Debate session
The Herder-Institut in Marburg (Germany) played host to the annual gathering of NISE from 14 to 16 May 2013. The research and archives institute, member of the NISE Network, was founded in 1950 and is specialised in eastern Central Europe (the Baltics and the Königsberg enclave, Poland and -western-Ukraine). Located in beautiful as well as functional buildings, it holds unique archives and documentation and boasts a huge scientifically valuable output of publications, also on nationalism.
Following the meetings of the NISE constituent bodies, a debate session on two subjects was held. The session was open to the general public.
The first debate, introduced by well known Czech historian Miroslav Hroch, looked for the causes for the asynchronicity of national movements. After commentary delivered by Alexei Miller (Central European University, Budapest) and Anna Veronika Wendland (Herder-Institut, Marburg), the debate was chaired by Peter Haslinger, director of the Herder-Institut.
The second debate focussed on a recent publication by Swiss historian Caspar Hirschi on the pre-modernity of nations and nationalism, challenging the modernist theory and promising a new start for nationalism studies. Also this scholar was present to introduce his thesis, with the ensuing discussion moderated by Maarten Van Ginderachter (University Antwerp).
The proceedings will be published in the next issue of SNM.