CEU History Department Yearbook 1993 [antikvár]

CEU History Department Yearbook, 1993, pp. 9-21istory of the CEU History DepartmentThe common histoiy of East-Central Europe and the fostering of intra-regional cultural links is rooted in the revolutionary movement of 1848, when the first confederation plans were born, and in the beginning of the 20th century, when the reorganization of Central Europe was first put on the agenda by Czech, Slovak, Hungarian and other democrats to oppose the flamboyant nationalism of that period. George Soros turned to this tradition when he started to support the cultural association of the East-Central European nations and initiated the founding of a regional university.Since the outset, we have been aware that the History Department would play a crucial role in this new institution, for history touches the -in our region - extremely sensitive points of the common past, while the other humanities and social sciences are mainly dealing with contemporary developments. As a result, the department has an especial significance as well as responsibility: it must, and we are confident that it will contribute to the reconciliation of intellectuals in East-Central Europe and promote mutual understanding. A major aspiration of ours is to develop a fruitful combination of the best European traditions with American initiative and efficiency. When this is accomplished, the CEU History Department will, become an ideal place for historians and students to inquire into the historical conditions and tasks, as well as the alternatives of European and Central European integration - not dogmatically seeking to achieve some abstract goal, but objectively investigating the lessons of past experience. Thus, offering a curriculum that helps the study of Central European history in an European perspective, the History Department of the CEU has a unique academic orientation, while at the same time addressing a number of specific needs of our region .Central European University Budapest, 1994