About the topic
The theme group “Inventing Europe” aims not only to develop and publish in 2013/2014 a six volume book series entitled “Making Europe Technology and Transformations 1850-2000” with Palgrave Macmillan but also to translate the series in a virtual exhibit which will be online in 2012. Writing new histories of twentieth century Europe has become a substantial scholarly activity during the two decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact regimes. Clearly, the past and future of Europe have become a pressing issue, and one with a sharp political edge. National conflicts are the main focus of European histories. The theme group writes “Making Europe” from an alternative perspective. This is a transnational European history using the lens of technology. Such a history focuses on interdependencies and transnational institutions, the linking and delinking of infrastructures and knowledge networks, the transfers, circulation and appropriations of people, products, knowledge, skills, and ideas. Technological change is perceived as a deeply political and cultural process involving people and institutions. In such an approach the nation-state is understood as a relational construct. It is not rejected as a major site for negotiating Europe, but the major focus in is on nation boundary crossing events and processes. The six books deal with a range of topics; infrastructures, European knowledge circulation, consumption and use, governing Europe, mass media, and Europe in the global World. For more information on the book series and virtual exhibit we refer to www.makingeurope.eu. For the virtual exhibit see: www.inventingeurope.eu