Marián Sekerák (AMBIS College, Prag) stellt seine Forschungen zum Thema: "Unknown 20th Century European Federalist Thought: Contributions Related to Slovakia" vor.

Zoom-Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88225705032?pwd=mDaR5FiU9L2QGpH1b1y7tTx4dJJsHN.1

Meeting-ID: 882 2570 5032

Kenncode: 878905

Um formlose Anmeldung wird gebeten per E-Mail an: post.cc@collegium-carolinum.de

Abstract:
The lecture will examine federalization endeavours in Central Europe during the mid-20th century, focusing on the significant contributions of Slovak exile intellectuals, publicists, politicians, and diplomats. It will contextualize their perspectives within the complex geopolitical landscape of Central Europe through a historical and political-theoretical lens, exploring the theoretical foundation of their federal projects and the pragmatic and geopolitical constraints that hindered their realization. The federalist concepts of the 1940s and 1950s will be discussed, emphasizing the intense discussions among these political émigrés about the future of the Slovak nation within a broader Central or even pan-European federation. Various federalist thinkers, including Milan Hodža, Štefan Osuský, Karol Sidor, Ferdinand Ďurčanský, Jozef Kirschbaum, Jozef Lettrich, Leo Gestetner, and others, will be examined in terms of their political beliefs and federalist conceptions. Thus, the lecture will provide a deeper understanding of the history of this lesser-known political thought, as well as the nuanced and complex narratives of Slovak-related federalist projects. It will seek to shed light on the historically conditioned arguments for a federalized Central Europe, a topic often overshadowed by Western European conceptions from the same era.