Zeitschrift für Ostmitteleuropa-Forschung / Journal of East Central European Studies (ZfO)
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Introduction. Planning and Building in Occupied Poland: The Architecture of National Socialism as a Multidisciplinary Research Field
No full textGórny Śląsk z powietrza – przed stu lat / Oberschlesien aus der Luft – vor 100 Jahren / Horní Slezsko ze vzduchu – před sto lety. Hrsg. von Claudia Kraft und Dietmar Popp.
Get PDFKristen Ghodsee: Second World, Second Sex. Socialist Women’s Activism and Global Solidarity during the Cold War.
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The Mongol Invasion in the Year 1241—Reactions among European Rulers and Consequences for East Central European Principalities
No full textIn this article I will argue that the Mongol invasions in the thirteenth century, especially 1241/42, left a deep impact on the perception and self-awareness of East Central European polities. The Polish and Hungarian peoples had to learn that they stood alone against incoming Asian nomads, lacking support from Western European kingdoms, foremost the Holy Roman Empire and the papacy. This process contributed to their notion of being part of a bigger historical region—East Central Europe (separated from the Ruthenian principalities in East Europe who were subjected to Mongolian control). In order to show the different stages of this process in the realms in East Central Europe I will analyze a) the prehistory before the Mongolian invasion of 1241, b) the retarded and reluctant reactions of the West European realms (especially the Holy Roman Empire) and c) the (painful) consequences for the East Central principalities. Within the limits of this article I focus on Bohemia, Hungary and Poland. After the Mongol invasion of 1241/42 East Central European princes at once changed their policy—at least visible in the Polish and Hungarian case. In order to become more resistant against future Mongol raids they reached for new strategies (fortifications, tactically establishing networks through matrimonial ties, rallying people by worshipping freshly created “national” saints).In this article I will argue that the Mongol invasions in the thirteenth century, especially 1241/42, left a deep impact on the perception and self-awareness of East Central European polities. The Polish and Hungarian peoples had to learn that they stood alone against incoming Asian nomads, lacking support from Western European kingdoms, foremost the Holy Roman Empire and the papacy. This process contributed to their notion of being part of a bigger historical region—East Central Europe (separated from the Ruthenian principalities in East Europe who were subjected to Mongolian control). In order to show the different stages of this process in the realms in East Central Europe I will analyze a) the prehistory before the Mongolian invasion of 1241, b) the retarded and reluctant reactions of the West European realms (especially the Holy Roman Empire) and c) the (painful) consequences for the East Central principalities. Within the limits of this article I focus on Bohemia, Hungary and Poland. After the Mongol invasion of 1241/42 East Central European princes at once changed their policy—at least visible in the Polish and Hungarian case. In order to become more resistant against future Mongol raids they reached for new strategies (fortifications, tactically establishing networks through matrimonial ties, rallying people by worshipping freshly created “national” saints)
Warsaw’s Architectural Community During the 1939–1944 German Occupation
No full textThe Warsaw architectural community was the largest such group within the territory of the Second Polish Republic, a fact influenced by Warsaw’s role of as the capital, the number of investments undertaken during the interwar period when the capital was being rebuilt, and the presence of Warsaw Polytechnic Institute to educate new academic staff. During the occupation, this large community did not cease its professional activity. The article reviews professional activities undertaken by architects between 1939 and 1944 — i.e., from the outbreak of the Second World War until the Warsaw Uprising. This subject has not been dealt with comprehensively until now. The author looks at both institutionalized works, prepared under the auspices of the City Board as part of the clandestine activities of the Architecture Department at the Warsaw University of Technology, as well as individual architectural projects. From the perspective of the history of Warsaw’s urban design, the work of the City Board’s Commission of Urban Studies Experts and the Architecture and Urban Planning Workshop (Pracownia Architektoniczno-Urbanista), which officially operated as part of the Social Building Enterprise and employed nearly eighty people at its peak, was of the greatest significance. Looking at the intensity of occupation work in Warsaw allows us to take a broader look at the history of the capital’s architecture and complement it with the period from 1939 to 1944, thus preserving the continuity of the narrative about twentieth-century design.The Warsaw architectural community was the largest such group within the territory of the Second Polish Republic, a fact influenced by Warsaw’s role of as the capital, the number of investments undertaken during the interwar period when the capital was being rebuilt, and the presence of Warsaw Polytechnic Institute to educate new academic staff. During the occupation, this large community did not cease its professional activity. The article reviews professional activities undertaken by architects between 1939 and 1944 — i.e., from the outbreak of the Second World War until the Warsaw Uprising. This subject has not been dealt with comprehensively until now. The author looks at both institutionalized works, prepared under the auspices of the City Board as part of the clandestine activities of the Architecture Department at the Warsaw University of Technology, as well as individual architectural projects. From the perspective of the history of Warsaw’s urban design, the work of the City Board’s Commission of Urban Studies Experts and the Architecture and Urban Planning Workshop (Pracownia Architektoniczno-Urbanista), which officially operated as part of the Social Building Enterprise and employed nearly eighty people at its peak, was of the greatest significance. Looking at the intensity of occupation work in Warsaw allows us to take a broader look at the history of the capital’s architecture and complement it with the period from 1939 to 1944, thus preserving the continuity of the narrative about twentieth-century design