Nationenbildung und Demokratie : die Auseinandersetzung um Partizipation in Luxemburg von der Französischen Revolution bis zum Beginn des Zweiten Weltkrieges (1789-1940) - PARITIZIP
Coordinating Institution:
Université du Luxembourg
From: 15/01/2009
To: 14/01/2012
Budget: 675,000.00€
Contact(s):
Lehners Jean-Paul
Summary
The focus of work in this first year of the project centred on several areas.
1. The project was successfully established within the working environment of the University of Luxembourg. Within just a few weeks we were able to set up particularly favourable working conditions in terms of material infrastructure enabling work on the project to be commenced at an early stage. Furthermore, the project team was rapidly integrated in a sustainable structure into the Department of History and into the IPSE interdisciplinary research unit at the Walferdange Campus of the University of Luxembourg, the unit responsible for the project. The success of this integration is of particular importance because, on the one hand, since the PARTIZIP project itself is interdisciplinary in approach and, on the other hand, since various disciplines and projects linked to the IPSE research unit deal with questions similar to those involved in the PARTIZIP project. It is worth noting an especially fortunate circumstance, namely the fact that the IDENT (Coordinator: Professor Christian Schulz) and Lieux de Mémoire (Coordinator: Prof. Michel Margue) projects are currently in the process of presenting the results of their research, upon which the PARTIZIP project can directly build. This is of particular relevance for the subject areas, identity and nation building.
2. The project was also established with equal success within the research context outside the University. In addition to developing informal connections with key research figures both in and beyond Luxembourg, a network was also created with so-called “local history writing” in Luxembourg. This found expression in a very well received lecture given by the joint project leader, Norbert Franz, at the “3e assises de l´historiographie luxembourgeoise” conference in November 2009. Furthermore, good working relationships have also been established or developed with central research institutions in Luxembourg; for example with the national library, the national archive, Luxembourg municipal archive, Dudelange municipal archive, as well as the Centre de documentation sur les migrations humaines (CDMH) in Dudelange.
3. Work on developing the theoretical foundations for research within the project progressed as planned. In this a large quantity of time was appropriately given over to internal project training and discussions.
The interdisciplinary approach of the projects proved here to be especially helpful: in this way the danger of coming up against subject-specific limitations of one’s own research work was avoided and, at the same time, the particular strengths of the individual disciplines complemented and enhanced one another. Furthermore, in accordance with the project plan empirical source work was commenced on the subjects of nation building and social participation, as well on the five population groups that represent the core focus of the project: women, farmers, workers, migrants and Jews. In addition to this, a section of the project team concentrated on collecting data for a quantitative analysis of socio-historical sources: relevant data from three local authorities was collected for this analysis.
Sources containing information on local authority budgets were also selected for analysis. Collection of data on Luxembourg national budgets for the period up until the First World War is at a particularly advanced stage. Furthermore, an analysis of newspapers was started producing significant initial results. One member of the project team focussed on the question of the relationship between dynasties and the people, and the role of the monarchy in nation building in Luxembourg.
4. A successful network has also been created between the project group and international researchers with the realisation, firstly, of planned cooperative enterprises with other European universities. Cooperation with Leiden University (Netherlands), Saarland University and the University of Trier has proven to be especially intensive. Secondly, it has been possible to attract a total of five early career researchers who will each write their thesis – three doctoral theses and two Master’s theses – on a project-related subject. Various other students have indicated an interest in working together with the project group and this collaboration will take place in 2010 and 2011. The highlight of this part of the project was an international conference organized and hosted as planned by the University of Luxembourg in December 2009. It is particularly important to note that we were also able to attract researchers from the USA, the Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia to the conference.
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