Communicating Yugoslavia – cultural politics, media memory and broadcasting of the Yugoslav past in Macedonia

Author(s): Ana Pop Stefanija / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2013

The aim of this article is to analyze how the shared Yugoslav past and history is communicated in Macedonia, 22 years after the dissolution. For that matter, the emphasis of the research will be on analysis of the media production of the state-owned, public service broadcaster in Macedonia, the Macedonian Radio Television (MRT). By analyzing a core of recently produced documentaries, the article aims to show how the recent change in cultural policy and the process of “nation-(re)building” is readable through new broadcasts and how the media memory of the Yugoslav past of Macedonia is present or absent from the media scene. Finally, this text aims to give answer to the question how, and to what extent, the recently produced media content contributes to the politics of remembrance / forgetting of the Yugoslav past.

The postcolonial hypothesis. Notes on the Czech “Central European” Identity

Author(s): Ondřej Slačálek / Language(s): English Issue: Spec./2016

The article discusses the application of postcolonial theory to the postcommunist situation, something that a number of authors are attempting to do – most notably Ewa Thompson, who connects this analysis with a cultural and political project for contemporary Poland. The article looks at the possible ways in which postcolonial perspectives can be used to analyse national identity in “Europe between Pan-Germanism and Pan-Slavism”, and specifically in the Czech context. It then devotes itself to a genealogical reading of Milan Kundera’s essay on Central Europe, and ends with a discussion on the usefulness of the postcolonial perspective for the analysis of post-communism. It concludes that this perspective is a fertile source of inspiration for comparative hypotheses and research questions, but that its full acceptance may be both methodologically and politically problematic. The “authenticity” of Central Europe has been constructed by the dominant Central European spokespeople in opposition to the “subaltern empires” of Germany and Russia as “more Western than the West”. The postcolonial perspective and the study of the Czech national identity were for a long time considered largely in isola-tion from each other. This essay first discuss the general possibilities of applying postcolonial approaches to Central European identities, and concretely to the Czech identity in the wider context of the development of Central European national identities in the last two hundred years. Then it tries, using a genealogical interpretation of Kundera’s essays onCentral Europe, to show some of the characteristics of Kundera’s “Czech Central Europe”. Finally I discuss the possibil-ities of a postcolonial view of Czech and Polish post-communism. I conclude that it is worth using some concepts in postcolonial studies to the national identities ofCentral Europe(and their post-communist situation) above all as hypothe-ses and sources of questions.

The Slovak National Uprising as a national Treasure? Interpretation and Legacy of the SNU in Slovak Political Discourse and National My-thology.

Author(s): Vladimír Naxera,Petr Krčál / Language(s): English Issue: Spec./2016

This article focuses on the interpretation of the Slovak National Uprising (SNU) and its celebration and glorification. Spe-cifically, we attempt to characterise what role the SNU plays in relation to the (re)construction and (re)interpretation of Slovak national history. In terms of the uprising, we identify three differing discourses – the first (and dominant) discourse adores the uprising, the second takes a critical stance against it, and the third defends the legacy of the uprising and the dominant discourse against the criticism of the second discourse. Analysed data was collected via semi-participant ob-servation of uprising celebrations and media reports linked to the issue of political grappling over the SNU. The data were interpreted using the CAQDA approach.

Transitions Online_Around the Bloc-Russia Riled By Polish Decision to Destroy Red Army Monuments

Author(s): TOL TOL / Language(s): English Issue: 06/27/2017

Adding insult to injury, the Sejm voted for the bill on a day Russia commemorates those who lost their lives in the fight against Nazism.

Швајцарска федерализована демократија за историјски задате заједнице

Author(s): Bojan Kovačević / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 1/2013

In this article the author demonstrates that the relation between federalism and democracy in Switzerland goes beyond the logic of modern statehood. On one hand, the article enlightens link between today’s Swiss federation and political philosophy of Johannes Althusius, thinker whose theory questions the very basic premises of modern statehood. On the other hand, the article demonstrates that Swiss constitutional history resides on essentially different understanding of democracy in comparison to classical modern liberal states. In contrast to today’s widespread instrumental understanding of democracy, conceived as an institutional tool which produces effective majorities, democracy in Switzerland is aimed at enabling as much self- determination of citizens as possible. Swiss constitutional experience, which testifies of inherent connection between federalism and democracy, inspired some scholars to introduce “federalized democracy” concept into theoretical discourse. Realization of federalized democracy concept in Switzerland has proven to be a rather efficient toll for preserving national unity and political autonomy of historically existing communities. In today’s politico- historical reality, however, federalized democracy concept has proven to be extremely rigid and closed for all other kinds of diversity that don’t follow historical lines of separation.

Патриотска приврженост за плурална друштва: од либералног национализма ка уставном патриотизму

Author(s): Nikola Beljinac / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 1/2013

The problem of belonging strongly affects daily life in existing liberal democracies. Undoubtedly, the states whose population is divided according to ethnic and/or religious affiliation face a highly demanding task: it is necessary to deal with the challenge of political integration and social cohesion, establish a solid constitutional democracy, and encourage citizen loyalty, solidarity and allegiance, all at the same time. To put it shortly, a state should be a true home for everyone who lives in it. Several schools of contemporary political theory have tried to offer a solution to this problem, three among which are the most influential: liberal nationalism, neo-republicanism, and constitutional patriotism. Each of these three has aimed to find the answer to the following question: what should be the object of the patriotic loyalty of citizens in plural societies and in what way should the loyalty be realized in practice? The first part of this question refers to the object of patriotic loyalty, while the continuation refers to its nature. I believe that the theoretical positions of liberal nationalism and neo-republicanism suffer from the same drawback: they relate patriotism to a fixed object of loyalty, which leads to the essentialization of a single substantive conception of the good. Consequently, individuals and groups whose conceptions of the good do not correspond to the proclaimed object of patriotic loyalty are subject to condemnation and exclusion, and in the most extreme cases to various forms of assimilation. My position is that constitutional patriotism is normatively superior in comparison to any version of liberal nationalism and new republicanism, because constitutional patriotism does not look for justification in a fixed object of loyalty. Furthermore, I believe that constitutional patriotism should be understood as a theoretical perspective which radically reshapes the anatomy of patriotic loyalty by superimposing the nature of this loyalty to the issue of its object, in contrast to liberal nationalism and new republicanism, according to which the nature of patriotic loyalty is derived from a fixed object - the nation or republic. In other words, the issue of the object of patriotic loyalty in constitutional patriotism results from the previous considerations of the way in which patriotism should be practiced, which could lead to more appropriate political outcomes regarding the encouragement of patriotic emotions in citizens who do not share the same conception of the good. This in no way means that constitutional patriotism cannot or does not consider necessary to resolve the issue of the object of patriotic loyalty, as is claimed by both the critics and some proponents of this concept. What constitutional patriotism represents is a reversal of the hierarchy of normative justification in favour of patriotic loyalty. Patriotism is in this way separated from the comprehensive objects of loyalty and placed in the field of political legitimity, which reduces the need for citizens to give up on their particular identities. It is important to point out here that the reference point of patriotic loyalty lies neither in liberal-democratic procedures, nor in a particular political environment which embodies universal morality, as suggested by Habermas’s conception of constitutional patriotism. It rather lies in the context of communal life which is created when constitutional patriotism is practiced. Such theory of constitutional patriotism is in terms of its motivation more complete than Habermas’s conception. Although liberal-democratic procedures provide us with directions as to how we should be loyal (defining the nature of patriotic loyalty), they are in themselves nevertheless unable to provide the answer to the question what the object of loyalty, i.e. patria is.

Politics of Peoplehood: the Birth of a New Nation?

Author(s): Nuria Sánchez Madrid / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2017

The political legitimation of nation states traditionally tended to claim homogeneity requirements that often exclude large sections of population. Taking this account of the traditional correspondence between nationality and state as a backdrop, I will attempt to sketch a new conception of peoplehood not based on class, race or religious membership, but on the acceptance of manifold social differences and on the construction of new belonging models. Basically I will suggest the exploration of new avenues of political research about the future of the nation with the following main goals: a) to argue for the persistence of differences among the members of a society at a global scale as a positive feature able to remove deep prejudices and biased views about the others, b) to highlight the prejudices that the neoliberal frame of the EU has supposed in the West Balkans area and c) to criticize the ideological resistance stemming from the idea of a nation state that usually turns down the birth of new nations in history as the result of wrongly solved conflicts. My claim for a politics of peoplehood as a regular source of conflicts and demands, which shouldn’t be viewed as a civil failure or breakdown, will be especially inspired by some texts from Seyla Benhabib, Slavoj Žižek and Lea Ypi focusing on the necessary updates that the conditions of membership and political participation ought to include in our current times.

Vyšší velitel, jeho osobnost a poslání

Author(s): Jindřich Jiří Birula / Language(s): Czech Issue: 2/2017

This article has been chosen as an archive material from the journal Vojenské rozhledy issued in the year 1921.

Istorijos reprezentacijos ir interpretacijos šiuolaikiniame Lietuvos teatre

Author(s): Kristina Steiblytė / Language(s): Lithuanian Issue: 2/2017

The text deals with (re)interpretations of history in professional contemporary Lithuanian theatre. According to historians, nowadays there are few dominating narratives about Lithuanian history: the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the grand dukes in the forefront, the only Lithuanian king Mindaugas, and the history of the 20th century wars, occupation ant battles for independence. Based on that, the text provides an attempt to figure out how these narratives are represented and reinterpreted in contemporary Lithuanian theatre with the 20th century stories dominating the repertory of historic performances. Those are both confirming the predominant narratives and reinterpreting them and establishing new relation with personalities and events dominant in memory politics. The text also deals with the narrative of the victim that dominates historic Lithuanian self-perception. Two performances help as examples understanding how this narrative can be strengthened or criticised. The last part of the text presents the place that Polish, Russian and Jewish minorities get in contemporary Lithuanian theatre to represent their versions of history and asks whether contemporary Lithuanian theatre is contributing to the creation of a more involving social environment.

Figura Świadka Historii a praktyki upamiętniania "Żołnierzy Wyklętych"

Author(s): Dariusz Nikiel / Language(s): Polish Issue: 4/2016

Article is a proposal of anthropological reflexion on the functioning of the Witness of History category, and process of collecting oral history, in the context of Cursed Soldiers commemorating practices. Study shows Witness of History figure and its memories as phenomena of not only epistemological, but also axiological meanings. It presents ideological and political background of presence people who experienced Second World War and after war period in the context of Cursed Soldiers commemoration movement. Author stress importance of reflexion on the functioning history and historiography artifacts in the space of social practices.

Operacja „Moshtarak”. Pierwszy praktyczny test nowej strategii COIN w Afganistanie

Author(s): Krzysztof Danielewicz / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3-4/2010

Operation „Moshtarak” was the first practical test of the new COIN strategy, which should change the situation in Afghanistan. In COIN operation the most important is not to kill taliban but to win the populations support to Afghan government and ISAF. Helmand province has been chosen because of its importance. In Helmand taliban’s produce 59% of all narcotics, produced in whole Afghanistan. In order to avoid civilian casualties, before operation, ISAF forces informed local population about the time and aim of operation and gave them chance to leave the area of operation. Additionally during operation Afghan National Security Forces – ANSF were engaged. One of the reasons for that was to verify their capabilities to conduct this kind of operation. Immediately after the military part development organizations were introduced. To know the final effects it is necessary to wait long time but their eventual positive results will have influence for future operation in Afghanistan.

Międzynarodowa konferencja naukowa „Gedenktage im Schatten des Populismus” („Day of Remembrance in the Shadow of Populism”), Landau/Pfalz, 29.11–1.12.2018 r.

Author(s): Dominik Marcinkowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2019

Wprowadzenie: Wybrane aspekty polityki historycznej

Author(s): Stanisław Kilian / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2008

Polityka historyczna – o bezużyteczności pojęcia

Author(s): Agnieszka Gałkowska,Stanisław Gałkowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2008

„Rozważania o krzywdzie”. Wątki polityki historycznej w publicystyce Adama Michnika

Author(s): Łukasz Tomasz Sroka / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2008

Polityka historyczna a historyk. Aprobata czy sprzeciw

Author(s): Grzegorz Tokarz / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2008

European Heritage Label-based Education as an Essential Part of Memory Education – The Polish Case

Author(s): Kinga Anna Gajda,Bożena Gierat-Bieroń / Language(s): English Issue: 87/2023

The purpose of this article is to show how the EHL is used for the interpretation, awareness, and transmission of heritage and memory. As part of the EU European Heritage Label (EHL) program, Polish institutions received six distinctions in the years 2014-2019, which places Poland high in the ranking of the awarded Brands in Europe. Polish institutions are obligated to spreading knowledge about the cultural heritage of Europe. On the one hand, EHL’s task is to raise awareness and transmit common values, elements of European history, and heritage, which can be interpreted as promoting “uni memory.” On the other hand, EHL aims to deepen intercultural dialogue and synergy, recognizing the values of diversity, which can be understood as promoting the idea of plural memory. The EHL organizers in Poland are obliged (by the provisions of the EU Program) to conduct a European narrative, but in practice, they sometimes remain at the stage of restoring and refreshing the memory of the site, organizing local memory, and revising the regional policy due to “dormant memory” during the communist period.

WOMEN IN THE CONTEMPORARY POLISH STREETSCAPE: MEMORY WARS

Author(s): Justyna B. Walkowiak,Małgorzata Rutkiewicz-Hanczewska / Language(s): English Issue: 128/2023

As diversity, equity and inclusion policies gain momentum in the Global North, the strikingly low visibility of women in Polish public space is being addressed not only via bottom-to-top activism but also through initiatives by local governments. This, in turn, results in controversies over the very need for gender equality in urban naming, as well as over the commemoration-worthiness of particular personages. The present paper aims to assess the changes that have taken place in Poland since the beginning of 2018, when an analysis of the 12 biggest cities revealed a persistent under-representation of women as namesakes in street naming. We offer a quantitative analysis and then focus on four selected case studies, each exemplifying one type of situation: open conflict, covert tactics, and two combinations of surface vs core values relationship.

Printed 100 years ago

Author(s): Petr Koziel / Language(s): Czech Issue: 3/2024

Dear readers, We would like to present to you an article published in our journal in No. 1/1924. It is the contribution by CPT GS Františka Coufala “Battle of Tannenberg 1914”. You can read or download the continuation of this article on the website of our journal www.vojenskerozhledy.cz in the Archive menu.

The Roots of anti-modern Political Culture in Serbia

Author(s): Olga Popović-Obradović / Language(s): English Issue: 012/2007

Translation of the last substantial essay written by the late Serbian historian Olga Popovic Obradovic before her tragically premature death