Border Crossing and Medicine: Quarantine, Detention and Containment in History and the Present

Based on diverse historical and contemporary examples and case studies, the conference addresses the implementation of medical and genetic techniques at the borders of Western countries, with respect to their spatial and discursive components. The notion of quarantine provides a conceptual umbrella. The point of departure is the question as to whether the presently practiced measures of medical and biometric screening of migrants and refugees have been developed against the background of a long-standing historical tradition. Linked issues include how far current border security regimes of Western states exhibit a high share of bio-political techniques of power that originate in European modernity and in the medical and biological disciplines developed at the time.

Starting from the diverse models of quarantine in history we address issues related to the fear of contamination by crossing borders; spatial isolation and detention of migrants and border crossers for preventing dissemination of disease and contagion; and the usage of medical and genetic screening in selecting migrants.

International Conference, February 2–4, 2017: Programm
Venue: Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar Centre / Seminarzentrum L115 (Silberlaube), Otto-von-Simson-Str. 26, 14195 Berlin
Organisers: Sevasti Trubeta (Freie Universität Berlin, Centrum Modernes Griechenland), Paul Weindling (Oxford Brookes University) and Christian Promitzer (Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz)

„Και σε μας θα 'ρθεί το Osterhase!“ Zweisprachige Entwicklung und Erziehung in den ersten Lebensjahren

Die Athene-Grundschule in Lichterfelde-West und das Centrum Modernes Griechenland (CeMoG) laden am Montag, dem 27. März 2017, 19:00 Uhr ein zu einem Vortrag von Dr. Anja Leist-Villis mit anschließender Diskussionsrunde. Die Veranstaltung richtet sich an Eltern, die ihre Kinder zweisprachig erziehen, sowie an PädagogInnen, die Eltern in der zweisprachigen Erziehung unterstützen möchten und an alle, die sich für bilinguale Sprachentwicklung interessieren.

Warum vermischt mein Kind Sprachen? Warum antwortet es mir auf Griechisch, obwohl ich Deutsch mit ihm spreche? Überfordere ich mein Kind vielleicht mit zwei Sprachen? Ist es unhöflich, in der Öffentlichkeit eine Sprache zu sprechen, die andere nicht verstehen? Diese sind einige der wichtigsten Fragen, mit denen sich dieser Vortrag befasst. Außerdem werden praktische Tipps zur zweisprachigen Erziehung vermittelt. Anschließend wird es in einer moderierten Diskussion Gelegenheit zu Nachfragen, Diskussion und Erfahrungsaustausch geben.

Zeit: Montag, 27. März 2017, 19 Uhr
Ort: Athene-Grundschule, Curtiusstraße 37, 12205 Berlin 

From Below and In Between – Narrating and Practicing the Cold War in South East Europe

The Cold War as a global geopolitical order after World War II had a profound impact on the comparatively small area of South East Europe. Ideological fault lines divided various countries from one another and resulted in an exceptionally fragmented political landscape: Rumania und Bulgaria joined the Warsaw Pact under Soviet influence, Greece and Turkey became members of the NATO, and Yugoslavia held a leading position in the Non-Aligned movement. Furthermore, Albania broke bonds with the Soviet Union in 1962 and became increasingly isolated. Not only in a Cold War-context, South East Europe is often seen as a periphery to the global centers. The workshop From Below and In Between – Narrating and Practicing the Cold War in South East Europe will challenge this perspective. Instead, we will approach the region as a center of ideological fractions during the Cold War, therefore treating it as a “burning glass” of geopolitical orders.

The workshop not only intends to make a contribution to the regional history during this period but, at the same time, to further general insights on the Cold War. We especially welcome local and actor-centered contributions as well as comparative approaches, which contrast their respective topic with cases from other regions. To this end, we encourage the presentation of research which addresses one of the following overarching question sets:

• How did various actors on various levels participate in the process of establishing the Cold War as a frame of reference in South East Europe? How did referring to the Cold War influence their perceptions and expectations? Was the Cold War order consciously mobilized in order to pursue their interests and agendas?
• Which competing local and regional narratives of world order existed? How did such alternatives challenge Cold War patterns? Who were the representatives of such alternative views and what was their relation to official discourses in South East Europe?
• How did transnational projects and globally circulating ideas take shape in South East Europe? Did they correspond with regional conditions and developments?

Workshop, June 1–2, 2017: Call for Papers
Organisers: Janis Nalbadidacis (Chair for South East European History, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Matthias Thaden (Chair for the History of Western Europe and Transatlantic Relations, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)
Supported by: Center for Modern Greece (Centrum Modernes Griechenland – CeMoG), Southeast Europe Association (Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft – SOG)

Papers will be pre-circulated and participants are expected to read the workshop’s material and respond to presentations. Paper abstracts (up to 500 words) should be submitted to janis.nalbadidacis@geschichte.hu-berlin.de and matthias.thaden@hu-berlin.de by February 5, 2017. Travel expenses for authors of accepted papers will be covered up to an amount of 100 €.