CFP

[Peto Andrea]

German Historical Institute Warsaw /
Institute for Contemporary History, University of Vienna

Call for Papers for a conference at Obory near Warsaw, May 11-14, 2000

Between Wars.
Nations, Nationalisms, and Gender Relations in Central and Eastern
Europe 1918-1939

Starting point:
Feminist research has shown that discussion of the numerous linkages
and interferences of the concepts of 'gender' and 'nation' is
productive. This is true with respect to the various constructions and
experiences of gender relations as well as for the analysis of
concepts of political legitimacy, among which 'nation' is central in
the twentieth century. 'Gender' is not independent of the political,
economical, and cultural context in which it is devised and
experienced, nor are national identities and their political and
social realisations impartial as to gender. On the contrary, we accept
and start from the thesis that the category of 'gender' is a major key
to the concepts of nations and nationalisms. Time and area focus:The
historical perspective is inherent to the term of 'inter war period',
which (with slight regional differences) denotes the span of time
between WW I and WW II. Like that of 'the Middle Ages' 'before the
revolution' it expresses knowledge to which there was no access at the
time. Thus, asking about 'inter war periods' we unfailingly arrive at
past perspectives for the future: hopes and projects for a possible,
different course of history. In Central and Eastern Europe the time
after WW I was characterised by the fact that a considerable number of
states with different political structures had just been established.
They went through various political, economical, and cultural stages,
including drastic political and economical crises. WW II and its
effects submitted these developments to dramatic changes, or cut them
short altogether. Crucial questions for the historical analysis of
this era are: How relevant the concept of nation was in all of this;
if - and to what extent - it bore the logic of a new war even at times
of peace, and what consequences it had for gender relations. After the
disintegration of the Soviet Union and the appearance of a number of
new political systems and (nationally defined) states, historical
interest in a discussion of this time and this area is now gainig new
relevance, standpoints ranging from the legitimation of current
nationalisations to the radical disapproval of any nation-state
concept of policy. Aims:The conference 'Between Wars. Nations,
Nationalisms, and Gender Relations' aims to O intensively and in
detail discuss selected cases, O place the various relations and
mutual effects of the identitiy concepts of 'nation' and 'gender' into
the center of consideration, O jointly work on terms and theoretical
models and review, to which degree the dominating theoretical models,
- with few exceptions strongly influenced by feminist and nationalism
research on examples outside Central and Eastern Europe -, are
applicable here, O enhance critical reflection on the role of
historical research in relation to nationalist motivations for
political strategies and systems. Topical focuses:One of the two
starting points for the discussion is to investigate processes of
negotiation of gender relations in the new, nation-state constituted
political units. Secondly, gender images and gender-specific
experiences in the context of nationalization processes are to be
examined. Negotiation of gender relations in new political units: Y
Concepts of citizenship: forms, meaning, and limits of the legal
equality of the genders in the various new political projects and
realisations; chances and limitations for political participation of
women Y Re/Constructions of the category of gender in nation-state
contexts: civil law definitions, gender aspects of cultural, social,
family, labour market, and  population policies Y 'Old' women's
movements in new states: new definitions; adoption of arguments,
rhetoric, and organisational patterns of women's movements by social
and political movements or governments; new scopes and limitations for
women arising thereby Y Interrelations between political turnovers
(from democratic to autocratic systems) and the transformations of
gender relations

Processes of nationalisation: gender profiles and gender-specific
experience: Y Gender-specific images as metaphors of political
relations of power and as symbols of ethnic/national belonging Y Women
as activists and supporters of nationalist politics, as mediators of
national culture, as reproducers of 'imagined communities' Y Minority
policies and their consequence for gender relations: ethnically and
confessionally mixed marriages; the role of women in processes of
cultural integration; gender-specific affects of dissimilation
processes Y The role of antisemitism in the production and affirmation
of national identities: gender-specific antisemitism/antisemitic
gender images Y 'Promised Lands': gender relations and gender-specific
scopes of action in the context of emigration movements; projects of a
new form of gender relations in a new country? (Zionist movements,
emigrations to America, politically and economically motivated
emigration of communists to the SU) Y Enforced migrations, mass
repressions - their gender-specific dimensions


The planned conference is a follow-up to a conference organized by the
GHI Warsaw in 1998, at which scholars from Poland, Russia, the Czech
Republic, the Ukraine, Latvia, Germany and Austria discussed 'Gender
and Nationalism in Central and Eastern Europe 1848 -1918'. In order to
provide for topical as well as personal continuity, some of the
participants from the first conference will be invited again. Also, we
basically want to confine ourselves to the discussion of case studies
from the same geographical area: the European part of the Soviet
Union, the Baltic States, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Austria.
Simultaneous translation from/into Russian, Polish, English, and
German will be guaranteed during the conference. A publication of the
contributions is planned. We kindly ask you to submit a proposal on
one of the themes mentioned.Length:                     1 pageLanguages:                        English,
GermanDate:                             31 July 1999Addresses:                  German Historical Institute
Warsaw (Sophia Kemlein) Institute of Contemporary History, Vienna
(Johanna Gehmacher) Reply by                    15 September 1999Media:                         slides,
videos etc. are welcome; concrete technical requirements to be
previously clarified with the organizers



Dr. Sophia Kemlein                              Dr. Johanna Gehmacher
German Historical Institute Warsaw              Institute of Contemporary History
PKiN, XVII p.   University of Vienna Plac Defilad 1, skr.
33                              Spitalgasse 2-4 (Hof 1) PL 00-901 Warszawa                              A - 1090 Wien Tel.
+48 22 6567182                          Tel. +43 1 427741210 Fax + 48 22 6937006                                Fax +43
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