Bleijenberg, Linda

Dlabacova, Anna

Hylkema, Jacqueline

Koolen, Corina

Lamers, Han

Wesselman, Daan

Leiden University Scholary Publications

Introduction to the Journal of the LUCAS Graduate Conference, Issue1 (2013)Bleijenberg, Linda; Dlabacova, Anna; Koolen, Corina; Lamers, Han; Wesselman, Daan;Hylkema, JacquelineCitationBleijenberg, L., Dlabacova, A., Koolen, C., Lamers, H., Wesselman, D., & Hylkema, J.(2013). Introduction to the Journal of the LUCAS Graduate Conference, Issue 1 (2013).Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/1887/20530 Version: Not Applicable (or Unknown)License:Downloaded from: https://hdl.handle.net/1887/20530 Note: To cite this publication please use the final published version (if applicable).4 | journal of the lucas graduate conference	 	 	 	 	 Otto	 von	 Bismarck’s	 elliptic	 remark,	scribbled	in	the	margin	of	a	letter	from	Alexander	Gorchakov	in	1876,	would	go	on	to	become	one	of	the	modern	period’s	most	often-quoted	statements	about	Europe.	But	was	 Bismarck	 right?	 Is	 Europe	 nothing	 but	 a	 geographical	 notion?	 Even	 the	 briefest	glance	at	history	shows	that	more	often	than	not	perceptions	and	definitions	of	Europe	go	beyond	the	mere	geographical	demarcation	of	a	continent.	In	1919,	for	instance,	Paul	Valéry	 imagined	 Europe	 as	 a	 living	 creature,	with	 “a	 consciousness	 acquired	 through	centuries	of	bearable	calamities,	by	thousands	of	men	of	the	first	rank,	from	innumerable	geographical,	 ethnic	 and	 historical	 coincidences.”	 Of	 course	 these	 remarks	 by	 Von	Bismarck	and	Valéry	are	only	two	of	a	multitude	of	different	representations.	Europe	has	always	signified	different	things	to	different	people	in	different	places	–	inside	Europe	as	well	as	outside.	Europe	meant,	for	instance,	something	entirely	different	to	Voltaire,	l’aubergiste	 d’Europe,	 at	 Ferney	 in	 the	 1760s	 than	 to	 Athanasius	 Kircher	 in	 Rome	 a	century	earlier	or	to	Barack	Obama	in	Washington	today.At	present,	ideas	of	Europe	underlie	many	of	the	key	debates	and	struggles	that	mark	our	times.	Over	the	past	years,	questions	of	a	rapidly	changing	Europe	have	been	on	every	agenda,	 such	as	 the	prevalent	 issues	of	 tensions	within	 the	Eurozone,	possible	accessions	to	or	exclusions	from	the	EU,	and	the	permeability	of	European	borders.	Even	though	European	history	 is	characterised	throughout	by	traffic	of	people	and	ideas	 in	which	Europeanness	is	impossible	to	delimit,	what	is	at	stake	in	these	debates	–	implicitly	but	 increasingly	often	also	explicitly	–	 is	the	question	of	what	 ‘Europe’	means.	At	the	core	of	such	discussions	one	often	finds	questions	of	inclusion	and	exclusion,	which	can	easily	indicate	the	extent	to	which	matters	of	Europeanness	involve	political,	economic,	cultural,	ethnic,	or	linguistic	issues.	Faced	with	such	a	scope,	it	is	perhaps	better	not	to	insist	on	defining	Europe;	the	point	is	to	realize	that	Europe	is	a	continuously	recurring	question	of	definitions.	Insofar	as	it	is	a	place,	it	is	not	a	place	to	find	oneself,	but	a	place	that	one	imagines.	First	and	foremost,	Europe	is	imagined.	 “Qui parle Europe a tort. Notion      géographique.”journal of the lucas graduate conference | 5This	was	the	premise	for	the	inaugural	LUCAS	Graduate	Conference	Imagining Europe: Perspectives, Perceptions and Representations from Antiquity to the Present,	organized	by	Thera	Giezen,	Jacqueline	Hylkema	and	Coen	Maas	for	the	Leiden	University	Institute	for	Cultural	Disciplines	(recently	renamed	LUCAS)	in	January	2011.	Framed	by	keynote	lectures	by	classicist	Edith	Hall	and	historian	Jonathan	Israel,	the	conference	featured	a	diverse	range	of	papers.	With	participants	from	six	continents,	the	conference	included	papers	by	historians,	classicists,	film	scholars,	art	historians,	and	researchers	in	the	fields	of	literature,	legal	history,	and	political	science,	spanning	a	period	from	the	days	of	the	Roman	Empire	to	the	aftermath	of	the	fall	of	Communism.	Based	on	the	patterns	that	emerged	during	the	conference,	three	key	features	can	be	put	forward	regarding	the	history,	space,	and	representations	of	Europe.	As	general	as	they	may	be,	they	set	out	some	basic	coordinates	within	which	one	can	consider	perceptions	and	representations	of	Europe.	Firstly,	an	idea	of	Europe	has	been	at	work	throughout	history,	from	antiquity	to	the	present	day.	Even	though	that	which	Europe	is	thought	to	signify	 is	fluid	and	changeable,	 its	active	 imagining	proves	 to	be	a	historical	 constant.	Concomitantly,	a	perpetual	question	is	of	course	who	does	the	imagining	–	who	has	the	power	 to	determine	 the	parameters	 that	 (provisionally)	 can	 circumscribe	Europe	and	with	it	the	power	to	affect	ideology	and	hegemony,	identity	and	alienation.	Secondly,	while	Europe	should	be	thought	of	beyond	strictly	geographical	categories,	it	retains	a	prominent	spatial	dimension.	In	its	imaginings,	Europe	remains	tethered	to	the	continent	to	which	it	is	evidently	also	not	limited.	As	the	selection	of	papers	here	already	shows,	the	idea	of	Europe	is	fully	functional	anywhere	between	Japanese	literature	and	Latin	American	political	discourse.	Europe’s	status	is	therefore	twofold:	conceptually	it	can	traverse	the	globe,	yet	it	simultaneously	remains	spatially	anchored.	It	is	at	the	same	time	stable	and	mobile,	local	and	global.	Lastly,	 the	processes	and	products	of	 imagining	Europe	can	be	 seen	 in	myriad	 forms.	Questions	 of	 Europeanness	 spring	 from	 objects	 as	 diverse	 as	 historical	 documents,	religious	 maps,	 contemporary	 films,	 literary	 texts,	 works	 of	 visual	 art,	 journalism,	architecture,	and	government	policies.	Conceptually	similar	questions	can	thus	be	taken	up	 by	 all	 fields	 of	 the	 humanities,	which	makes	 ‘Europe’	 a	 vehicle	par excellence	 for	IntroductIon6 | journal of the lucas graduate conferenceIntroductIoninterdisciplinary	inquiry	–	and	conversely,	this	underscores	the	need	for	understanding	Europe	within	an	interdisciplinary	framework.	The	 selection	of	 the	articles	 for	 this	first	 issue	of	 the	 Journal of the LUCAS Graduate Conference	 reflects	 the	diversity	 that	characterizes	 the	consideration	of	Europe.	They	span	a	range	of	media,	from	literature	to	film,	political	discourse,	cartoons,	architecture,	and	policies	for	cultural	heritage.	Concomitantly,	the	articles	demonstrate	the	approaches	and	methods	that	can	fit	within	an	overall	interdisciplinary	framework	of	analysis,	from	close	reading	to	historical	research.	In	addition,	they	take	on	European	questions	that	are	tied	together	within	the	historical	context	of	Modernity,	yet	the	approach	of	these	questions	could	easily	be	extended	to	issues	in	other	historical	periods	–	as	was	indeed	the	case	at	the	original	conference.	Yet	perhaps	more	importantly,	within	the	general	coordinates	set	out	above,	the	papers	in	this	collection	complement	one	another	particularly	when	it	comes	to	the	perspectives	from	which	they	take	on	the	topic	of	Europe.	The	first	 three	articles	consider	Europe	from	 the	 ‘inside’,	 insofar	 as	 traditional	 and	 historical	 notions	 of	 Europe	 pertain	 to	Europeans	considering	themselves	–	be	it	questions	of	European	heritage	or	oppositional	definitions	in	the	context	of	the	battleground	for	ideas	of	Europeanness	that	was	Eastern	Europe	under	communism.	The	last	three	articles	all	to	some	extent	adopt	a	perspective	on	Europe	from	the	‘outside’,	and	all	of	them	illustrate	precisely	how	problematic	any	notion	of	inside/outside	is	when	it	comes	to	Europe	–	whether	the	perspective	concerns	Turkish	migrant	cinema,	Latin	American	culture,	or	Japanese	literature.	Kerstin	Stamm	examines	the	idea	of	Europe	as	it	is	reflected	in	the	recent	attempts	of	the	European	Union	to	establish	a	shared	corpus	of	cultural	heritage.	In	her	article	she	asks	if	a	narrowly	defined,	coherent	European	identity	would	in	fact	reflect	the	actual	reality	of	Europe:	a	collection	of	nations,	some	EU-members,	some	not,	that	interpret	the	concept	of	‘European	heritage’	in	very	different	ways.	Alexandra	Tieanu	considers	Central	European	perspectives	on	Europe	at	the	end	of	the	twentieth	century.	She	explores	how	the	post-WWII	division	of	Europe	into	a	communist	East	and	capitalist	West	engendered	perceptions	of	 identity	 that	 left	 little	place	 for	a	journal of the lucas graduate conference | 7IntroductIonCentral	Europe	between	the	two.	By	considering	the	work	of	dissident	intellectuals	and	political	discourses	before	and	after	the	fall	of	the	communist	regimes	in	Eastern	Europe,	Tieanu	investigates	the	changing	perceptions	and	definitions	of	alterity	that	make	up	the	history	of	Central	Europe.	Focusing	on	visual	representations,	Mara	Marginean’s	article	zooms	in	on	a	historically	even	more	specific	battleground	 for	 ideas	of	Europe.	 In	post-war	Romania,	 the	newly	installed	 communist	 government	 had	 to	 reconstruct	 the	 image	 of	 (Western)	 Europe	to	 justify	 its	economic	and	social	policies.	Cartoons,	published	 in	modern	mass	media	like	newspapers	and	magazines	provided	an	important	platform	for	this	reconstruction.	Marginean	 provides	 a	 sharp	 analysis	 of	 the	 way	 Europe’s	 image	 was	 constructed	 in	this	medium	 and	 places	 these	 cartoons	within	 the	 discourse	 of	 political	 and	 cultural	legitimisation	of	their	period.	Ömer	Alkin	examines	the	image	of	Europe	in	Turkish	migrant	cinema	produced	by	Turkish	filmmakers	from	the	1960s	to	the	present.	While	the	Turks	imagine	Europe	as	a	place	of	modernity	and	wealth,	the	basic	experience	of	Turkish	migrants	 in	Germany	is	that	of	 painful	 displacement.	Alkin	 shows	 that,	 instead	of	 challenging	 the	 European	 ideal,	Turkish	migration	films	stage	the	discrepancy	between	‘image’	and	‘reality’	dramatically	as	 a	 clash	 of	 expectations	 between	 the	 homecomer	 and	 his	 friends	 and	 family.	 The	Paul ValÉry (1919)8 | journal of the lucas graduate conferenceIntroductIoninvariably	positive	image	of	Europe	is	explained	both	from	the	modernisation	of	Turkey	after	World	War	I	and	from	the	influence	of	Western	mass	media.In	her	article	“The	View	from	the	South:	Defining	Europe	in	Latin	America”,	Katie	Billotte	explores	 the	 way	 in	 which	 the	 notion	 of	 Europe	 influenced	 Latin	 American	 culture.	Latin	American	countries	have	a	unique	relationship	with	Europe:	these	regions	were	among	the	first	to	be	colonised	and	the	colonial	period	itself	was	characterised	by	an	unprecedented	level	of	amalgamation	between	the	native	and	non-native	populations	and	cultures.	In	the	post-colonial	era	the	Latin	American	construct	of	Europe	was	heavily	influenced	by	French	politics	and	culture.	Placing	French	primitivism	 in	dialogue	with	magical	realism,	Billotte	explains	the	hybrid	nature	of	(post)colonial	culture.Emanuela	 Costa	 analyses	 how	 German-Japanese	 author	 Tawada	 Yōko	 challenges	views	of	European	borders	in	her	literary	work.	In	“Imagining	Europe	through	a	Pair	of	Japanese	Glasses”,	Costa	shows	the	frictions	Tawada’s	Japanese	characters	experience	when	travelling	to	or	living	in	a	new,	European	country.	These	characters	are	confronted	with	the	gap	that	exists	between	expectations	of	geographical	borders	and	how	these	are	 envisioned	 by	 Europeans	 and	 non-Europeans.	 Moreover,	 they	 encounter	 the	essentialising	power	of	stereotypes	employed	by	people	in	their	environment,	including	immigrants	 among	 themselves.	 Costa	 concludes	 her	 argument	 for	 the	 performative	function	of	Tawada	Yōko’s	work	by	touching	upon	the	author’s	engendering	of	Europe,	through	which	Tawada	calls	for	a	new	vocabulary	outside	of	the	now-familiar	dichotomies	that,	she	argues,	have	become	necessary	for	sustaining	a	European	identity.	Together,	 the	articles	 in	 this	volume	show	that	Europe	 is	a	question	of	who	 is	asking	and	 from	which	 position.	More	 significantly	 though,	 together	 they	 demonstrate	 the	importance	 of	 taking	 into	 consideration	multiple	 perspectives,	 different	 objects,	 and	different	 disciplinary	 approaches,	 if	 one	 is	 to	 avoid	 approaches	 that	 confine	 Europe	within	geographic	or	political	boundaries.	 In	 fact,	all	 the	articles	 in	 this	 issue	address	discourses	 that	 underline	 precisely	 that	 while	 on	 the	 one	 hand	 attempts	 to	 define	Europe	or	Europeanness	may	be	at	play,	on	the	other	hand	it	is	the	very	impossibility	of	definition	or	demarcation	that	allows	the	idea	of	Europe	to	be	so	powerfully	present	throughout	 history.	 It	 is	 important	 to	 stress	 therefore,	 that	 the	 articles	 here	 do	 not	journal of the lucas graduate conference | 9IntroductIonexplore	or	illustrate	discrete	‘facets’	that	could	accrue	to	a	conception	of	Europe	that	one	might	consider	to	be	a	‘whole’.	Just	as	the	geographical	delimitations	prove	untenable,	the	articles	here	do	not	belong	to	some	single	history	of	Europe.	Rather,	 it	should	be	underscored	 that	 the	 collection	 here	 finds	 its	 coherence	 precisely	 in	 the	 concept	 of	Europe	–	an	understanding	of	Europe	that	is	workable	precisely	because	it	is	capable	of	accommodating	the	fluidity	and	diversity	that	have	characterized	Europe	in	every	period.	In	short,	the	crux	of	this	collection	is	a	Europe	that	is	not	limited	to	any	single	dimension	–	be	it	political,	cultural,	or	spatial	–	but	that	is	localised	there	where	all	elements	come	together:	in	representations,	discourses,	and	imaginings	of	Europe.	Finally,	as	the	editors	we	think	it	is	fitting,	especially	for	the	very	first	issue	of	a	journal,	to	thank	all	of	those	who	have	been	involved	in	producing	it.	First	and	foremost	we	would	like	to	thank	our	publisher,	Leiden	University	Library,	for	its	assistance	and	enthusiasm	in	getting	this	project	off	the	ground.	We	owe	particular	thanks	to	Birte	Kristiansen	at	Leiden	University	Library,	Rob	Goedemans,	Taeke	Harkema	and	Joy	Burrough-Boenisch	for	 all	 their	 kind	 help	 and	 advice	 in	 the	 fields	 of	 publishing,	 information	 technology,	the		layout	process	and	academic	editing.	We	are	also	very	grateful	to	all	the	speakers	who	 submitted	 their	 conference	papers	and	made	 the	 selection	process	very	difficult	for	us,	and	to	the	six	authors	for	their	kind	and	patient	cooperation	in	the	revision	and	editing	process.	We	also	would	like	to	thank	our	fellow	PhD	researchers	at	LUCAS	and	the	Institute	for	History	who	acted	as	peer	reviewers,	and	Max	van	Duijn	for	his	contributions	to	the	design	of	our	logo.	A	final	word	of	thanks	goes	to	LUCAS	itself	and	to	its	director,	Kitty	Zijlmans,	for	her	constant	and	invaluable	support.The	Editorial	Board	and	Series	EditorLinda	Bleijenberg,	Anna	Dlabacova,	Corina	Koolen,	Han	Lamers,	Daan	Wesselman	and	Jacqueline	Hylkema

Introduction to the Journal of the LUCAS Graduate Conference, Issue 1 (2013)

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