European Protest Movements Since 1945

International and interdisciplinary protest research sponsored by the European Commission and coordinated by the University of Heidelberg’s Center for American Studies — a cooperation between the Universities of Heidelberg, Zurich and Halle-Wittenberg

For some considerable time, networking and interdisciplinarity have been considered as the mantra of academic research activities. The actual realisation of these scientific paradigms is the main goal of a conference and trainee project about European protest movements since 1945, coordinated by the Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA) since May 2006. Entitled “European Protest Movements since the Cold War – The Rise of a (Trans-)national Civil Society and the Transformation of the Public Sphere after 1945”, this Marie Curie Project is a cooperation between the universities of Heidelberg, Zurich and Halle-Wittenberg. It is jointly conducted by the historian Martin Klimke, the linguist Joachim Scharloth and the media scientist Kathrin Fahlenbrach. All three of them have dealt with this topic from different perspectives in their own fields of research.

The declared aim of the project is the interdisciplinary investigation of the diverse phenomena of protest in Eastern and Western Europe after the Second World War. With innovative starting points and new research interests, young scientists from all over the world study and analyse structures of protest and social movements, discussing everything from sit-ins in 1968 to flashmobs and today's global justice movements. Especially remarkable is the international network that transcends all disciplinary borders, thus providing opportunities for junior and senior scholars to engage in productive and, above all, constructive debates. At the moment, the project assembles around 150 participants from Europe and North America communicating via the project’s internet platform which keeps them informed about the latest research and publications in this area (www.protest-research.eu).

After two opening workshops in Halle and Zurich, an initial conference will take place in Heidelberg from 22-24 November 2007 at the Heidelberg Center for American Studies. The conference is entitled “'The 'Establishment' Responds: The Institutional and Social Impact of Protest Movements during and after the Cold War.” Among others, Akira Iriye (History Department, Harvard University) and Marco Giuigni (Department of Political Science, University of Geneva, Switzerland) will be welcomed as keynote speakers. As a follow-up to this conference a summer school will be organized in cooperation with the Charles University of Prague. It is scheduled for August 2008 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the crushing of the “Prague Spring“ by Soviet tanks. Here international researchers will join to discuss the overall topic of “'Confronting Cold War Conformity: Peace and Protest Cultures in Europe, 1945-1989”.

The Marie Curie project has also produced its first publications. In addition to a publication series from Berghahn Books (New York/Oxford) entitled “Protest, Culture and Society” and starting in 2008, a handbook on the cultural and media history of the German student movement of the 1960/70s has just been published (Martin Klimke and Joachim Scharloth: “'1968. Handbuch zur Kultur- und Mediengeschichte der Studentenbewegung”, Metzler, Stuttgart). The volume includes an initial selection of the individual research done by various project participants. Furthermore, and because of the rapid growth of the project, an umbrella organization entitled “International Center for Protest Research (ICP)” was also founded last summer in order to coordinate research in collaboration with leading international experts in this field (www.protest-research.org).

Contacts:
Heidelberg Center for American Studies
Curt und Heidemarie Engelhorn Palais
Hauptstr. 120, D-69117 Heidelberg
phone: 06221 / 54 3710
fax:  06221 / 54 3719
e-mail: mail@maklimke.com

and
Rebekka Weinel, M.A.
Heidelberg Center for American Studies
Curt und Heidemarie Engelhorn Palais
Hauptstr. 120, D-69117 Heidelberg
phone: 06221 / 54 3714
fax:  06221 / 54 3719
e-mail: mail@protest-research.eu

Further Information:
Marie Curie Project “European Protest Movements Since 1945”: www.protest-research.eu
 
International Center for Protest Research: www.protest-research.org

General Inquiries:
Dr. Michael Schwarz
Public Information Officer
University of Heidelberg
phone: 06221/542310, fax: 542317
michael.schwarz@rektorat.uni-heidelberg.de
http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/presse

Irene Thewalt
phone: 06221/542310, fax: 542317
presse@rektorat.uni-heidelberg.de