; or from the 'bottom-up', seeking to define the place of individuals and minorities who contested the process.

In this project, we aim to revise the notion of 'ethnic minority', such as the 'Germans of Timisoara', 'Jewish Lodzer', the 'Ukrainians of L'viv', by examining how they distanced themselves from the majority whilst maintaining their 'privileged' status. We propose a specific definition of 'subcultures' to show how these groups in fact existed in the interstices of ECE identity-building projects, partly adopting and partly rejecting the majority agenda and/or the cultural practices of other minority groups.

'Subcultures' are not understood as 'passive' colonial communities; non-normative and/or marginal groups in urban environments; or as subaltern youth cultures. In the specific context of ECE, the term 'subcultures' expresses a multi-layered, simultaneous form of identity, which developed 'underneath' the locally dominant project of identity construction but was not in a 'subaltern' position; neither necessarily opposing the majority, nor excluding it. In sum: our use of the term aims at a better understanding of these complex, shifting, and often-contradictory forms of ethnic identity.

We will study subcultural identity construction through case studies of five cities in Poland, Romania and West Ukraine, combining different historical approaches. The longue durée perspective transcends the periodic limitations, which obscure the fact that ECE identity-building projects in the 20th century drew on an eclectic range of elements from different historical experiences: Imperial; Republican; Wartime; Communist; post-Communist. This not only offers a key to understanding the specifics of identity building in ECE, but also provides a more sophisticated approach, with contemporary relevance, that challenges the mapping of Western experiences elsewhere. Our perspective suggests that we do not have a conflict of cultures (majority vs. minority) but simultaneous constructions of cultures cutting across national borders and historical periods.

This project brings together four participants across two institutions (University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University). It combines the linguistic skills and disciplinary range of: Jan Fellerer, a historical linguist with German, Polish, Czech and Ukrainian; Marius Turda, a historian with German, Romanian and Hungarian, and Robert Pyrah, a cultural historian of post-Habsburg ECE with Polish, German and Ukrainian. It also includes the training of a Ph.D. student to provide career development within the field.

This project will reach audiences inside and beyond academia through workshops in Oxford (Years 1-2), in Central Europe (Year 3), a closing international academic Conference (Year 4), plus outreach lectures at National Cultural Institutes in London and the region, podcasting of material and a website. An edited volume arising out of the Workshops and the Conference, a monograph, as well as refereed journal articles resulting from the investigators' research, are also planned; and a seminar series led by the investigators at the University of Oxford on Central Europe utilises an established academic forum.

The project is likely to attract interest beyond academia, since processes of identity construction in ECE have continuing contemporary relevance as evidenced by the recent and periodic outbursts of radical political ideologies in the region.

Main beneficiaries outside academia include:

1. National cultural institutes, societies and associations, both in the UK and ECE, and their wider user groups.
Specifically:
- The Austrian, German, Polish, Romanian and Hungarian Cultural Institutes, London.
- The British-Ukrainian Society, London.
- The Austrian Cultural Forum and Romanian Cultural Institute, Warsaw.
- The Austrian Cultural Forum and Polish Cultural Institute, Kiev.
These bodies organize cultural events which focus on broadly defined regional themes. Investigators have established links with these bodies and will be able to develop this interface between academia and public bodies in international cultural relations, specifically offering up to 10 public lectures at these institutions over the course of the project (cf. Outputs).

2. Local policy makers in the cities being studied:
- The local policy makers (e.g. councillors) take decisions on highly sensitive issues, such as minority rights, the construction of memorial sites, the organisation of commemorative events.
- They sponsor historical research and shape education policy (e.g. textbooks like Oleksandr Shishka's recent series on L'viv).
There is awareness in East-Central European countries that, in democratic policymaking, such decisions need to be based on balanced views about the past that withstand scholarly scrutiny. The project findings will respond to that need, actively involving city councillors through interviews conducted by the RA and inviting them to the Year 3 Symposium. These activities support the strengthening of civil society initiatives.

3. Relevant foreign policy makers with special expertise in the new EU member states, e.g. London-based ECE diplomats who have close links to the named institutions under point 1 (e.g. the PI/CI/RA's existing Central European seminar in 2011 included lectures from the Austrian, Hungarian and Romanian Ambassadors) with the potential to strengthen diplomatic links between the UK and ECE.

4. The wider general public in Britain.
Recent mass immigration to the UK and Ireland in particular from East-Central Europe (Poland foremost) has generated a latent interest in the new EU members of East-Central Europe.

These beneficiaries will be engaged through:

- English-language publications, project website and freely accessible podcasts (see Outputs).

- Academic dissemination (see Outputs): 6 refereed journal articles; 1 edited volume with a joint introduction and 1 monograph (in English); 2 Workshops and one International Conference (Oxford).

- Local dissemination:
i. Through our East-Central European Cultural Politics Symposium, to be held in Ukraine at the L'viv Center for Urban History of East-Central Europe. We will invite city councillors from the region.
ii. Additional articles in influential general periodicals in the region itself, particularly: Kiev-based Krytyka; Lodz-based Tygiel kultury; Wroclaw-based Odra; Cluj-based Korunk and Timisoara-based Orizont.

- Up to 10 public lectures by the PI/CI/RA at regional Cultural Institutes in London, Warsaw and Kiev (cf. above). This initiative reaches wider public constituencies through the extensive mailing lists and networks of these bodies which frequently work in collaboration, and are in established contact with the CI and RA. Radio broadcasting will be explored as a means to extending the project's impact.

Finally, through its scope in general, and through substantial career development for the RA and training of a Ph.D. in particular, the project contributes to addressing a long-term skills deficit in languages and Area Studies, especially in less commonly taught languages.