Date/Location:
July 13–17 2009, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena

Deadline:
March 15, 2009

In the context of the project "Communicating Europe. Jewish Knowledge Cultures beyond the Nation-State", which is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research, the second summer school will take place at the Friedrich-Schiller University of Jena, from July 13 to 17, 2009.
The summer school is being offered to doctoral candidates in Jewish Studies, History and similar disciplines, whose dissertations include a trans-national approach to European history. Jewish Lebenswelten are conceived of here as a special prism through which European and general history can be analysed and understood.

Themes and central questions:
The emergence and development of the modern nation state in the 19th century had far reaching effects on the Lebenswelten which were, until then, corporate. Enlightenment and emancipation promoted the formation of a bourgeoise society based on the principles of equality, participation, and broad homogeneity of a nations’ population. Consequently, traditionally designed collectives, in which membership was, for example, based on religious principles, were called into question and began to undergo far- reaching transformations. Furthermore, as a result of the industrial revolution, the progressing mechanisation, new social chances for advancement as well as social turmoil, the 19th and 20th centuries can be viewed especially in the context of mobility. Multilingualism and life in different cultures and in different, changing places continued to be the social reality for many people and groups, even though the nation-state principle was establishing itself. The contrast between national Regelwelten and trans-national Lebenswelten caused tensions which called the sharply defined beliefs in national as well as social borders into question. One of the summer schools’ conclusions from this is the thesis that exchange, mobility and trans-nationality, the spatial transfer and the cultural translation of knowledge possess an inherent "European" dimension and allow for an expanded perspective on European history which is not restricted to the mere addition of territorial units and lifestyles.
Such forms and dimensions of the "European", hidden or "encapsulated" by the Cold War, have been in the focus of history departments for quite some time.
The main focus of the summer school should therefore be on projects in which methodological discussions regarding the terms "space", "mobility", "Europe" and "trans-nationality" will be fruitful. Jewish Erfahrungswelten will be considered especially exemplary here. Central questions will be: What analytical potential do these terms possess? Considering the outlined background of mobility, how can the term "European" as a social construct be reconstructed and analysed? Which topics and objects of research profit from a trans-national perspective and what kind of methodological problems occur?

Organisation and application:
The participants will actively shape the summer school. Each doctoral candidate will have the opportunity to discuss his or her project or a special methodological problem for approximately 60 minutes. These discussions should be initiated by a short talk of up to 20 minutes, either concerning the project or a text/source which should be submitted beforehand. In addition, the program will include guest lectures and discussions such as seminars and reading sessions.

Applications should include an exposé of the dissertation project as well as a CV and are to be submitted electronically by March 15, 2009 to: jena.center@uni-jena.de (Reference: Summer School 2009). The invited participants will be notified by April 15, 2009. Travel expenses will be reimbursed according to the usual and valid provisions. Accommodations in Jena will also be arranged. The languages of the conference are German and English.