„Mitteleuropa”, środkowoeuropejskie miejsce pamięci
“Mitteleuropa”, a Central European Place of Memory

Summary/Abstract: Le Rider traces the geopolitical and geocultural problems of Central Europe from the Middle Ages till present. He examines the gradual development of Central European cultural identity, showing the creation of the vision of Mitteleuropa understood as a peaceful community of countries and nations which, however, remains under the influence of the German language and culture. Built through the agency of the Holy Roman Empire and continued by a supranational community of humanists of the Renaissance, Mitteleuropa was from 18th century subsequently destroyed by consecutive wars (Thirty Years’ War, Napoleonic Wars, WW I and WW II), Prussian and German Reich Germanisation, colonial endeavors of the Habsburg Dynasty – the latter of which only superficially realised a certain model of interculturality, and also through nationalisms and 20th century authoritative regimes. The author claims that Mitteleuropa ultimately becomes a peculiar “place of memory” for many nations of Europe, yet understood differently by each of them.

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