Summary
Between 2003 and 2008 the a la carte programme ‘Representations of the Past: The Writing of National Histories in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Europe (NHIST)’ explored in depth national historiographies in 30 European countries between the second half of the eighteenth century and the present. The programme started from the assumption that history has been one of the most important ingredients in the construction of national identities in Europe. Four teams systematically explored how this was done, stressing interactions, transfers and comparisons between diverse European countries.
The idea for such a programme was born at an ESF exploratory workshop which Prof. Guy Marchal organised at the University of Lucerne in 1999. In two subsequent meetings at Strasbourg (2000) and Leipzig (2001) the core group of chairs and team leaders constituted itself and discussed the involvement of core researchers from many European countries. In 2003 the four teams could begin their work.
Team 1, which was led by Professors Ilaria Porciani, Lutz Raphael and Jo Tollebeek, analysed the institutionalisation and professionalisation of historical writing in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Such professionalisation was the precondition for historians’ claim across Europe that they spoke with special ‘scientific’ authority on the past. It gave them a special status in debates surrounding national identity based on history, and it turned them fully into prophets of the nation state throughout Europe. Team one worked on the preparation of an Historical Atlas of the Institutions of National History Writing, which involved scholars from 30 European countries all giving brief accounts of the development of historical writing in their respective countries and some additional scholars covering a range of transnational institutions important for the professionalisation of history writing. In addition to the Atlas, team 1 also prepared an edited collection of comparative essays on the institutions, networks and communities, which shaped processes of professionalisation and institutionalisation treating such topics as ‘historical journals’, ‘historical associations’, ‘history competitions’, ‘historical seminars’, ‘the clergy’, ‘the nobility’ among others. Team 1 also organised a workshop specifically on the role of women in historical institutions. Selected papers were subsequently published as a special issue of ‘Storia della Storiografia’.
Team 2 took a close look at the narratives of national history, paying special attention to the relationship of those national master narratives to potential ‘other’ master narratives, such as narratives of ethnicity/race, class, religion and gender. It was led by Professor Chris Lorenz with active input from the chair, Professor Stefan Berger. It prepared a volume of comparative essays surveying the interrelationship of those master narratives. Following considerable debate about the clustering of cases to be compared, groups of scholars were formed, who pooled their national expertise in order to arrive at comparative perspectives. It proved particularly useful that small editorial meetings could be organised, where these groups met and discussed intensively the structure of their articles. Team 2 also prepared an edited collection of micro-studies of national historical writing. These accompany the survey articles of the other volume and add substantially to our knowledge of national histories by providing a series of close readings of important historical texts. Again, all the contributions had to be comparative choosing major historians from at least two different national backgrounds. Team 2 also prepared an edited collection on popular national histories, continuing the important discussions that emerged from the first cross-team conference that was organised around the topic of national history and different genres.
If team 2 concentrated on the non-spatial dimensions of national history writing, team 3 analysed the spatial dimensions, looking at the interrelationship of national history writing with sub- as well as transnational forms of history writing (regional history, European history, imperial history and world/ global history). The team leaders, Professors Matthias Middell and Lluis Roura, prepared an edited collection which demonstrates that even during the high point of historiographical nationalism, roughly in the period between 1850 and 1950, national history was never the only show in town. Regional histories served as important building blocks of national histories, whilst national history conceptions fed into and derived from a variety of different transnational forms of history writing. The team is also preparing a special edition of the journal ‘Comparativ’, which explores the recent moves of various countries and of the EU to limit the freedom of expression, when it comes to historical interpretations of crimes against humanity.
The fourth team, led by Professor Tibor Frank and Dr Frank Hadler, looked at the important role that spatial overlaps played in national histories. Borderlands in Europe were often contested between different countries and therefore they tended to play a vital role in national master narratives. The team carefully selected a range of representative border conflicts/ overlapping territories in Europe and recruited the specialists who could write on their role in constituting and shaping national histories. Apart from this edited collection, the team also edited a collection (in cooperation with the GWZO, Leipzig) on imperial historiographies in East-Central and Eastern Europe. Finally, the team discussed the major role of cartography in shaping understandings of national history.
All teams came together in three cross-team conferences, which discussed aspects of the overall theme that were relevant to all teams. These included: ‘National Histories in Different Genres’, ‘National history and politics’ and ‘Medievalism in national histories’. Two of these conferences produced stand-alone edited collections.
Younger researchers, who have been working comparatively on historiography, were integrated into the project as core researcher from the start. But the programme also sought to foster a dialogue between more seasoned scholars and the younger generation by organising a summer school in 2008 and twice organising a call for travel and exchange grants. Overall, the programme has been successful in setting the standards in the study of national historiographies in Europe and pooling European research expertise in this area.
list of books
Duration
Five years from 1 May 2003 to 30 April 2008, extended to December 2008
