Past Events

	Title	Date	Type	Speakers
	Wo sind die Grenzen unserer Freiheit?	Sun, 13.02.2022	Panels and Discussions	Wolfgang MerkelDorothee von Laer, Katharina Rogenhofer, Eric Frey, Veit Dengler	Wo sind die Grenzen unserer Freiheit? Sun, 13.02.2022 Speakers: Wolfgang MerkelDorothee von Laer, Katharina Rogenhofer, Eric Frey, Veit Dengler Series: Panels and Discussions Die Corona-Pandemie stellt Politik und Gesellschaft in aller Welt vor die Frage, wie sehr individuelle Freiheiten im allgemeinen Interesse eingeschränkt werden dürfen. Die Impfpflicht verschärft diese Debatte noch weiter. Aber auch in der Klimakrise werden von Einzelnen oft schmerzhafte Einschnitte im persönlichen Lebensstil gefordert. Wie lässt sich das mit den Prinzipien einer liberalen Gesellschaft vereinbaren? Darüber diskutiert eine hochrangige Runde im Wiener Burgtheater am Sonntag, den 13. Februar, unter der Leitung von "Der Standard"-Redakteur Eric Frey. Read more
Wo sind die Grenzen unserer Freiheit? Sun, 13.02.2022 Speakers: Wolfgang MerkelDorothee von Laer, Katharina Rogenhofer, Eric Frey, Veit Dengler Series: Panels and Discussions Die Corona-Pandemie stellt Politik und Gesellschaft in aller Welt vor die Frage, wie sehr individuelle Freiheiten im allgemeinen Interesse eingeschränkt werden dürfen. Die Impfpflicht verschärft diese Debatte noch weiter. Aber auch in der Klimakrise werden von Einzelnen oft schmerzhafte Einschnitte im persönlichen Lebensstil gefordert. Wie lässt sich das mit den Prinzipien einer liberalen Gesellschaft vereinbaren? Darüber diskutiert eine hochrangige Runde im Wiener Burgtheater am Sonntag, den 13. Februar, unter der Leitung von "Der Standard"-Redakteur Eric Frey. Read more
	Digitized Migrants	Mon, 07.02.2022	Conferences and Workshops		Digitized Migrants Mon, 07.02.2022 Speakers: Series: Conferences and Workshops The two Global Compacts for protection of refugees and migrants have advocated the increased use of digital technologies to enhance the protection, welfare, and development of refugees and migrants. Read more

	Radka Denemarková: Stunden aus Blei	Thu, 03.02.2022	Lecture	Ludger HagedornRadka Denemarková	Radka Denemarková: Stunden aus Blei Thu, 03.02.2022 Speakers: Ludger HagedornRadka Denemarková Series: Lecture Eine der erfolgreichsten und meistübersetzten tschechischen Autor*innen, Radka Denemarková, stellt in der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Literatur die deutschsprachige Ausgabe des Romans "Stunden aus Blei" vor. Dieser Roman, für den sie 2019 den tschechischen Magnesia Litera Preis in der Kategorie Buch des Jahres erhielt, erschien Anfang Jänner 2022 bei Hoffmann und Campe in der deutschen Übersetzung von Eva Profousová. Ludger Hagedorn (IWM) wird mit der Autorin ein Gespräch führen. Die Veranstaltung findet auf Deutsch statt. Read more
Radka Denemarková: Stunden aus Blei Thu, 03.02.2022 Speakers: Ludger HagedornRadka Denemarková Series: Lecture Eine der erfolgreichsten und meistübersetzten tschechischen Autor*innen, Radka Denemarková, stellt in der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Literatur die deutschsprachige Ausgabe des Romans "Stunden aus Blei" vor. Dieser Roman, für den sie 2019 den tschechischen Magnesia Litera Preis in der Kategorie Buch des Jahres erhielt, erschien Anfang Jänner 2022 bei Hoffmann und Campe in der deutschen Übersetzung von Eva Profousová. Ludger Hagedorn (IWM) wird mit der Autorin ein Gespräch führen. Die Veranstaltung findet auf Deutsch statt. Read more
	Everybody is so much now for democracy…	Mon, 31.01.2022	Exhibition		Everybody is so much now for democracy… Mon, 31.01.2022 Speakers: Series: Exhibition In 1990, IWM organized the landmark conference Central Europe on the Way to Democracy, bringing together leading intellectuals and politicians from across Europe, North America and the Soviet Union to discuss Europe’s future prospects at a time of dramatic change. It was a remarkable event that drew great media attention and international visibility, organized in the premises of Vienna’s Palais Schwarzenberg. And it was a milestone in the history of IWM, crystallizing its mission of offering a space for discussions that transcend “any ideology, church, bureaucracy, or political party,” as founding rector Krzysztof Michalski put it in one of his interventions at the conference. As the first of several activities planned for the 40th anniversary of IWM in 2022, the Institute will feature an in-house exhibition on the many faces and facets of this conference. Throughout the three day-event in June and July 1990, Viennese photographer Renate Apostel took black-and-white photos of its prominent guests, capturing panel discussions as well as informal conversations. Some of her most remarkable portraits and atmospheric photographic observations will be on display along the staircases throughout the IWM building. All photos are handmade prints on baryte paper, developed from the original negatives by Viennese photo artist Andrej Kasik. Read more
Everybody is so much now for democracy… Mon, 31.01.2022 Speakers: Series: Exhibition In 1990, IWM organized the landmark conference Central Europe on the Way to Democracy, bringing together leading intellectuals and politicians from across Europe, North America and the Soviet Union to discuss Europe’s future prospects at a time of dramatic change. It was a remarkable event that drew great media attention and international visibility, organized in the premises of Vienna’s Palais Schwarzenberg. And it was a milestone in the history of IWM, crystallizing its mission of offering a space for discussions that transcend “any ideology, church, bureaucracy, or political party,” as founding rector Krzysztof Michalski put it in one of his interventions at the conference. As the first of several activities planned for the 40th anniversary of IWM in 2022, the Institute will feature an in-house exhibition on the many faces and facets of this conference. Throughout the three day-event in June and July 1990, Viennese photographer Renate Apostel took black-and-white photos of its prominent guests, capturing panel discussions as well as informal conversations. Some of her most remarkable portraits and atmospheric photographic observations will be on display along the staircases throughout the IWM building. All photos are handmade prints on baryte paper, developed from the original negatives by Viennese photo artist Andrej Kasik. Read more
	The Crisis of Liberal Democracy Today. Is Meritocracy to Blame?	Mon, 31.01.2022	Seminars and Colloquia	Ruzha Smilova Ivan Krastev	The Crisis of Liberal Democracy Today. Is Meritocracy to Blame? Mon, 31.01.2022 Speakers: Ruzha Smilova Ivan Krastev Series: Seminars and Colloquia The crisis of liberal democracy hardly makes the news today: so often has its imminent death been announced. Yet over the last 15 years organizations responsible for monitoring freedom and democracy in the world have reported a trend of globally declining quality of democracy. Over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, the pace of this trend has accelerated. Different hypotheses for what went wrong have been advanced. Read more
The Crisis of Liberal Democracy Today. Is Meritocracy to Blame? Mon, 31.01.2022 Speakers: Ruzha Smilova Ivan Krastev Series: Seminars and Colloquia The crisis of liberal democracy hardly makes the news today: so often has its imminent death been announced. Yet over the last 15 years organizations responsible for monitoring freedom and democracy in the world have reported a trend of globally declining quality of democracy. Over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, the pace of this trend has accelerated. Different hypotheses for what went wrong have been advanced. Read more
	North Macedonia As A Test-Case For Europe’s Credibility	Wed, 26.01.2022	Panels and Discussions	Ivan Vejvoda Ruzha Smilova Zoran NechevNikola Dimitrov	North Macedonia As A Test-Case For Europe’s Credibility Wed, 26.01.2022 Speakers: Ivan Vejvoda Ruzha Smilova Zoran NechevNikola Dimitrov Series: Panels and Discussions North Macedonia - after the historic Prespa Agreement reached with Greece in June 2018 - has been blocked from moving forward on its EU accession path from October 2019 by France and since last year by Bulgaria. Albania's EU fate is coupled to that of North Macedonia. This issue has a broader significance for the EU enlargement policy as well as for the credibility of the EU as a peace project and for its declared geostrategic goals. Read more
North Macedonia As A Test-Case For Europe’s Credibility Wed, 26.01.2022 Speakers: Ivan Vejvoda Ruzha Smilova Zoran NechevNikola Dimitrov Series: Panels and Discussions North Macedonia - after the historic Prespa Agreement reached with Greece in June 2018 - has been blocked from moving forward on its EU accession path from October 2019 by France and since last year by Bulgaria. Albania's EU fate is coupled to that of North Macedonia. This issue has a broader significance for the EU enlargement policy as well as for the credibility of the EU as a peace project and for its declared geostrategic goals. Read more
	Shifting Sands: The Lure of “Alignments a la Carte” and the True Meaning of “America is Back”	Tue, 25.01.2022	Lecture	Soli Özel Ivan Krastev	Shifting Sands: The Lure of “Alignments a la Carte” and the True Meaning of “America is Back” Tue, 25.01.2022 Speakers: Soli Özel Ivan Krastev Series: Lecture Because the Trump administration was such a harrowing experience for most European countries, for the EU itself and many others around the world the election of Joe Biden resulted in a deep sigh of relief. In power, Biden moved fast domestically and talked the good talk towards allies in various platforms. Yet, nearly ten months into his term Biden’s policies suggest a surprising degree of continuity with his immediate predecessor. He is also finally putting more substance into President Obama’s “pivot to Asia” strategy. In an age when the United States turns its attention and most of its resources to competing with China and containing Beijing’s ambition, what is Europe to do? In light of the American nonchalance about European allies, is the “strategic autonomy” championed by President Macron of France the way out? Should Europeans really choose between China and the US as Washington clearly wants them to? Would German disdain for claiming strategic leadership and the Europeans’ own complacency turn Europe into a geopolitical void? The new era in international relations is full of surprises and fluidity. Nimble political reflexes and strategic will are of utmost importance. Will the EU deploy them where it can and must? Read more
Shifting Sands: The Lure of “Alignments a la Carte” and the True Meaning of “America is Back” Tue, 25.01.2022 Speakers: Soli Özel Ivan Krastev Series: Lecture Because the Trump administration was such a harrowing experience for most European countries, for the EU itself and many others around the world the election of Joe Biden resulted in a deep sigh of relief. In power, Biden moved fast domestically and talked the good talk towards allies in various platforms. Yet, nearly ten months into his term Biden’s policies suggest a surprising degree of continuity with his immediate predecessor. He is also finally putting more substance into President Obama’s “pivot to Asia” strategy. In an age when the United States turns its attention and most of its resources to competing with China and containing Beijing’s ambition, what is Europe to do? In light of the American nonchalance about European allies, is the “strategic autonomy” championed by President Macron of France the way out? Should Europeans really choose between China and the US as Washington clearly wants them to? Would German disdain for claiming strategic leadership and the Europeans’ own complacency turn Europe into a geopolitical void? The new era in international relations is full of surprises and fluidity. Nimble political reflexes and strategic will are of utmost importance. Will the EU deploy them where it can and must? Read more
	Governing through Contradictions.	Tue, 18.01.2022	Seminars and Colloquia	Ayşe Çağlar Ulrike Flader	Governing through Contradictions. Tue, 18.01.2022 Speakers: Ayşe Çağlar Ulrike Flader Series: Seminars and Colloquia Turkey is currently governed by a regime which blurs the line between authoritarian and democratic rule. While some authors tend to interpret this state as a moment of transition towards full authoritarianism, this paper argues that we should rather understand the coevalness of democratic and non-democratic practices as a deliberate and “cunning” mode of government, which we call soft authoritarian. Read more
Governing through Contradictions. Tue, 18.01.2022 Speakers: Ayşe Çağlar Ulrike Flader Series: Seminars and Colloquia Turkey is currently governed by a regime which blurs the line between authoritarian and democratic rule. While some authors tend to interpret this state as a moment of transition towards full authoritarianism, this paper argues that we should rather understand the coevalness of democratic and non-democratic practices as a deliberate and “cunning” mode of government, which we call soft authoritarian. Read more
	Slavic Bazaar: Performances and Instrumentalizations of the Slavic discourse 1791 - 2017	Mon, 10.01.2022	Seminars and Colloquia	Katherine Younger Ludger Hagedorn Tomáš Glanc	Slavic Bazaar: Performances and Instrumentalizations of the Slavic discourse 1791 - 2017 Mon, 10.01.2022 Speakers: Katherine Younger Ludger Hagedorn Tomáš Glanc Series: Seminars and Colloquia The ideology of Slavic unity and reciprocity has been a crucial pattern of European thought and culture since the beginning of the 19th century, and it is still relevant today. In his presentation, Tomáš Glanc will discuss the development, the teleology, and the typologies of this heterogeneous discourse. The talk will outline performative practices of “Slaventum” rich in contradictions, geopolitical phantasms and geopoetic fictions. Glanc will use examples from different disciplines such as literature, art, linguistics, but also referring to political essays, institutional history, and the history of gymnastics. Read more
Slavic Bazaar: Performances and Instrumentalizations of the Slavic discourse 1791 - 2017 Mon, 10.01.2022 Speakers: Katherine Younger Ludger Hagedorn Tomáš Glanc Series: Seminars and Colloquia The ideology of Slavic unity and reciprocity has been a crucial pattern of European thought and culture since the beginning of the 19th century, and it is still relevant today. In his presentation, Tomáš Glanc will discuss the development, the teleology, and the typologies of this heterogeneous discourse. The talk will outline performative practices of “Slaventum” rich in contradictions, geopolitical phantasms and geopoetic fictions. Glanc will use examples from different disciplines such as literature, art, linguistics, but also referring to political essays, institutional history, and the history of gymnastics. Read more
	The Post-Coloniality of Asylum Infrastructure	Mon, 13.12.2021	Seminars and Colloquia	Ayşe ÇağlarPaolo Novak	The Post-Coloniality of Asylum Infrastructure Mon, 13.12.2021 Speakers: Ayşe ÇağlarPaolo Novak Series: Seminars and Colloquia This presentation takes as its object of analysis and investigation asylum seekers’ reception centres in a central Italian province. It builds upon literature concerned with the logistification of asylum to conceive these centres as nodes of the EU humanitarian border, yet it moves beyond the exclusive concern with the migrant-border dialectic that characterises most literature on the subject. In its attempt to dig deeper into the social ontology of the humanitarian border, the presentation de-centres the logistical gaze cast on asylum management characterising this literature by foregrounding instead the productive relation between the humanitarian border and the place-specific social dynamics that explain its emergence and reproduction in concrete settings. Accounting for the multiple and variegated histories, stories, agencies and trajectories that become entangled in the rooms of these reception centres, the paper argues that critical border scholars need to move beyond an exclusive concern with the border-migrant dialectic, and to reorient our attention towards an appreciation of borders’ place-specific configurations. In bringing to the fore the unevenness of these entanglements in each of these reception centres, the presentation also suggests recalibrating contemporary concerns with the coloniality of asylum, of migration, and of infrastructure. The expression ‘postcoloniality of asylum infrastructure’ wants to entangle colonial world-making legacies with everyday practices of place-making. Read more
The Post-Coloniality of Asylum Infrastructure Mon, 13.12.2021 Speakers: Ayşe ÇağlarPaolo Novak Series: Seminars and Colloquia This presentation takes as its object of analysis and investigation asylum seekers’ reception centres in a central Italian province. It builds upon literature concerned with the logistification of asylum to conceive these centres as nodes of the EU humanitarian border, yet it moves beyond the exclusive concern with the migrant-border dialectic that characterises most literature on the subject. In its attempt to dig deeper into the social ontology of the humanitarian border, the presentation de-centres the logistical gaze cast on asylum management characterising this literature by foregrounding instead the productive relation between the humanitarian border and the place-specific social dynamics that explain its emergence and reproduction in concrete settings. Accounting for the multiple and variegated histories, stories, agencies and trajectories that become entangled in the rooms of these reception centres, the paper argues that critical border scholars need to move beyond an exclusive concern with the border-migrant dialectic, and to reorient our attention towards an appreciation of borders’ place-specific configurations. In bringing to the fore the unevenness of these entanglements in each of these reception centres, the presentation also suggests recalibrating contemporary concerns with the coloniality of asylum, of migration, and of infrastructure. The expression ‘postcoloniality of asylum infrastructure’ wants to entangle colonial world-making legacies with everyday practices of place-making. Read more