Course catalog

13326

1989: Transformations and Continuities in Central and Eastern Europe

Thuc Linh Nguyen Vu

Comments

The transformations that swept across Europe in 1989 stand among the most profound shifts in recent European history. They brought about—in large part through non-violent means—regime changes over vast regions and continue to shape contemporary societies. While the course will employ a regional perspective, it will pay particular attention to the transition from the Polish People’s Republic to the Third Polish Republic. This course is structured in three parts. In the first part, students will explore the final decades of state socialism in Central and Eastern Europe, focusing on everyday life under these regimes. The second part examines the political upheavals of 1989 and the ways in which the region sought to reinvent itself. Special attention will be given to how historical actors understood and reflected upon these changes, the emergence of new social practices such as informal trading, the challenges of structural readjustment, and the discourse surrounding the “return to the West.” Students will consider which norms, institutions, and practices were transformed, and which endured. The third part addresses the contested legacy of 1989, analyzing debates around the very concepts used to describe post-1989 Central and Eastern Europe — including the notion of “post-socialism.” close

16 Class schedule

Regular appointments

Mon, 12:00 - 14:00 16 Class schedule

Mon, 2025-10-13 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Mon, 2025-10-20 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Mon, 2025-10-27 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Mon, 2025-11-03 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Mon, 2025-11-10 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Mon, 2025-11-17 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Mon, 2025-11-24 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Mon, 2025-12-01 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Mon, 2025-12-08 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Mon, 2025-12-15 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Mon, 2026-01-05 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Mon, 2026-01-12 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Mon, 2026-01-19 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Mon, 2026-01-26 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Mon, 2026-02-02 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Mon, 2026-02-09 12:00 - 14:00

Location:
A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

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Location: A 125 Übungsraum (Koserstr. 20)

Schedule: Mo 12:00-14:00

Class starts on: 2025-10-13

Course language: English

Contact hours: 2

Number of participants: 30

Limited attendance: Yes

Attendance required: Yes

Modules where this course belongs

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