Historical Studies on East-Central Europe in the Twentieth Century: an Overview from Spain

Abstract

That the East-Central European reality has not been one of the most analysed issues in Spanish academia is no secret. The reasons for the relatively small amount of publications on, and scarce interest in the history of the region until the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s in our country have much to do with the linguistic barrier (unfortunately still existent nowadays, though in a lesser extent), the lack of a consolidated institutional and academic tradition, and the diffi culties experienced in access to sources before 1989. Moreover, it is a fact that East-Central Europe, for historical, cultural and strategic reasons, has not been a priority area in Spanish foreign policy. However, during the last 25–30 years this apparently discouraging panorama has improved signifi cantly and many gaps are being, or have already been fi lled from different angles and in a variety of disciplines. In the last decade, East-Central European countries have acquired more visibility in Spanish media, and general present-day knowledge about them is increasing. This is due, fi rstly, to the EU enlargement towards the East and, stemming from it, to the new opportunities offered to study or work abroad, as well as to the growing number of cultural and sports events organised and promoted in Spain1 by the Polish and Romanian cultural institutes, the Russian Centre of Science and Culture, or the Hungarian Embassy, among others. The present review2 will deal chiefl y with the contributions of Spanish historiography to this task, particularly to the study of communism and state