Field of excellence “Dimensions of Europeanization”
What makes our continent tick?
Cluster "Knowledge Transfer and Concepts of Europe" Coordinators: Simone De Angelis, Florian Bieber, Philipp Hofeneder.
The cluster aims to shed light on the transfer of knowledge, ideas and concepts as well as the diversity of changing discourses and ideas about Europe in their interactions and contexts. This is done from a longue durée perspective, ranging from antiquity through the early modern period to the present day, and by applying inter- and transdisciplinary approaches. Knowledge transfer is understood as a multidimensional, transregional and transcultural process that involves complex forms of interaction between different actors, institutions and sites of knowledge production. However, the existence of these transfer processes is often left out of concepts of and discourses about Europe. Therefore, we emphasize the instrumental character of these discourses and concepts and their role in the construction of the respective Other or supposed peripheries of Europe. In this sense, this cluster is dedicated to critical European studies by questioning and attempting to overcome traditional, anachronistic views of knowledge production, the validity of bipolar topographies of knowledge, and patterns of interpretation shaped by nationalist historiographies.
Central research question: What does 'Europe' mean, when and for whom, and to what extent do the images conveyed in the various concepts of Europe differ from those brought to light by the analysis of multidimensional, transregional and transcultural knowledge transfer processes?