seeFField

SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2025-12-10 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | IOS, Landshuter Str. 4, R 017
Prof. Dr Josip Glaurdić (Université du Luxembourg) will give a talk on…
“Contagions – Nationalism, Populism, and the Pandemic at Europe’s Edge“
Time: 4-6 pm
Venue: IOS, R 017, Landshuter Straße 4, 93047 Regensburg
Abstract: What happens when a public health crisis collides with fragile democracies and deeply polarized societies? Why did some Southeast European states initially outperform expectations in managing COVID-19, only to later suffer some of the world’s highest mortalityrates? And what can this region – often dismissed as peripheral – reveal about the resilience and fragility of democracies everywhere?
This talk presents Contagions: Nationalism, Populism, and the Pandemic at Europe’s Edge, a forthcoming book that explores how ideology shaped the trajectory and memory of the pandemic in Southeast Europe. Based on original surveys, cross-national comparisons,and a wealth of empirical evidence, the book argues that the pandemic was not only a health emergency but also an ideological stress test – one that exposed the ways nationalism and populism structure public trust, compliance, and collective memory.
Join us for a discussion of the book’s core questions: How did nationalism and populism interact with crisis governance? What does Southeast Europe teach us about the vulnerabilities of liberal democracy under strain? And how might the pandemic’s legacies continueto shape political life long after the virus has receded?
Snacken with Balkans Snacks

SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2025-11-24 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | IOS, Landshuter Str. 4, R 017
Olivier Winistörfer (Universität Zürich) will give a talk on…
“The Balkans and the Sprachbund. The impact of language contact on the languages of the Balkans”
Time: 4-6 pm
Venue: IOS, R 017, Landshuter Straße 4, 93047 Regensburg
Abstract:
The languages of the Balkans have fascinated linguists for almost two centuries. Researchers have documented striking structural parallels that make the Balkans a textbook example of a sprachbund, since Jernej Kopitar’s (1829) comparative work on Albanian, Balkan Romance, and Balkan Slavic.
In this talk, I bring together quantitative data (from linguistic typology and genetics) and qualitative evidence (from dialectology) to explore how areality, and thus, language contact, has shaped these systems. I’ll show not only where Balkan languages have converged structurally, but also why the absence of certain linguistic features can be just as revealing as their presence. This perspective sheds light on how linguistic systems influence each other over time and how we can detect those connections in the present.
Snacken with Balkans Snacks

Podiumsdiskussion: 30 Jahre danach - Die tiefen Spuren der Jugoslawienkriege
2025-10-30 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | Evangelisches Bildungswerk, Am Ölberg 2, 93047 Regensburg, Bonhoeffer-Saal
Nach über drei Jahren Krieg im zerfallenden Jugoslawien leitete das Jahr 1995 die Wende ein. Im Mai 1995 tötete die bosnisch-serbische Armee in der UN-Schutzzone Tuzla in Bosnien und Herzegowina 71 Menschen durch Granatbeschuss. Im Juli 1995 exekutierten die bosnisch-serbische Armee und von der Polizei Serbiens bezahlte paramilitärische Kräfte im Genozid von Srebrenica mehr als 8.000 Bosniaken. Im August 1995 eroberte die kroatische Armee in einer Serie militärischer Operationen die serbischen Aufstandsgebiete zurück. Rund 200.000 Serben flohen bzw. wurden aus Kroatien vertrieben. Den Schlusspunkt setzte der im November 1995 erzielte Friedensvertrag von Dayton.
Dreißig Jahre sind seitdem vergangen. In dieser Zeit haben Kroatien, Bosnien-Herzegowina und Serbien jeweils unterschiedliche Wege eingeschlagen. Kroatien wurde 2009 NATO- und 2013 EU-Mitglied. Doch die Jugoslawienkriege bleiben eine schwere Bürde, nicht nur im Politischen, sondern auch im alltäglichen Miteinander. Neue Generationen wachsen heran, deren Gegenwart noch immer von den Ereignissen von vor dreißig Jahren geprägt ist. Nationalismus, Autoritarismus und Populismus haben erneut Aufwind. Wie tief sind daher nach dreißig Jahren die Spuren der Jugoslawienkriege? Und kann von einem anhaltenden Nachhall gesprochen werden, der transformativ und richtungsweisend wirken kann? Diesen Fragen stellen sich Expert:innen aus Wissenschaft, Medien und Kunst auf der Podiumsdiskussion.
Diskussion und Austausch mit:
Dr. Alida Bremer, freie Autorin und Übersetzerin, Münster
Prof. Dr. Klaus Buchenau, Historiker, Universität Regensburg
Dr. Nicolas Moll, freiberuflicher Berater transnationaler und -europäischer Projekte, Sarajevo
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Željana Tunić, Kulturwissenschaftlerin, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg

Moderation:
Prof. Dr. Ger Duijzings, Universität Regensburg

Eine Kooperationsveranstaltung von: IOS, seeFField, Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft e.V. (Geschäftsstelle München und Zweigstelle Regensburg) sowie Evangelisches Bildungswerk Regensburg e.V.

SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2025-10-29 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | IOS, Landshuter Str. 4, R 017
Emina Zoletić (University of Warsaw, Faculty of Sociology, Centre for research on social memories) will give a talk on…
“The Social Life of War Memories: Generalization, Moral obligations, Silences and intergenerational narratives in Bosnian families”
Time: 4-6 pm
Venue: IOS, R 017, Landshuter Straße 4, 93047 Regensburg
Abstract: Intergenerational transmission of war memories is not merely a matter of recounting the past; it is a complex social process that unfolds through narratives, silences, embodied practices, artifacts, and spatial encounters. In Bosnian families affected by the 1992–1995 war, the past is continually negotiated through everyday life, ritual, and relational dynamics that elevate certain experiences while suppressing or reframing others. This talk argues that generalization, moral obligation, and silence are complementary mechanisms through which families transform individual and collective wartime experiences into transgenerational narratives of identity, belonging, and moral orientation.
The central part of this talk examines intergenerational war memories and wartime migration in Bosnian and diasporic families across several locations in the European Union, the United States, and Sarajevo. Attending to both local and transnational dimensions, this talk shows how intergenerational transmission of memory is processed, experienced, and activated by participants during several highly charged political conjunctures.

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Journalist Talks: Die EU und ihr Balkandilemma
2025-10-23 18:30 - 20:30 UTC | VHS, Thon-Dittmer-Palais, Haidplatz 8, R. 121
Seit über 20 Jahren verspricht Brüssel den Balkanstaaten eine Beitrittsperspektive. In der Realität herrscht quälender Stillstand. Davon profitieren Russland und China.
Enver Robelli ist Mitglied der Politik-Redaktion des schweizerischen «Tages-Anzeiger» und zuvor für diesen und die «Süddeutsche Zeitung» war er der Balkan-Korrespondent mit Sitz in Zagreb. In den 90er-Jahren war er als Übersetzer und Balkanexperte für verschiedene westeuropäische Medien tätig. Als Redaktor und Reporter behält er seit mehr als zwei Jahrzehnten die politischen, gesellschaftlichen und kulturellen Entwicklungen vor allem in Südosteuropa im Blick. Zudem schreibt er über gelungene und gescheiterte Integration von Einwanderern sowie die juristische Aufarbeitung der Kriegsvergangenheit im früheren Jugoslawien.
Moderiert wird das Gespräch von Dr. Konrad Clewing, Historiker und Balkanexperte am Leibniz-Instituts für Ost- und Südosteuropaforschung (IOS) in Regensburg.
Journalist Talks Series is a part of the seeFField project of the University Regensburg in cooperation with the Volkshochschule Regensburg.

Public History and Memory Culture Colloquium: Talk by Bleona Kurthesi (seeFField Pre-Doc Fellow)
2025-10-22 18:15 - 19:30 UTC | University Regensburg, PT 2.0.9.
Invitation to the first session of the Colloquium on Public History and Memory Culture where our Pre-Doc Fellow-Bleona Kurteshi-presents her research.
“Memory and Future-Making through Externally Funded Projects in Kosova in the Aftermath of the 1998–1999“
This presentation introduces her PhD project that explores how externally funded memory initiatives in post-war Kosova shape understandings of the past and visions of the future, including narratives around peacebuilding and European integration. The talk will also reflect on the process of developing the PhD project, highlighting the choice of topic from both personal and political perspectives. It discusses the formulation of research questions and the challenges involved in studying memory work in a context closely connected to the researcher. The presentation offers insights into whether memory initiatives funded by international donors and implemented by NGOs operate within complex local and transnational networks.
Bleona Kurteshi (M.A.) studied Sociology at the University of Prishtina and is currently a pre-doctoral fellow in the seeFField project at the University of Regensburg.

SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2025-07-22 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | IOS, Landshuter Str. 4, R 017
Dr Adriana Zaharijević (University of Belgrade) will give a talk on…
“Anti-Gender: Backlash or Strategy? Lessons from the Post-Yugoslav Space“
Time: 6-8 pm
Venue: IOS, R 017, Landshuter Straße 4, 93047 Regensburg
Abstract: In the first part of the talk, Dr Adriana Zaharijević will share findings from the edited volume Hidden Connection: Anti-Gender Mobilizations in the Post-Yugoslav Space (co-edited with Roman Kuhar). This ‘space’, not so long ago sharing a common political, economic and legal structure, proves to be particularly interesting for the research of anti-gender mobilizations. Seen as a miniature showroom, post-Yugoslav space shows how anti-gender germinates and branches out, and provides persuasive reasons why we should talk about mobilizations, not movements or campaigns. In the second part of the talk, focusing more on Serbia, the speaker will claim that we need to understand anti-gender mobilizations , one that effectively curbs equality as such.
Snacken with Balkans Snacks

SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2025-07-10 16:00 - 18:00 (Europe/Paris) | IOS, Landshuter Str. 4, R 017
Kristóf Nagy (Central European University & seeFField visiting fellow) will give a talk on…
“Far-Right Cultural Politics in a Changing Global Order: The Case of Hungary”
Time: 4-6 pm
Venue: IOS, R 017, Landshuter Straße 4, 93047 Regensburg
Abstract: This talk explores contemporary culture wars in Eastern and Southeastern Europe amid the global rise of far-right hegemonies. Focusing on cultural infrastructure—the mental and material foundations of cultural production—it examines how state-backed cultural institutions are mobilized in ideological conflicts. While much of the discourse emphasizes media and rhetoric, this talk reorients attention to the institutional and material dimensions of culture wars. At the center of the discussion is the Hungarian Academy of Arts—an emblematic institution of Hungary’s national capitalist regime—where the speaker conducted historical and ethnographic research. By integrating global political economy, sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies, I argue for a comparative and global framework to understand contemporary culture wars.
The talk outlines a research agenda that includes not only Eastern and Southeastern Europe (e.g., Poland, Serbia, Slovakia), but also countries like Turkey, India, and Russia, where regimes have restructured cultural institutions to support national capitalist agendas and co-opt intellectuals and artists. The talk proposes that national culture wars are shaped by global shifts—especially the decline of the US-led transatlantic order and the rise of state-centered capitalisms. Viewed through this lens, culture wars in the arts appear as responses to deglobalization and new forms of imperialism.

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SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2025-06-25 16:00 - 18:00 (Europe/Paris) | University Regensburg, SG. 214, Sammelgebäude
Dr Bojan Baća (University of Montenegro & SeeFField visiting fellow) will give a talk on…
“I’m Not a Conspiracy Theorist, I’m a Conspiracy Analyst”: The Aporias of Conspiracist Ideology in Southeast Europe
Time: 4-6 pm
Venue: SG 214 (Campus, Univ. Regensburg)
Abstract:
Often positioned as a mere object of international relations rather than its subject, the post-Yugoslav region has a long-standing tradition of conspiracism as an ideological lens for interpreting (geo)political reality. During the COVID-19 pandemic – and facilitated by the platformization and gamification of conspiracy theorizing – this tradition evolved from conspiracist estrangement to conspiracist engagement. Many have now fully embraced the once-derogatory label of “conspiracy theorists”, even identifying themselves as “conspiracy analysts”. Their aim is not only to make sense of the inner workings of social reality by developing elaborate conspiracy theories, but also to propose alternative political frameworks and advocate for change – often based on rudimentary “conspiracy analyses” – without sense of shame in doing so.
This seminar examines the similarities and differences among prominent conspiracist communities on Telegram in Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, covering the period from 23 February 2022 (the day before the Russian invasion of Ukraine) to 21 January 2025 (the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration). Focusing on how tensions, contradictions, and impasses that destabilize conspiracy theories are resolved through ideological interventions, this seminar explores how these same mechanisms articulate legitimate grievances and forms of social critique, generating common threads that contribute to a shared conspiracist ideology in Southeast Europe.
Bojan Baća is a political and cultural sociologist from Montenegro. He holds a PhD in Sociology from York University and is currently a research fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Montenegro. Previously, he was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at the Department of Sociology and Work Science, University of Gothenburg, and a Re:constitution Fellow at the Max Weber Institute of Sociology, Heidelberg University. In recognition of his contributions to the study of civil society, social movements, and contentious politics in postsocialist Central and Eastern Europe, he received the 2022 Routledge Area Studies Interdisciplinarity Award.
His research has appeared in leading scholarly journals, including Sociology, Antipode, International Political Sociology, Theory, Culture & Society, Political Geography, Acta Sociologica, and Europe-Asia Studies, among others. As a SeeFField Visiting Fellow, Bojan will examine the (re)production of conspiracist ideology within online communities in the countries of the former Yugoslavia.

Snacken with Balkans Snacks

Journalist Talks: Neo-fascism in Romanian politics and the role of social media
2025-06-17 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | VHS, Thon-Dittmer-Palais, Haidplatz 8, R 219
Călin Georgescu’s success in the first round of the presidential elections in Romania in 2024 took many by surprise. A candidate with little notoriety in mainstream media, not included in the political surveys, with (neo)fascist affinities and an anti-science, conspiracist worldview, often reiterating Kremlin’s narratives, managed to win the votes of over two million Romanians. However, Călin Georgescu was not a new entry on the political scene, and his radical far-right views are the expression of a larger phenomenon: the resurgence of fascist thinking, that started as soon as the ‘90s and had its roots even deeper, in national-communism. This talk will provide an overview of the post-’89 build-up of a neo-fascist mindset and infrastructure that set the stage for its breakthrough into mainstream politics in the 2020 elections, when the populist right-wing party with neo-fascist overtones AUR gained seats in parliament. This moment marked the mainstreamization of far-right discourse, which was weaponized by Călin Georgescu in his 2024 electoral success. Social media such as Facebook and TikTok also played a role in boosting far right and neo-fascist parties and candidates, showing how the democratizing potential of such platforms can be weaponized to subvert democracy.
Adina Marincea is a journalist and researcher at the “Elie Wiesel” National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania.
Journalist Talks Series is a part of the seeFField project of the University Regensburg in cooperation with the Volkshochschule Regensburg.

2nd Albanian Studies Symposium: Symposium on Language Ideologies and Attitudes
2025-05-26 09:00 - 18:00 UTC | Kaufmanns-Gewölbe im Haus der Begegnung, Hinter der Grieb 8, 93051 Regensburg, Hinter der Grieb, Regensburg, Bayern, 93051, Germany
Organising Committee:
Björn Hansen (UR), Ledio Hala (UR/UZH), Cristiana Lucchetti (UZH), Edyta Jurkiewicz Rohrbacher (UHH)Funded by: Vielberth-StiftungThe symposium “Language Ideologies and Attitudes of Albanian Heritage Speakers Worldwide: Approaching a New Field” will take place on May 26, 2025, at the University of Regensburg.

This event is part of the activities of SeeFfield and is organized by the Institute for Slavic Studies at the University of Regensburg, in collaboration with the Slavic Seminar / Eastern European Institute at the University of Zurich, and co-organized with the Institute for Slavistics at the University of Hamburg.The symposium contributes to the internationalization of Albanian linguistics and Southeastern European Studies, fostering the development of Albanian Studies in Regensburg within the framework of SeeFfield.

The symposium focuses, among other topics, on multilingual practices, integration, and identity of Albanian heritage speakers in Germany and Switzerland. Particular attention will be given to the role of different linguistic varieties (standard and dialects) in maintaining Albanian as a heritage language in German-speaking countries. An additional focus is the impact of teachers’ ideological attitudes on language learning and awareness among heritage speakers.Given the interdisciplinary potential of this topic, the symposium will bring together linguistic, literary, and cultural perspectives. Contributions may explore, among others:

The role of standard and dialectal varieties in heritage language maintenance
Language ideologies in education and their effects on learning outcomes
Transnational migration literature reflecting the experiences and identity negotiations of Albanian heritage speakers
Broader discussions on digital resources of Albanian and the role of AI-based tools

The symposium will be divided into two sessions:

Language Ideologies and Heritage Speakers’ Attitudes – focusing on the challenges posed by standardization and dialectal variation
General Topics Related to Albanian – including multilingualism, corpus studies, and language variation

The event will be in English, with some translations into Albanian. See full programme below.

SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2025-05-08 16:00 - 18:00 (Europe/Paris) | IOS, Landshuter Str. 4, R 017
Dr. Cristiana Luchetti (Universität Zürich) wird zum folgenden Thema einen Vortrag halten:
Spracherhalt, Ideologien und Prestige bei den Herkunftssprachen Albanisch und BKMS in der Schweiz und den USA. Eine vergleichende Studie
Zeit: 16-18 Uhr
Ort: IOS, R017
Abstract: In meinem Habilitationsprojekt setze ich mich mit den zwei wichtigsten Sprachen der Diaspora aus dem ehemaligen jugoslawischen Raum auseinander: BKMS (Bosnisch-Kroatisch-Montenegrinisch-Serbisch) und Albanisch. Mein geographischer Fokus liegt auf der Schweiz und den USA, zwei der bedeutsamsten Zielländer für Migration aus dem ehemaligen Jugoslawien. Angesichts der demographischen Relevanz dieser Migrationsphänomene in den beiden Ländern ist die soziolinguistische Forschungslage bis auf einige Ausnahmen auffällig lückenhaft. Es ist besonders lohnend, eine Vergleichsstudie zwischen der Schweiz und den USA durchzuführen, da die extrem unterschiedlichen Flächenverhältnisse einen grossen Einfluss auf Zusammenhalt und Zugehörigkeitsgefühl in den Diasporagemeinschaften haben. Dies kann wiederum Folgen für den Erhalt von Herkunftssprachen haben, die zu untersuchen ich mir vornehme.
Das Projekt ist vor allem an metalinguistischem Wissen interessiert. Anhand einer Umfrage, soziolinguistischer Interviews und einer cognitive map task gehe ich den folgenden soziolinguistischen Fragestellungen nach:

Wie erhalten Sprecher des Albanischen und des BKMS in verschiedenen Generationen in der Schweiz und in den USA ihre Sprachen?
Welche Ideologien sind aus den Statements der Sprecher gegenüber ihren Herkunftssprachen sowie den Sprachen, die in ihrer Umgebung gesprochen werden, erkennbar?
Lassen sich aus diesen Ideologien Prestigehierarchien lesen?

Diese drei fallspezifischen Fragen tragen dazu bei, die folgende übergreifende Frage zu beantworten: Wie konstruieren Menschen, die Migration erfahren, eine Beziehung zu den für sie relevanten Räumen anhand von Sprache?

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Journalist Talks: BALKANGAMBIT – Der Einfluss der Großmächte auf dem Balkan
2025-04-29 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | VHS, Thon-Dittmer-Palais, Haidplatz 8, R 219
Der Balkan ist ins Fadenkreuz von Weltmächten wie Russland, China und der Türkei geraten, die dort ihren Einfluss ausbauen. Während die EU ihr Beitrittsversprechen an die Region kaum einlöst, wächst die Konkurrenz durch Propaganda, Investitionen und Kulturpolitik. Für den 5-teiligen Podcast „Balkangambit“ reiste der Journalist Dirk Auer durch den Balkan, sprach mit Historikern, Aktivisten und Politikberatern und untersuchte die Auswirkungen ausländischer Einflussnahme. Seine Recherche führte ihn von Belgrad bis zur Europäischen Kommission in Brüssel. Im Vortrag wird Dirk Auer den Podcast vorstellen und anhand einzelner Beispiele die Teilnehmer mitnehmen auf seine Reise durch die Region.
Dr. Dirk Auer, Sozialwissenschaftler, berichtet als freier Autor und Journalist für Hörfunk, Zeitungen und Magazine aus und über Südosteuropa. Von 2005 bis 2012 hat er in Sofia gelebt, danach drei Jahre in Belgrad. Er ist Mitglied von balkan:biro, n-ost (Netzwerk für Osteuropa-Berichterstattung). 2024 bekam er für seine Verdienste um die Berichterstattung über die Region den Journalistenpreis der Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft.
Journalist Talks im Rahmen des Projektes seeFField der Universität Regensburg in Zusammenarbeit mit der Volkshochschule Regensburg.

SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2025-02-20 14:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris) | IOS, Landshuter Str. 4, R 017
Dr Valentin Kalinov (University of Plovdiv) will give a talk on…
“Freud in the Shadows? On the (im)possibility of psychotherapy under communist rule“
Time: 2-4 pm
Venue: IOS, R017
via Zoom: https://uni-regensburg.zoom-x.de/j/66040879796
Abstract:
Is there a place for psychoanalysis and psychotherapy in the totalitarian discourse on mental health? The negative answer to this question might seem self-evident. However, as in other humanities fields of socialist knowledge – such as academic philosophy, history, literature, and the arts – a critical look can delineate places of disobedience, deviations from the officially sanctioned perspectives, and even deliberate subversions of the imposed ideological discourse.

These are places – in thought, writing and public speaking – that function as symptoms. In these shadowy places, under the watchful eye of the Party’s guardians, a singular social fact and an existential meaning are produced, marked simultaneously by the forces of repression and resistance to repression.

This lecture seeks to explore three avenues of inquiry: 1) Mapping Symptomatic Places and their immanent practices of knowledge production; 2) “Life in Truth” as a practice in the field of psychotherapy and psychoanalysis; 3) The Disruptive Potential of Psychoanalysis.

The first objective is to outline the typology of these places-symptoms that constitute the (im)possibility of psychotherapy during Bulgaria’s totalitarian regime in the second half of the twentieth century. This examination will take a broad perspective, analyzing ideological recognition and misrecognition of Marx and Freud, state Marxism-Leninism and psychoanalysis, discourse and counter-discourse. To this end, I will investigate the forms of domestication and “Sovietization” of psychoanalytic conceptual and technical apparatus.

The second aim is to shed light on some particular modalities of “life-in-truth” and “life-in-lie” practiced within these symptomatic places, which, for various reasons, have so far remained on the margins of memory and history.

Thirdly, the lecture will highlight the critical and destructive power of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy in the context of the ideological construction of a ‘socialist way of life’ and a ‘communist intimacy’ during the period of so-called mature socialism.

These three lines of thought would contribute to a fuller understanding of the stakes of the past under conditions of totalitarian repression, as well as the anxieties of the future. Both, however, remain linked to the “hope of truth” – the only force that can give life the power to survive.
The methodology of this lecture integrates archival research with critical engagement in philosophical and psychoanalytic literature. By examining overlooked or marginalized sources, the talk seeks to uncover the untold story of psychoanalysis under totalitarian rule in Bulgaria, bringing it into dialogue with broader intellectual frameworks, including Marxist ideology, psychoanalytic theory, and philosophy. This interdisciplinary approach not only reconstructs a neglected historical narrative but also situates it within larger debates on the tensions between repression and resistance, ideology and counter-discourse. The academic aim is twofold: to illuminate the specific historical dynamics of psychoanalysis within this context and to contribute to broader scholarly discussions on the intersections of psychoanalysis, philosophy, and political ideology.

SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2025-01-23 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | IOS, Landshuter Str. 4, R 017
Prof. Asoc. Dr. Blertë Ismajli (Philologische Fakultät der Universität Prishtina) will give a talk on…
“Die deutsche Sprache in Kosovo – aktuelle Entwicklungen “
Time: 4-6 pm
Venue: IOS, R017
Abstract: Die seit den 1960er Jahren intensivierten Migrationsbeziehungen zwischen dem Kosovo und dem deutschsprachigen Raum beeinflussen kontinuierlich die gesellschaftlichen Entwicklungen im Land. Aufgrund der aktuellen intensiven Arbeitsmigration ist Deutsch neben Englisch eine der am häufigsten erlernten Fremdsprachen im Kosovo. Spuren dieser Beziehungen lassen sich auch in der Sprache beobachten, obschon der deutsch- und der albanischsprachige Raum keine direkt benachbarten Sprachregionen darstellen. Der Transfer deutscher Lexeme ins Albanische erfolgte auf verschiedenen Wegen. Einerseits über eine slawische Vermittlersprache, andererseits durch Gastarbeiter, die neben dem Transfer von technischen Gütern und Know-how auch einen Sprachtransfer ermöglichten. Zudem trugen Rückkehrer aus dem Kosovo nach 2000 zu einer Intensivierung des deutsch-albanischen Sprachkontakts bei. Gegenwärtig ist die Präsenz der deutschen Sprache im öffentlichen Raum, insbesondere in Kosovo und Nordmazedonien, bemerkenswert. Der sprachliche Austausch manifestiert sich zudem in der Rapmusik, in der eine Zunahme bilingualer deutsch-albanischer Songlyrics zu beobachten ist, aber auch die Essenskultur, in verschiedenen Unternehmen oder in Form von Graffiti. Dieser Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über die Stellung des Deutschen im Kosovo heute.
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Journalist Talks: Der Balkan - Region der ungenützten Chancen
2025-01-21 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | Scheugäßchen 1, Raum 22
Kurz vor Jahresende 2024 kamen beunruhigende Nachrichten aus Rumänien. Nach der ersten Runde der Präsidentenwahl lag völlig überraschend ein russlandfreundlicher und europakritischer Kandidat an erster Stelle. Im Kontext der aktuellen geopolitischen Auseinandersetzung war das eine Nachricht, die den Westen und die EU alarmierte. Ein wichtiges EU und noch wichtigeres NATO Land könnte vielleicht bald ins Lager Putins abdriften. Rumänien ist leider kein Einzelfall und die Ursache für solche überraschenden Wendungen sind in vielen Ländern ein tiefgreifender Ärger gegenüber korrupten Eliten, aber auch eine Enttäuschung gegenüber der Europäischen Union. Für die Länder des Balkan hat das zur Folge, dass Chancen und Potentiale nicht genutzt werden. Das gilt für die EU-Staaten Ungarn, Rumänien, Bulgarien und Kroatien genauso, wie für die EU-Anwärter der Westbalkanstaaten. Die gegenwärtige geopolitische Krise gibt außerdem autokratischen Politikern ein Erpressungspotential an die Hand, weil der Balkan plötzlich wieder zum Pulverfass werden könnte und womöglich Schauplatz eines bewaffneten Konflikts werden könnte.
Nikolaus Neumaier (*1963) ist ARD-Auslandskorrespondent im Studio Wien/Südosteuropa und berichtet seit mehr als vier Jahren für das Deutsche Fernsehen aus Südosteuropa. Zuvor war er mehr als zehn Jahre Leiter der Redaktion Landespolitik im Bayerischen Rundfunk. Neumaier war außerdem Korrespondent im ARD-Hauptstadtstudio Berlin und berichtete als Landeskorrespondent aus Oberfranken.
Journalist Talks im Rahmen des Projektes seeFField der Universität Regensburg in Zusammenarbeit mit der Volkshochschule Regensburg.

SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2024-12-02 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | IOS, Landshuter Str. 4, R 017
Assoc. Prof. Dr Dalina Kallulli (University of Vienna) will give a talk on…
“Patterns of Clitic doubling in Albanian”
Time: 4-6 pm
Venue: IOS, R017
Abstract: In this session, we’ll explore the phenomenon of “Clitic doubling”, a common trait in many Balkan Sprachbund languages. Clitic doubling influences information structure and helps to form object agreement, particularly with topical arguments. Our next guest, Dalina Kallulli, will also discuss the symmetries and asymmetries of clitic doubling in Albanian, how it plays out in relative clauses, wh-constructions, and idiomatic expressions. This area ist still not explored in depth by researchers.
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SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2024-11-27 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | IOS, Landshuter Str. 4, R 017
Prof. Dr Alex Drace-Francis (University of Amsterdam) will give a talk on…
“How Global can Mămăligă be? Methodological and Gastronomical Reflections”
Time: 4-6 pm
Venue: IOS, R017
Abstract: The talk will focus on methods of analysis and interpretation of mămăligă, a well-known cornmeal porridge. On the one hand, mămăligă can be approached as a symbol of Romanian national identity: it has often been discussed in this way, as have other food products from the Balkans and southeastern Europe (e.g. burek, yoghurt, sarmale), using sources like cookery books, folklore and fieldwork. On the other, mămăligă is the product of wider global processes and can enable comparison with other cuisines and economies on a global scale.

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SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2024-11-12 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | University Regensburg, VG 0.24
Prof. as. dr Mikaela Minga (Institut of Anthropology, Albanian Academy of Sciences) will give a talk on…
“Voices of the city: Music, urban life and memory”
Time: 4-6 pm
Venue: University Regensburg, VG 0.24
Abstract: In this presentation, I would like to focus on voices: those voices that have distinguished my research on urban music in two Albanian cities: Korça (situated in the southeastern part) and Elbasan (central Albania). Among the most important has been that of Spanja Pipa (singer and actress of Korça’s song) with whom I did also an independent musical project. I will discuss repertoires and genres departing from this voice presence in my work and then proceed with the implications that the past, memory, and acts of remembering exert within forms music making and music listening. The communist past of Albania and the post-totalitarian “present” are also an integral part of these voice narratives. In the last part then, I would like to open up the discussion on the interconnection between these voices and those of other urban geographies.

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Journalist Talks: Wie Russlands Propaganda den Balkan destabilisiert
2024-11-05 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | VHS, Thon-Dittmer-Palais, Haidplatz 8, R 219
Seit zehn Jahren besitzen russische Staatsmedien wie Sputnik und RT in Serbiens Hauptstadt Belgrad eigene Redaktionen, die vielfältige Angebote produzieren. Mit dem Segen der politischen Klasse haben sie es hier wie in den Nachbarländern geschafft, auch die irrealsten und unlogischsten Narrative salonfähig zu machen. Gleichzeitig ist die Region für die Kreml-Medien Trainingsfeld, um Propagandatechniken zu testen, die dann im großen Stil im Westen eingesetzt werden. Gezeigt wird an konkreten Beispielen, wie diese Propaganda funktioniert und welche Wirkung sie erzielt.
Dr. Thomas Brey war fast vier Jahrzehnte für die Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa als deren Südosteuropaexperte mit Sitz in Belgrad und Leiter aller dpa-Büros in der Region tätig. Seit 15 Jahren übernimmt er Lehraufträge an deutschen Unis zu südosteuropäischen Themen und bietet Workshops für Nachwuchsjournalisten aus Kroatien und Serbien auf der Grundlage eigener Lehrbücher an.
Journalist Talks im Rahmen des Projektes seeFField der Universität Regensburg in Zusammenarbeit mit der Volkshochschule Regensburg.

Journalist Talks: Media as a tool of international intervention
2024-10-15 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | VHS, Thon-Dittmer-Palais, Haidplatz 8, R 219
The talk will focus on post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina, the country that remains one of the biggest experiments in international intervention in modern history. Media assistance, as well as international intervention, was an enormous project that involved many donors and recipient organisations and large amounts of money. However, it is just one of many countries where democratisation and state-building took place with little to no input from the local community. The talk will give an overview of the intervention, its main actors, goals, and approaches.
Nidžara Ahmetašević is an award-winning journalist and independent scholar from Bosnia and Herzegovina. For over twenty years, she has written about human rights, media, and migration. Her work has been featured in various media outlets, such as The Balkans, The New Yorker, The Rolling Stone, Guardian, Al Jazeera English, etc. She is the author of the book The Media as a Tool of International: House of Cards (Routledge, 2024).
Journalist Talks Series is a part of the seeFField project of the University Regensburg in cooperation with the Volkshochschule Regensburg.

SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2024-06-12 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | University Regensburg, SG. 214, Sammelgebäude
Rozafa Berisha, PhD (seeFField visiting fellow) will give a talk on…
“Crafting Futures in the Aftermath of Hope: Gender, State, and Affect in Kosovo”
Time: 4-6 pm
Venue: SG 214, Universität Regensburg
Abstract: This lecture discusses the relations between promises of statehood and gendered futures in Kosovo, a state-building context with an unfolding Europeanising agenda. For young women, historically marginal within gender and ethno-national hierarchies, Kosovo’s independence in 2008 promised a new era of state-oriented hopefulness. It did so by promoting a new model of national womanhood ingrained with the principles of liberty, empowerment, and meritocracy; the core tenets of a projected “European future”. However, the fieldwork Rozafa Berisha conducted a decade after independence, revealed that many of these promises remained unmet. In this lecture, she traces ethnographically how young women from low-income backgrounds navigate the disconnect between their novel hopes of post-independence and their lived realities through individualized future-making strategies. Centering around an ethnographic and gendered account of the state, the talk reflects on what it means to form an affective attachment to a political project that struggles to materialize.

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Albanian Studies Symposium: Exploring the Future of Research and Scholarship
2024-06-07 08:30 - 18:00 UTC | University Regensburg, VG 1.30, Universität Regensburg, VG 1.30, Germany

SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2024-05-16 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | IOS, Landshuter Str. 4, R 017
Dragoș Sdrobiș, PhD (seeFField visiting fellow) will give a talk on
ENGINEERING A CAREER. A Brief Insight into the Curriculum of Polytechnic Studies in Romania, 1881-1939
Time: 4-6 pm
Venue: IOS, R017
Abstract:
The objective of the presentation is to delineate the progression of polytechnic studies in Romania from 1881 to 1939. In an agrarian society, characterized by high levels of illiteracy, and where legal or humanistic studies dominated higher education, pursuing engineering studies was a peripheral career option for young individuals. Through a discourse analysis of key publications from polytechnics and professional associations of that era, and by delving into the memoirs of certain engineers, I aim to address the following inquiries:

Who comprised the student body enrolled in polytechnic schools?
Were there any motivating factors that influenced the attractiveness of choosing polytechnic studies in comparison to university studies?
Did the state implement any strategies to encourage young individuals to opt for polytechnic studies?
What was the admission process for aspiring engineers?
To what extent did the curriculum of polytechnics align with the technological advancements and professional challenges of that period?

Photo: The visit of King Carol I to the National School of Bridges and Roads in 1904
Source: Aniversarea a 75 de ani de învățământ tehnic în România…, București, Cartea Românească Publishing House, 1931, p. 200.

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SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2024-04-24 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | IOS, Landshuter Str. 4, R 017
Dr Constantin Ardeleanu (New Europe College – Institute for Advanced Study, Bucharest) will give a talk on
The Snake Island from Achilles to Zelenskyy
Time: 4-6 pm
Venue: IOS, R017
Abstract: A tiny islet in the north-western part of the Black Sea, about 45 kilometers east of the Danube Delta, the Snake Island has a fascinating history, which in fact illuminates larger aspects related to the history of the region.
The island was “rediscovered” in the early 19th century, when classical historians looking from Greek-Roman artifacts in the Ukrainian provinces of imperial Russia identified the island as the ancient Leuke, home of a famous Greek temple to Achilles. The temple made way to a lighthouse, which guided ships carrying grain from both Southern Ukraine and the Danube Delta. In 1856, at the end of the Crimean War, the island was “returned”, with British support, to the Ottoman Empire, and in 1878 the island and the neighboring Delta became Romanian territory. It was annexed in 1948 by the Soviet Union; since 1991, the island has remained part of independent Ukraine. In the 2000s, delimitation of the maritime boundary close to the Snake Island was the object of a Romanian-Ukrainian trial in front of the International Court of Justice. Not least of all, with Russia’s full-fledged war against Ukraine, the Snake Island has assumed new relevance in Ukraine’s defense and in president Zelenskyy’s addresses to the Ukrainian nation.
My talk aims to briefly present what makes the history of this place so interesting and worthwhile being studied by those interested in Black Sea history.

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Southeast European Studies Student Symposium 2024
2024-04-04 - 2024-04-06 | Online
What is the SEES Student Symposium about?
The Southeast European Studies (SEES) Student Symposium essentially constitutes an opportunity for students interested in Southeast Europe to connect. It serves as a platform for exchange and feedback on current research projects (seminar papers, bachelor’s and master’s theses, etc.) and more. We embrace a broad thematic spectrum (yet always regarding Southeast Europe!) and are curious to know what interests you. Therefore, we welcome presentations on papers and reports (also work in progress!) and explicitly encourage you to bring along the questions and doubts that emerge throughout the research process. We will try to collectively find answers to them during presentations, and later in dialogue with the audience.
As a meeting place, the Symposium provides a space for exchange about Southeast Europe. Last year’s Symposium witnessed plenty of open and insightful debates, and we hope the 2024 edition awaits the same. Along with presentations, this year’s program includes keynotes, workshops, as well as cultural and creative activities. The Symposium’s main working languages are English and German, but if you would like to participate in another language, make sure to mention it in your application. However, please bear in mind that we cannot guarantee discussions and moderation in every language.
Who do we address?
We invite bachelor’s and master’s students, as well as master’s graduates who are currently in the application process for predoc and doctorate programs, to discuss their current work and research projects.
We welcome contributions from disciplines such as cultural studies, literary studies, linguistics, history, political sciences, economics, law, and more, as long as the topic is related to Southeast Europe. By Southeast Europe, we understand all the countries listed below (1).
You are interested in participating without presenting your own project? The registration for the symposium will open up on 1 March 2024.
Call for Presentations
If you are interested in presenting your work in 15 minutes, please email us an abstract of your project (max. 300 words) as well as a short bio (max. 100 words). The choice of research topic is free, but always concerning Southeast Europe. 20-minute discussions will follow presentations. Abstracts must be submitted in English.
Call for Activities
We would love to hear about your ideas for possible creative and cultural activities. Some ideas could be:

Film or book reviews from or about SEE
Presentation of musicians or bands from SEE
Moderating an open conversation about a specific topic for the participants of the Symposium (e.g. feminism, LGBTIQ+, environmental movements…)
An interview with an inspiring person (i.e. activists, researchers, journalists, young professionals…)

Please email us your proposal in English containing a brief description of what you envision and who you want to address (max. 300 words); excluding a short paragraph about yourself (max. 100 words) in one PDF. You may indicate if you want the activity to take place in another language.
Please send your application to symposium.see@gmail.com by 29 January 2024.

BOOK LAUNCH | From Grand Estates to Grand Corruption: The Battle over the Possessions of Prince Albert of Thurn and Taxis in Interwar Yugoslavia
2024-01-31 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Evangelisches Bildungswerk, Am Ölberg 2, 93047 Regensburg, Bonhoeffer-Saal
Am 31. Januar 2024 stellt Klaus Buchenau (Regensburg) sein neues Buch “From Grand Estates to Grand Corruption: The Battle over the Possessions of Prince Albert of Thurn and Taxis in Interwar Yugoslavia” vor. Moderiert wird diese Veranstaltung von Luminata Gatejel (Regensburg). Der Vortrag findet in deutscher Sprache unter dem Titel “Wald, Gewalt und Geld. Der Kampf um Güter des Hauses Thurn und Taxis in Kroatien, 1919-1945” statt.

Abstract:
Als Jugoslawien 1918 gegründet wurde, besaßen adlige Grundbesitzer noch große Teile des Landes. Dies galt vor allem für die nordwestliche Hälfte des Staates, die früher zur Habsburgermonarchie gehört hatte. Mit rund 38.000 Hektar war Fürst Albert von Thurn und Taxis der größte private Waldbesitzer des neuen Königreichs. Jugoslawische Politiker forderten eine Enteignung, die als Herstellung sozialer und historischer Gerechtigkeit gerechtfertigt wurde. Gleichzeitig versuchten politische und wirtschaftliche Netzwerke, den Besitz in ihre eigenen Taschen zu lenken. Die beteiligten Seiten – Thurn und Taxis, jugoslawische Beamte, nationale und internationale Unternehmen – kämpften mit verschiedenen Mitteln für ihre Interessen, von Gerichtsverfahren über internationale Arbitrage bis hin zu politischem Lobbyismus. Dieses Buch destilliert aus diesen Methoden eine “Grammatik der Korruption” im Holzgeschäft der Zwischenkriegszeit. Für mehr Informationen siehe hier
Klaus Buchenau:
Er ist Professor für Geschichte Südost- und Osteuropas an der Universität Regensburg. Zu Beginn seiner akademischen Laufbahn widmete er sich zunächst der Soziolinguistik, dann der Religionsgeschichte. Unter dem Eindruck der Finanzkrise seit 2008 erweiterte er seine Forschungsinteressen auf Ressourcenverteilung, staatliches Misstrauen und die Geschichte der Korruption.
Kooperation:
Graduiertenschule für Ost- und Südosteuropastudien
Evangelisches Bildungswerk Regensburg

Albanian Studies in the Global Context
2024-01-30 15:00 - 19:00 UTC | Online and Masaryk Room, SSEES UCL, Taviton Street, London, 16 Taviton Street, London, United Kingdom
In cooperation with SSEES PROLang, we cordially invites you to the discussion of Albanian studies in the global context. Several academics from around the world will discuss the challenges facing the teaching of Albanian as a foreign or heritage language, and more generally Albanian studies abroad.
The moderators of this event are Albanian language lecturers, Dr Mirela Xhaferraj (SSEES, UCL) and Lecturer Ledio Hala (Institute for Slavonic Studies, Seeffield Project, UR), together with Ramona Gonczol (SSEES, UCL), Associate Professor Romanian and convener of PROLang.
It takes place on 30 January, 3:00 pm–7:00 pm (London time). This event is hybrid and will be recorded.
Opening remarks: Associate Professor Ramona Gonczol (UCL SSEES), Convener of the PROLang Group.
Part 1– TEACHING ALBANIAN AS A FOREIGN/SECOND LANGUAGE
1. Mirela Xhaferraj (UCL SSEES): Teaching Albanian as a foreign/second language in the UK
2. Ledio Hala (Institute for Slavonic Studies, Seeffield Project, UR): Albanian Language Teaching and Studies in German Universities: Navigating Challenges, Celebrating Successes, and Sharing Best Practices
3. Linda Mëniku (University of Tirana, Albania / Arizona State University, CLI): Textbooks for teaching Albanian
4. Jin Qiao (Beijing Foreign Studies University): Policy Communication and Talent Cultivation in the Field of Higher Education between China and Albania
5. Flora Koleci (University of Salento, Italy): The teaching of Albanian as a second language in the Italian context
6. Lumnije Jusufi (Humboldt University of Berlin): Integration of vertical and horizontal varieties in the teaching of Albanian as a foreign language
7. Aljula Jubani (Institute for European Studies, University of Tirana, Albania): Optimizing Albanian language learning by applying the CEFR framework
8. Bardh Rugova (Universiteti i Prishtinës): Teaching Albanian as a Foreign and Heritage Language: Exploring Educational Approaches at the International Seminar on Albanian Language, Literature, and Culture
9. Maria Morozova (Russian Academy of Sciences) and Alexander Rusakov (Academy of Sciences of Albania): Teaching and learning Albanian studies in Saint Petersburg
Part 2- ALBANIAN STUDIES ABROAD
1. Eda Derhemi (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign): The faint presence of Albanian studies in the US
2. Enkeleida Kapia (Academy of Albanian Studies Tirana/ LMU Munich): Albanian studies in Munich: a multifaceted story of language variation and change in modern Albanian
3. Ardian Marashi (INALCO, France): Albanian in INALCO: history, organization, challenges
4. Orkida Backus Borshi (Charles University Prague), Albanian Studies at Charles University in Prague: New Perspectives
5. Emine Sadiku (Federal Language Agency Cologne), Teuta Toska (University of Elbasan): Positioning Albanian as a Second Language: Mapping the Evolution of an Emerging Academic Domain within the Linguistic Framework of Albania
6. Blerta Ismajli (University of Prishtina): Preserving heritage language through music: Albanian-German bilingual rap music
7. Michiel de Vaan (University of Basel): Albanian studies in Switzerland

SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars
2024-01-18 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | IOS, Landshuterstr. 4, R 017
Dr. Miroslav Pavlović (University Novi Sad) will give a talk on
“Between “Turkish Yoke” and Ottoman Reality: Ottoman Heritage in Contemporary Serbian Historiography”
Time: 4-6 pm
Venue: IOS, R017
Abstract: Early proclaimed dichotomy in Serbian historiography between the “national approach” and Ottoman studies was created in the 19th century and maintained until the early 21st century. This “Methodenstreit” or ideological issue, positioned Ottomanists between being practitioners of an auxiliary discipline of the modern historiography and experts of one of its most challenging research fields. The fear of the so-called defterology paradox, or the unresolved contradictions of the transitional period of Ottoman history were the sources of insecurities, that contributed to marginalization of Ottoman studies. The last two decades proved to be a turning point. In one moment, all three history departments in Serbia (at the Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš Universities) employed experts in the Ottoman studies. New approaches in the study of Ottoman history, predominantly of the transitional period (17th–18th centuries) started to open possibilities for the change of the position of Ottomanists in Serbian academia in the last two decades. The Ottoman studies offered “something that could not be neglected” regarding the progress of a society in transition and its changing perception of its own past.

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Southeast European Studies Online Platform: Interdisciplinary approaches to digital humanities
2024-01-18 10:15 - 12:00 UTC | via Zoom
Sanja Durin (Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, Zagreb): “From pasture to wilderness: How Velebit became the ultimate place of solitude and adventure”
Abstract: Although today represented as “wild”, the Velebit mountain was for centuries the habitat of people, a place of coexistence of herders and nature. Today, only old photos and piles of stacked stones that were once the homes, “stanovi” of herders and their families tell about it. As A. L. Tsing noted for forests, natural landscapes “are always historical – and the habits through which we learn to forget this blinds us to the dynamism of nature”. Velebit’s landscapes and narratives about them change because their visitors change, too. Recent (re)popularization of wilderness through outdoor lifestyle has created an imaginary of untouched, “virgin”, indestructible and attractive Velebit’s wilderness. Using a rephotograph of the Velebit landscapes, I question the changes in the relationship between man and the mountain and the environmental changes of the Velebit landscapes.

Agim Poshka (South East European University, Tetovo): “How to Teach Digital Literacy?”
Abstract: The focus will be on Information literacy and the ethical aspects of using digital resources. Also, the importance of understanding digital footprints and how to protect yourself online will be discussed. The risks of being a victim of fake news, cyberbullying and other aspects of handling securely digital communication for educational purposes.
https://uni-regensburg.zoom-x.de/j/62411825548?pwd=[REDACTED]
(Meeting-ID: 624 1182 5548, Kenncode: [REDACTED])
