The role of media in the shaping and reinforcement of national identity and the development of Central and Eastern European states in 1918–2018
In 2018 a number of Central and Eastern European states celebrate the hundredth anniversary of independence regained after many years of oppression, and crowning long-lasting and difficult processes of emancipation. What developed a hundred years ago were nation states, yet so were two multinational ones: Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, whose memory still remains very much alive. The efforts of Belarusians and Ukrainians, however, did not end in success and forced the nations to wait for freedom several more decades.
A key role in these processes, encompassing the igniting and maintenance of national awareness, a sense of identity and community at the same time, and development of institutions of social, cultural, economic and last but not least state life was played by the media and the people working for them. These were mostly books and press, and the libraries together with the distribution network, as well as the film and radio developing at the time.
The dynamics and character of these processes might follow different paths, although they led to the same objective, depending on local environment, and the political, social and ethnic circumstances. Building own institutions, the new states also had to account for the needs of the minorities living within their territories. All that had a bearing on the structure and function of the media market, network of libraries, and primarily on the content promoted through them.
The purpose of the conference on Identity – Independence – Media is a transversal and comparative portrayal of the role of the media and libraries in the construction and reinforcement of identity of Central and Eastern European nations in the perspective of the jubilee year 2018. In our intention, the core of the conference is to consist of transversal and synthesising keynotes prepared by representatives of individual nations and experts in their histories, whose purpose will be the portrayal of the main, key problems, as well as state-of-the-art and courses of research in the area. They will be complemented by contributions on specific issues, including the mutual relations between the countries.
The year 1918 defines the chronological axis of our queries and provides a particular culmination point, albeit not the only one for the processes described above. We are moreover fully aware of their profound rooting in history, however remote, as well as of their continuation to our times.
We hope that, besides the intended scientific goals, our project will contribute to a better understanding between nations and societies that are so close one to another.
Specific areas:
- national market of book and press – institutions, circulations, participants, and their role in independence movements
- contribution and role of institutions and staff of media and libraries in the development of independent states
- participation in culture, education and readership, and their significance for the reinforcement of identity and development of states
- symbolism, iconography
- holidays, celebrations, anniversaries
- authorities, elites, propaganda
- freedom of the word, raison d’état, security
Honorary patronage
Media patronage
