Russia’s war against Ukraine has brought Central and Eastern Europe into focus. Since February 2022, there has been a wave of solidarity with Ukraine in Poland – especially in the supply, transport or accommodation of Ukrainian refugees. Many Poles and Ukrainians see themselves united in resolutely opposing the Russian invasion. But these ostentatious convergences are also countered by structural divergences in economic development since 1989.
We want to explore such convergencies and divergencies between Poland and its neighbours since 1918. On the one hand, the region is united by shared experiences of fundamental economic, cultural and demographic transformations in the last century. On the other hand, political life in Poland, Ukraine, but also in the Baltic states, the former GDR and the Post-Yugoslav states is determined by divergent narratives. The antagonistic interpretation of Ukrainian nationalists in World War II in Poland and Ukraine is just one example. Can the war and Polish solidarity with Ukraine be a kind of catalyst for dialogue, for coming to terms with these divergences, or are antagonistic attitudes simply suppressed? What does this war mean for cultural studies? Will the eastern part of the continent become more important? Does this mean that national historical narratives are experiencing a rise? Should Europeanization processes be examined more from a Polish, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Croatian or Serbian perspective?
A workshop with two sections will be organised on this topic. As a whole it offers new approaches beyond the classic topics of nation and empire. The participants explore and discuss converging and diverging economic, legal, social and cultural historical trends in interdisciplinary scope. Selected papers articles will be edited in a joint volume for the series Interdisciplinary Polish Studies in cooperation with the Harrassowitz publishing house. Contributions could deal with the following topics:
- Different experiences with economic transformation after the end of state socialism in Poland, the former GDR, the states of former Yugoslavia, Ukraine, the Baltic States or Belarus;
- Historical-political reasons for opposing support for Ukraine in Poland, Hungary or Slovakia;
- Comparison of economic and demographic trends;
- The image of Russia in Poland, Germany, Ukraine, former Yugoslavia or the Baltic States after 1991 in comparison;
- Between Russia and Germany: (Dis)continuities of Polish, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Baltic foreign policy between 1918 and 2022;
- From Intermarium via Visegrád to the Three Seas Initiative: Warsaw’s ambitions from the point of view of its eastern neighbours;
- Military conflicts in Central and Eastern Europe in comparative perspective.

We invite scholars on all career stages interested in this topic to send their proposal of 250 to 300 words and their short academic CV of 100 words as well as their contact information in one PDF file to rindlisbacher@europa-uni.de no later than 15 June 2024. Early-career scholars are particularly encouraged to apply. All applicants will be informed about the decision no later than 30 June 2024.

This workshop is funded by the German-Polish Science Foundation (PNFN/DPWS) and the Viadrina Center of Polish and Ukrainian Studies. This will cover travel expenses up to 200 Euro and accommodation in Frankfurt (Oder) for each participant.