Abt. Geschichtswissenschaft

Dear colleagues,

The war in Ukraine has upended individual lives as much as the political order in the most dramatic ways, it is disrupting our immediate work contexts as much as greater societal and cultural certainties. As historians, we are challenged every day to address the current situation in a responsible way, be it in teaching or in research, and it is not easy to strike a good balance between following the news and seeking reflection, weighing historical and present-day perspectives, considering subjective and global ramifications.

We would like to invite you, Ukrainian and Russian colleagues, who are working at or are affiliated with Bielefeld University, either very recently or already for several years, to a Get Together on the war in Ukraine, to get a chance to exchange thoughts, share your perspectives, get to know your expertise, and each other. Frank Grüner, Kirill Postoutenko and I have chosen the topic “Identity and War” and would like invite you to contribute a brief input under this heading in whichever way you wish – to relate to the war, its present and historical meaning, its relevance as an intellectual challenge, but also as a political and, not least, very personal subject. We hope that lots of German colleagues will join us, especially those who haven’t had a chance to meet you through cooperation or joint projects. By the same token, the gathering might be an opportunity for you to get to know the Bielefeld history department (and certainly a few colleagues from other departments, as well).

We’d like to suggest to meet on Wednesday, June 22, 6-8 pm, in room X-A2-103 for such a “Gedankenaustausch” and, whoever feels like it, is invited to bring some food and drink for a more relaxed gathering afterwards in the BGHS-Lounge from 8-10 pm. If you’re interested to join and contribute in any way, we very much look forward to hearing from you!

With warm wishes,

Christina Morina, Frank Grüner & Kirill Postoutenko.