Role Of Historian Research Articles

Transformation of Memorial Culture: The Case of Husein Bey Gradaščević in Contemporary Bosniak Perspective

This paper discusses the circumstances and ways in which the transformation and interpretation of certain issues from the Bosnian past took place in the historiography of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The author focuses especially on the place and role of Husein bey Gradaščević in the anti-Ottoman uprising in 1831/32, which, according to interpretations elaborated here, went from „anti-reform“ to „movement for the autonomy of Bosnia“ or „both of them“, depending on time of writing and authors' approaches. The author paid special attention to books published in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which served as a basis for his assertions about the role of context on the text. At the end of the paper, author also shows and partly discusses reflections created in public space, especially in documentaries available online. Finally, author elaborates on role of historians in public space(s) and challenges between „academic history writing“ and „public history approaches“.

Умом Балканы не понять? Белов М.В., ред. Историческая политика в странах бывшей Югославии. СПб.: Нестор-История, 2022

The publication of the collective monograph “Historical Politics in the Countries of the Former Yugoslavia” is undoubtedly an important event both for political studies of historical memory and for Slavic and Balkan studies in Russia. Based on this monograph, D.Efremenko, using the example of the Western Balkan countries, reflects on the importance of the actor approach in memory studies, as well as on the role of historians in the formation of the collective memory of national communities. From his viewpoint, it makes sense to consider the phenomenon of post-Yugoslav “historical revisionism” discussed in the monograph not only as a substantive revision of the historiographic canon of Tito’s era, but also as a politically conditioned paradigm shift — the replacement of this canon with nation-centric historiographies. According to Efremenko, the texts presented in the monograph clearly indicate that historical narratives still play a crucial role in political discussions, being an integral component of the ontological security of macropolitical communities. In particular, the Kosovo (Vidovdan) myth continues to exert a strong influence on the Serbian political leadership’s decision-making related to the resolution of the conflict in Kosovo and the country’s integration into the European Union. This example demonstrates that problems in the field of ontological security can possess serious consequences for confirming or changing the international status of a country, as well as maintaining reliability and sustainability of alliances and partnerships with other states.

From personal memories to public histories of education: a challenge for the historian

ABSTRACT This article explores the possibilities that the study of personal memories offers to historians of education. All the arguments revolve around three questions: (1) What is your first memory? From this starting point we explore research dealing with autobiographical memories, both earliest and school memories, as well as future possibilities in educational historiography. (2) How would I like to be remembered? This question is related to the memories and archives of ‘the forgotten’ – in this case, schoolteachers ‒ and the role of historians as ‘heirs’ to these memories, in line with Walter Benjamin’s metaphor. (3) What happens when personal memories become public? This question leads us to reflect on the processes that convert academic narratives into public discourse. When this occurs, the historian loses control of these narratives and is confronted with a dilemma: to become a public intellectual or to go back to the privacy of his/her archives.

Monuments and Memory: Civil War Statuary, Public-Facing Scholarship, and the Future of Memory Studies

Abstract: In the aftermath of George Floyd's 2020 murder, there was renewed focus on Confederate monuments within ongoing debates and protests about racial justice and racist violence. Civil War historians are constantly asked about monuments, regardless of whether they study them. In part, this roundtable seeks to help all those scholars feel comfortable engaging with these questions while also considering where the field of Civil War memory studies is and where it goes next. Bringing together eight scholars and history practitioners, the roundtable covers a range of topics, including discussion about northern monuments, African American commemorations of the war, the impact of a commemorative landscape filled almost exclusively with statues of white men, whether protests have shaped historians' views of Confederate monuments, how to understand more recent Civil War memorials, the role of historians in public debate, the role of "presentism" in history, and the future of Civil War memory studies.

Postcolonial History in the Service of Anticolonial Politics: Critical Historiography and National Myth in Contemporary India

The article examines the relationship between the shaping of Indian foreign policy discourse, macro-historical processes that influence the formation of Indian political elites, and the development of historical knowledge about the Indian Ocean region. Its purpose is to ascertain the factors that influenced the specific perception of India’s place in the region by Indian elites and how this perception evolved within the framework of foreign policy discourse. Additionally, the role of historians who have studied the past of the Indian Ocean is explored. The author concludes that the changes in global political discourse following the First World War played a crucial role in shaping the ideas of India’s position in the world among the elites. These elites adopted the stance that the nation-state, with its own industrial base, was the only viable option. From the early stages of independent India, its political elites, influenced by British or Anglicized upbringing and education, rejected the notion of continuity between the new Indian state and the British Raj and the possessions of the East India Company. Instead, they attempted to establish historical continuity with pre-British Indian polities. Indian and foreign historians supported them in this endeavor. The author demonstrates how India’s political elites utilized the findings of scholars to serve their own purposes, selectively adopting suitable historical narratives while discarding others. This process gradually drew the community of historians into the production of discourse. During the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, the Mughal Empire received the most attention as the last pre-British Indian polity. However, with the Bharatiya Janata Party coming into power, research on Hindu polities and personalities is now encouraged.

Russian War, Neocolonialism and Holocaust Studies in Ukraine

Abstract This text is related to the theme of the usage of historical narratives about WWII in the current Russian War against Ukraine. It is a brief analysis of the instrumentalisation of Holocaust history in Russian propaganda, as well as the role of historians as enablers in these processes. The essay also focuses on the issue of decolonization of historical narratives in Western academia and Ukrainian discourses of WWII in the context of the Russian–Ukrainian War. The final issue discussed in this text concerns how Russian aggression in Ukraine has affected academic studies and research on the history of the Holocaust in Ukraine and EU countries.

Interpreting the Creation of Czechoslovakia between 1948 and 1989 / Shifts and Changes in the Politics of History and Memory

The article focuses on the construction of historical narratives and the construction of memory regarding the emergence of Czechoslovakia (28 October 1918) in the second half of the twentieth century. It analyses Czech and Slovak historiography and the significance of direct and indirect political and ideological influences. It explores shifts in the official narrative from the establishment of the communist regime to its collapse through an analysis of party texts, scholarly publications and conferences. The authors pay equal attention to the Czech lands and Slovakia. They focus on the role of historians as a professional community and the importance of institutional networks and examine the positions and viewpoints of the new historical departments (within the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences) and shifts in university education. While the existing universities were to concentrate exclusively on teaching, the newly established universities (such as the University of Political and Economic Sciences – VysokĂĄ ĹĄkola politickĂ˝ch a hospodářskĂ˝ch věd) were tasked from the outset with educating a new type of socialist intelligentsia that had a close relationship to the people and/or to (re)educate publicity workers and state administration employees. As for historians, the article points to their professional and publishing strategies and the changes in opinions they underwent. In the second part, the authors address the issue of commemorating the founding of Czechoslovakia in the public space. They pay special attention to the celebrations in 1948, which aspired to a nationwide character, the revival of this tradition in the 1960s, and finally the society-wide response in 1988, when the significance of the establishment of the independent Czechoslovak state was reasserted in the form of granting it the position of a national holiday, and also the symbolism associated with this date became the impetus or mass public protest against the communist regime.

„Bila sam neznalica, ali sam postala tražiteljica“ – Mirjana Gross i „znanstvene persone“

The aim of the paper is to examine the persona of the historian based on the example of Mirjana Gross and using the theoretical framework of scientific personae. The latter was introduced in 2003 in an article by Lorraine Daston and Otto Sibum, who defined scientific personae as mediators between individual biography and social institution, and as a cultural identity that simultaneously shapes the individual and creates a collective with a recognizable and shared physiognomy. Following the work of Daston and Sibum, this paper elaborates of the concept of the persona of the historian by Herman Paul, which defines three approaches. The first approach studies the “scholarly” persona at the micro level, i.e., individual biographies. The second approach refers to the analysis of scientists within the framework of patterns and models of good scholarly conduct, de facto striving to establish an ideal-type model of persona as a universal category. Finally, the third approach is the meso-level approach, which views scientists as individuals whose actions are influenced by the time and place in which they operate, as well as their specific habits, virtues and skills. This framework relies heavily on the concept of “epistemic virtues” as crucial professional and personal characteristics that define the personae and set them apart from other practitioners of a discipline. Thus, the aim of this paper is to establish the persona of the historian Mirjana Gross by analyzing her writing on the theory and methodology of history, her observations of her own work, and her writings on history in general. The paper analyzes the modes in which the tasks and roles of historians and historical science in a society are understood, and how Gross observed her own role as a historian.

The role of historians in guiding archivists to open up collections and promoting access to archives in South Africa

Research reveals the dwindling number of people consulting archival sources in East and Southern Africa. This is a serious concern, particularly in South Africa, as there is a danger that archives services could follow the same path as the Seattle office of the US National Archives, which closed in January 2020. Many scholars support the notion of opening the archives and their respective collections more expansively and allowing archives to be spaces for the people. Such scholars advocate for open access and transparency by archival institutions indicating that archival practices should be transformed to reflect the history of a nation and the respective communities. All voices should be heard, recorded, remembered and be made accessible to a broad spectrum of users.This paper will unpack several South African narratives that should be opened for public viewing and discussion as well as endeavours to ensure that youth develop an interest and appreciation for archival sources and aspects relating to heritage. This paper is based on a model based on the experience shared by a scholar from India, whose experiences involved a project of re-writing school history textbooks which had been dominated by communal and colonial stereotypes. Several examples have been sourced from different archival institutions in the United States in efforts to bring archives closer to the people and for the inclusion of archival artefacts and resources to be incorporated into teaching and learning activities.It is contended that similar models need to be developed to bring archives closer to the people, allow archives institutions to share their collections and ensure the sustainability of archival institutions and the role historians can play in the achievement of this objective.

Victimization in the Past, Historical Justices and Memories of Empire in Our Time: The Role of Historians in the Pursuit of Global Solidarity

Victimization in the Past, Historical Justices and Memories of Empire in Our Time: The Role of Historians in the Pursuit of Global Solidarity

Scientific school of Russian and Ukrainian studies at the Belarusian State University

The process of formation and development of Russian and Ukrainian studies at the Belarusian State University as a scientific historical discipline and educational course is analysed. It is noted that since the 1936/37 academic year it is possible to find a documented trace of the continuity in the study and the teaching of the discipline at the level of special educational and scientific structures: the department of the history of the peoples of the USSR and the history of the BSSR, department of the history of the peoples of the USSR, department of history of the USSR, department of history of the USSR of the pre-Soviet period, department of the history of the USSR of the era of socialism, department of contemporary history of Slavic countries (based on this department of the history of the Southern and Western Slavs was created), department of Russian history (which was formed on the basis of the department of history of the USSR of the pre-Soviet period, was transformed first into the department of Russian and Slavic history, and then into the modern department of Russian history). The author notes the relationship between the development of Russian studies and Ukrainian studies as a direction of historical knowledge with the socio-political situation in the country, the role of historians of the Belarusian State University in the formation of the national structure of historical memory, understanding the importance of historical science for society and the state. The national Belarusian historiography is characterised as a significant component of the European historiography of the history of Russia and Ukraine, its integration into the general European scientific process of studying countries and regions. The prospects for the development of Russian and Ukrainian studies in Belarus at the present stage, the expansion of the process of interdisciplinary synthesis in the late 20th – early 21th centuries are considered. The conclusion is made about the transformation of Russian studies and Ukrainian studies into one of the leading areas of modern historical science, which is part of the complex of social and humanitarian scientific disciplines.

Introduction: Margin Release

Introduction: Margin Release

‘On Camps, past and Present’*

This article reflects on the experience of writing a book about the history of refugee camps in Britain during the global refugee crisis. It explores the relationship between camps of the 20th and 21st centuries, and considers the role of historians in participating in debates about contemporary political issues.

O negacionismo renovado e o ofício do Historiador

O intuito de tal artigo é entender a ampliação do conceito “negacionismo” que, nos últimos anos, não ficou restrito à contestação da existência do Holocausto, mas ampliou-se para outras áreas do saber, tanto dentro como fora da História. Diante de tal perspectiva ampla salienta-se a repercussão da narrativa negacionista no campo historiográfico, levantando-se a hipótese que a necessidade de se contrapor a tal discurso levou a um embate epistemológico dentro da disciplina, ainda no final dos anos 1990. A partir daí pretende-se averiguar como a narrativa negacionista ganhou legitimidade nos últimos dez anos por meio das redes sociais e da ascensão de políticas conservadoras, salientando a importância do papel ativo dos historiadores e de seu ofício nesse momento marcado pela necessária tomada de posição frente à disseminação de tais leituras proselitistas acerca do passado.

MEMÓRIA, HISTÓRIA E ESQUECIMENTO

O presente artigo se debruça sobre os temas memória, história e esquecimento, além das relações entre esses, discutindo o papel da perpetuação dos fatos, dos acontecimentos e daquilo que os permeia. Igualmente reflete sobre o papel do historiador em evitar o olvido e dar sentido e conceito aos fatos históricos. Busca demostrar a importância e relevância dos documentos judiciais como fonte histórica uma vez que estes não se restringem a causas e vereditos, mas são a representação de um mundo e de perspectivas de suas épocas.

ГРАЖДАНСКАЯ ВОЙНА В РОССИИ: НАУКА В ПОИСКАХ ИСТОРИЧЕСКОЙ ИСТИНЫ

This article characterizes the results of the development and contemporary state of the historiography of the Civil War in Russia. The paper notes the most important results and achievements. Further, the author points out substantial historiographical publications whose release was timed to coincide with the centenary of the Civil War and that dwell on the results of its studies. The paper analyses the state of the research within certain areas and major problems and points out some of the more significant monographs. The author identifies the gaps in the historical knowledge as well as problems requiring generalization and fundamental studies. Promising theoretical and methodological approaches to further studies into the history of the Civil War are mentioned. In addition, the article covers the problems and content of the historical and cultural memory about the Civil War in Russia, as well as the role of historians in their formation.

Wikipédia: públicos globais, histórias digitais

Este artigo analisa o conteúdo histórico dentro da Wikipédia e seu potencial como campo de atuação dos historiadores. A partir da compreensão da plataforma como um projeto global e multilinguístico, o artigo busca entender as relações de escrita e de divulgação do conhecimento estabelecidas entre as versões em diferentes línguas da plataforma. Utilizando como objeto os verbetes de conteúdo histórico destacados na Wikipédia em inglês e português, é realizado um levantamento de dados sobre a distribuição temporal e espacial dos verbetes, buscando identificar possíveis problemas e vieses nesse conteúdo. Por fim, o artigo busca colocar a Wikipédia dentro de um contexto mais amplo de discussões sobre o papel do historiador no público e as disputas de memória que permeiam a esfera social. Os resultados indicam a existência de um viés no conteúdo dos verbetes em direção a eventos e fenômenos históricos na Europa dos séculos XIX e XX, em ambas as línguas.

The Death Camps of Croatia: Visions and Revisions, 1941–1945. by Raphael Israeli, New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2013. xxiv + 201 pp. $36.71.

<i>The Death Camps of Croatia: Visions and Revisions, 1941–1945</i>. by Raphael Israeli, New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2013. xxiv + 201 pp. $36.71.

РОЖДЕННЫЕ РЕВОЛЮЦИЕЙ: ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНОЕ СООБЩЕСТВО ИСТОРИКОВ АЗИАТСКОЙ РОССИИ В ТИСКАХ ГРАЖДАНСКОЙ ВОЙНЫ

The history of higher education, science, and academia in the Asian part of Russia has been extensively covered in historiography. Historians have focused on various aspects of these phenomena in connection with social, cultural, economic, as well as political and ideological processes. In most cases, these processes have been approached from two different perspectives. The first one focuses on the center-periphery relations and entails a comparison of the provincial processes with what was happening in the center of Russia. The second concentrates on regional and local processes, including at the micro level. However, the period of the Revolution of 1917 and the Civil War (1918–1920) in the history of Asiatic Russia is of particular importance for the scientific and educational complex of the region in general and for its social sciences and humanities segment, in particular. The authors’ focus is history. Historical research itself, education, science, and the corporation of historians in the paradigm of that period played the most important structure-forming roles. The political, ideological, and sociocultural implications of historical research (the formation of the historical consciousness, civic and political identity and culture, ideological attitudes, moral values, patriotism) are difficult to overestimate. In the period of uncertainty of the development of both the country as a whole and its Asiatic periphery (when the outcome of the armed confrontation was not obvious to anyone), the role of historians in different spheres of the state and society grows, they become important actors of key processes, epitomized by the so-called “third the role of universities”. The study of these aspects of historians’ activities, the mechanisms of their interaction, the influence on the system of social interactions and other aspects, foregrounds this new trend in historical research. The work is written on the basis of a wide range of historical sources: official documents and materials (laws and regulations on the organization of higher education and science); archival materials (most of them are first introduced into academic discourse) – organizational, administrative records that reflect daily activities of universities and research institutions; materials of regional and local periodicals; sources of personal origin; historiography of the Asiatic periphery. In the course of the study, the authors come to the conclusion that the initiative to develop historical research, academic institutions, strengthen the “third role” of universities and scientific communities was generated both “bottom-up” and “top-down”. Both historians and public legal entities, that is authorities at all levels, benefited in these relations.

STATE, EXPERTS, AND ROMA: Historian Allan Etzler and pseudo-scientific racism in Sweden

Like other Nordic countries, Sweden has its dark chapter of ignominious history involving discrimination targeting Roma. However, less is known about the role of historians in the process of bringing so-called ‘scientific grounds’ to solving the ‘Gypsy problem’. In this article, I focus on this topic, using the case of the historian Allan Etzler, in order to analyse the role that Etzler played as a scholar and expert in the development of pseudo-scientific racism in Sweden.