The Historical Region of East-Central Europe in Research into the History of Religion in the Early Modern Era

Abstract

The study contains the reflection on the usefulness of the notion East-Central Europe as a historical region in the research on confessional relations in the early modern era. It begins with the description of the discussion on regionalization of European history, with particular emphasis on the frequently ideologized division into East and West. Next, the author recalls the genesis of the notion of East-Central Europe as a historical region, which was introduced after the Second World War by Oskar Halecki, and the popularization of this notion in the second half of the twentieth century. In the author’s opinion, the most important criterion in the evaluation of usefulness of this construct should be its research functionality checked not in syntheses or reviews, but in detailed research into specific problems, including comparative research.