Publications / IWMpost

The main essay in this IWMpost issue responds to a pervasive mood of our time. Against the backdrop of several ongoing global crises, from which it is becoming increasingly difficult to imagine a way out, apocalyptic visions of the future are booming. However, according to John Palattella, the false prophets of our time confuse the destruction of humanity with salvation. Inspired by Elizabeth Bishop, the author warns against abandoning the necessary work of understanding for the fascination of these visions.

In line with the profile of the IWM and the IWMpost, this issue covers a wide range of topics. For the first time, however, the largest section of an IWMpost issue consists of essays that center on art and literature, and that use them as entry points to reflect on social issues. The essays that form this section address the political implications of pioneering work by artists (Prakash, Orzoff, Antonova), discuss the interplay between art and politics (Antonova, Koprivica), focus on literary ways of mirroring and documenting reality (Hagedorn, Rybkowska), and problematize the encounter between art and science (Grasso).

The photo on the cover of this issue is taken from the portrait series ST. JAVELIN by Julia Krahn. The artist invited Ukrainian women who have fled their country to tell their stories through images and interviews. The photo points to the essays by Bialasiewicz and Biziukova, Koziienko, and Lazareva—which discuss the reception of Ukrainian refugees in Europe—as well as to the issue’s larger focus on migration, displacement, and governance. Hansen elaborates on the shifts brought about by the 1973 oil crisis, which resulted in massive migratory flows. Donà and Çağlar identify aspects of the coloniality of power in the governance of migration. Kallergis calls for a reframing of environmental migration in the Global North, while Levitt addresses dramatic shifts in the social protection of migrants.

The second issue of IWMpost in the fortieth year of the IWM is intended to provide insight into the broad disciplinary and thematic range of research conducted at the institute. 

Philosophical essays are at the center of the issue. Fraenkel discusses the relevance of ancient Greek philosophy for the present, focusing on Aristotle’s conception of the good life. Zawisza draws attention to the importance of the kabbalistic vision of Creation for a political theology of the West. And Barzilay problematizes changes in the political and historical understanding of humanity in view of the climate and nuclear crises. The critical implications of gender and (de-)coloniality in contemporary knowledge production are the subject of Kaiser-Trujillo’s and Dube’s epistemological essays.

We intended to celebrate – IWMpost 129 was to contain a supplement for the fortieth anniversary of the IWM. However, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we no longer felt like celebrating. Thus, we decided to dedicate the supplement to Ukraine instead. The guiding maxim of the supplement’s editor, Permanent Fellow Kate Younger: If we want to understand what is at stake in Ukraine today, not only for Ukrainians but for all of us, the only place to start is to listen to Ukrainians. With the exceptions of Timothy Snyder and the editor herself, all contributions to the supplement are penned by former or current fellows of the program Ukraine in European Dialogue. The creators of the photographs and artwork illustrating the articles are also from Ukraine.

From the originally envisaged anniversary supplement, we decided to include in the regular issue only the focus on “European boundaries and divides.” Permanent Fellow Ivan Krastev and Volodymyr Yermolenko address the question of Europe’s borders against the backdrop of the war, each from a different perspective. Jacques Rupnik and Maria Todorova, for their part, discuss the relevance of two categories that enjoyed great prominence in the first post-socialist decade: “Central Europe” and “the Balkans.” Finally, Basil Kerski’s essay points to the often neglected transnational and European dimension of the Solidarność movement.

Statelessness—a status of fundamental rightlessness and unprotectedness encompassing ever larger populations in the South and the North—is the central focus of the present IWMpost issue. A workshop on "Sites of Statelessness" held in September 2021 at the IWM marked the beginning of an intensive engagement with the problem of statelessness by the Europe Asia Research Platform on Forced Migration (a joint project of the IWM and the Calcutta Research Group), which promises to yield innovative insights.

The cover of this issue shows a statue of King Leopold II of Belgium in Ghent that was smeared with red paint and removed just as the country was about to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Congo’s independence. Attacks on statues have become a typical expression of protest against a hegemonic narrative of history and the ubiquity of its symbolic representations. They demonstrate that history has become the central terrain of contemporary political struggles.

This issue considers "Democracy in Question", looking at the future of democracy with articles from Ruth Wodak, Wolfgang Merkel, and Till van Rahden. Our Rector, Shalini Randeria and Permanent Fellow Timothy Snyder write on healthcare and politics. Protest movements in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine are considered as well as a focus on migration and border politics, including articles by IWM Permanent Fellow Ayşe Cağlar and Amade M’charek

In this issue Ivan Krastev considers how we can learn to live with the unthinkable. Ranabir Samaddar and Jiří Přibáň address the coronavirus pandemic. Eva Illouz writes on Social Demoracy and Capitalism and Laura Engelstein delves into the recurrent issue of Antismeitism.

In this issue Aleida Assmann consider the future of democracy, IWM fellows examine the events and legacy of 1989 and we think about globalisation in the context of inequality.

Ilija Trojanow interrogates utopian visions of the future, Ayşe Çağlar envisions a global order of migration and we think about the future of democracy and the legacies of the cold war.

Timothy Snyder, John Palattella and others celebrate the Vienna Humanities Festival, we look at the empowerment of women and bring the latest insights from our Europe's Futures and Democracy in Question programs.

As we celebrate the IIWM's 35th anniversary we debate the future of Europe, consider how people are rethinking democracy and contrast the old and new forms of war.