The end of illusions?

Czechoslovakia 1968 and after

The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968 caused the Soviet empire to lose its internal logic even for the communist faithful. Yet today, the naivety of the reform communists of the 1960s serves as a pretext for the cynical dismissal of any vision of a better political system, writes Samuel Abrahám. [more]

Remarks on the translation of works of French literary theory into Slovak

"Classic" works of French literary theory of the 1960s to the 1980s have been translated into eastern European languages with a delay of decades. Can general observations be made about the transfer from one cultural space to another? [more]

Literary perspectives: Hungary

Mastering history through narrative?

In the first essay in the Eurozine "Literary perspectives" series, Gábor Csordás reads the newest Hungarian novels. All share a concern with narrative, holding out to the reader the hope of mastering history. [Lithuanian version added] [more]

Counter-revolution against a counter-revolution

Eastern Europe today

In order to defend social relations before 1989 without losing face, the middle classes in former socialist countries portray the neoliberal destruction of the welfare state as the work of communists, writes G.M. Tamás. [Estonian version added] [more]

Death and the resurrection of God

Thoughts on the legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"In the Western-Christian European space, the twentieth century can be called the century of 'death' and the 'resurrection of God'." A special role was played by the Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who provided a critical response to the question of Christ. Tomas Kiauka reconstructs the consistency of his thought. [more]

"Reform must cause discontent"

And its implementation is always a failure, as Joseph II experienced

Gerhard Schröder's reform programme "Agenda 2010" was successful yet it cost him his post. Two hundred years ago, Austrian Kaiser Joseph II experienced the same. A pattern of euphoria followed by rejection emerges, writes Ralph Bollmann. [more]

The city at the empire's edge

Since 9/11, violence in the Uighur city of Yining in February 1997 has been portrayed by the Chinese authorities as the work of Islamist separatists. Nick Holdstock reports on a more nuanced reality of unemployment, religious repression, and the wish for independence. [more]

Art for hedgefunds

The rules according to which art and finance functioned used to differ. Today, they have become indistinguishable to an outsider. However, a limit resides in the rules of art itself, writes Sighard Neckel. [more]

Why should I fill my pack with stones?

"Edinburgh Review" tells the Uighurs' side of the story; "Blätter" discusses '68 East and West; "Osteuropa" returns to memory politics in eastern Europe; "Arche" responds to a ban on Belarusian spelling; "Vikerkaar" maps cultural landscape; "Le Monde diplomatique" (Berlin) reports on the battle for online customers; "Springerin" theorizes zombiehood; "Magyar Lettre Internationale" explores photography, politics, and the body; "Akadeemia" evaluates laws on stem cell technology; and "Merkur" gets to the imaginary heart of fundamentalism. [more]

From '68 to '89

In an East-West dialogue aiming to place '68 in a European and global perspective, leading protagonists of events in communist eastern Europe exchange perspectives with their western counterparts. What is the meaning of '68 almost twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall? [more]

"The personality cult must be ended now!"

Paint-bombs at Tian-an-men square

The outcome of the Tian-an-men Square demonstration in June 1989 is well known. Less so is the fate of the three young men who threw paint bombs at the portrait of Mao Tse-tung adorning the gate to the Forbidden City. Wolfgang Kraushaar chronicles the events. [more]

Blurred boundaries

Sport, art and activity

Is the convergence of art and sport under the pressure of pseudo-participatory spectacle undermining the utopian potential of both? Benedict Seymour goes back to the future to recover the new kind of activity which, in different ways, informs them still. [more]