Dear Students, Faculty and Staff of the Department of History,
We are continuing our departmental tradition of organizing weekly research seminars. In these seminars, professors and researchers provide insights into their current work.
On Tuesday, 08.03.2022, 17:40 PM CET, we will have a lecture by Eric Lohr, Chair of the History Department and James H. Billington Chair of Russian History and Culture at American University
Title: Tsarism, Tsarist Autocracy, and the Russian Sonderweg
Zoom link will be displayed on the day of the seminar here:
https://ceu-edu.zoom.us/j/93337103536?pwd=bzJ5M3E1eXpRUkZSQldRUnFRQVZYdz09
Meeting ID: 933 3710 3536
Passcode: 271164
Abstract:
Prof. Lohr will present the findings of a draft article that explores the history of the use of a group of related terms: tsarism, tsarist autocracy and their components tsarist and autocracy in the spirit of Begriffsgeschichte—the history of concepts. The essay argues that the terms are at best imprecise and at worst inaccurate and anachronistic—especially when applied to the era of constitutional monarchy, 1906-1917. It argues that the terms have served to impede thinking about Russian institutions comparatively and that they should be retired in favor of universal English language terms such as absolute monarchy, monarchy, constitutional monarchy (in the 1905-17 era) and monarchism.
Bio:
Eric Lohr is the author of Russian Citizenship: From Empire to Soviet Union (Harvard University Press, 2012), Nationalizing the Russian Empire: The Campaign Against Enemy Aliens during World War I (Harvard University Press, 2003). His recent review essay “The Bolshevik Revolution is Over” appeared in the Journal of Modern History. He is currently working on two books: Russian Autocracy and The Brothers Trubetskoi: Russian Liberals between Regime and Revolution. Lohr received his M.A. in Russian Studies and Ph.D. in History from Harvard University, where he also served as an assistant professor of History. He is chair of the History Department and James H. Billington Chair of Russian History and Culture at American University.
We welcome all members of the department!
Daniela Munteanu and Jan Hennings