Der Traum vom anderen Deutschland –

Lecture by Anna Koch (Leeds) as part of the online lecture series »Ruptures and New Beginnings: Jews and the Foundation of New States in the Twentieth Century«

The emergence of numerous new sovereign states was one of the most important and defining processes of the twentieth century. On the basis of a selection of case studies, this research colloquium focuses on the Jewish aspects and questions related to nation-building and state formation.

A major focus is on the creation of new state formations in Central and Eastern Europe through to the Middle East in the aftermath of World War I. Of special interest is the impact of these processes on Jews and other minorities in the new states emerging from the multi-ethnic empires of the Habsburgs, the Romanovs, and the Ottomans.

Another focus lies on the foundation of states after World War II – as well as the question of the extent to which these reflected the experiences of the interwar period and the Holocaust.