What is „Eastern Europe”?
History and present of a contradictory concept

Since the brutal invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army, the term “Eastern Europe” has been omnipresent – whether in social media posts or feature articles: Everyone is talking about “Eastern Europe”. But what does “Eastern Europe” actually mean? Who belongs to it and who doesn’t? How useful is it to lump Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Ukraine into one category? Are there “good” Eastern Europeans who are allowed to be in the EU and NATO, and “bad” ones who (have to) stay out?
We want to discuss these and other questions together with our guests. The focus will be on the contradictions that characterize the concept of “Eastern Europe” – a concept whose meaning is negotiated daily between Western ideas and a multitude of complex identities.

Moderation: Klaas Anders

Guests:
Anastasia Tikhomirova (journalist, ZEIT and ZEIT Online)
Hans-Christian Petersen
(Bundesinstitut für Kultur und Geschichte des östlichen Europa Oldenburg)
Artur Weigandt
(author and journalist)