Imre Kertész Kolleg Jena

Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century: Comparative Historical Experience

The Imre Kertész Kolleg Jena is an Institute of Advanced Studies, with a thematic focus on the history, culture and societies of twentieth-century Eastern Europe.

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Events

21. July 2026 - 11:41

Upcoming Monday Seminar

semester break

We resume our Monday seminar with the start of the winter term lecture period in October.

16. July 2026

German-Ukrainian Summer School

The University of Jena, the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Ukrainian Catholic University, and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy…

Featured Article

A Trident on the Shield

Ukraine’s Decommunization Strategy and the Case of the “Mother Ukraine” Statue

by Viktoriia Nechyporuk

While there have been recurring debates about how to deal with the Soviet legacy since the country's independence, in 2015 decommunisation became a systemic imperative of Ukrainian state policy. Particularly in the case of monuments that are an essential part of the public space, redefinition became a strategy of decommunisation. The article examines the debates surrounding and the alteration of such a monument, the Motherland statue in Kiyv.

Please follow this link to read the whole article.

New Publications

Unter deutscher Besatzung

Europa 1939 - 1945

Tatjana Tönsmeyer zeigt eindrücklich, wie die deutsche Besatzung das Leben von Millionen Europäerinnen und Europäern veränderte, und was es bedeutet, unter einer Besatzungsherrschaft zu leben. Eine Erfahrung, die vor dem Hintergrund der russischen Besatzung großer Gebiete der Ukraine von bedrückender Aktualität ist.

Ich werde mich nie an die Gewalt gewöhnen

Polizeibrutalität und Gesellschaft in der Volksrepublik Polen

The book explores how police brutality ceased to be considered a natural phenomenon in Poland and became morally reprehensible. It tells of the progressive self-destruction of the communist dictatorship. Das Buch geht der Frage nach, wie polizeiliche Brutalität in Polen aufhörte, selbstverständlich zu sein, und moralisch verwerflich wurde. Es erzählt von der schleichenden Selbstzerstörung der kommunistischen Diktatur.

Activities

29. May 2026 - 09:15

Imagining the Democratic Self – Historical Trajectories

internal project meeting

On 29 May, the Working Group ‘Imagining the Democratic Self’ will commence its activities.

As a part of Research Area 3 within the Cluster of…