Behind the Curtain: An Introduction to the History of Central Europe

One of the principal academic and educational outputs of the UNIDICE project will be an international university textbook provisionally entitled Behind the Curtain: An Introduction to the History of Central Europe. Developed through cooperation between Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest), Masaryk University (Brno) and the University of Wrocław, the volume aims to provide a comprehensive, accessible and academically rigorous introduction to the history of Central Europe, from the Middle Ages to the present day. The textbook is being developed with Routledge as the prospective publisher.

The publication will examine Central Europe as a historical, geographical, political and cultural space shaped by shared experiences, competing identities and diverse national traditions. Rather than presenting a conventional chronological narrative or an encyclopaedic collection of historical facts, the textbook will adopt a thematic, comparative and problem-oriented approach. Particular emphasis will be placed on the region's changing political and cultural boundaries, the formation of states and nations, religious and social transformations, conflicts and cooperation, and the construction of historical memory. Its primary audience will include undergraduate and postgraduate students, university lecturers and researchers, while its accessible structure will also make it valuable to readers interested in the history and identity of Central Europe.

The volume will consist of a substantial general introduction of approximately 30,000 words and nine thematic chapters of around 15,000 words each, reflecting the principal research topics of the UNIDICE project. The general introduction will examine the changing concept of Central Europe, its place in European history and the historiographical debates surrounding the region, while also providing a methodological guide to the textbook. The nine chapters will address the geographical and historical origins of Central Europe, Christianisation and state formation, empires and nations, revolutions and reforms, wars and changing borders, regional cooperation and division, social transformations, contemporary Central Europe and the politics of historical memory.

Each thematic chapter will follow a common academic structure combining an introductory overview, historical context, an examination of primary sources and contemporary perspectives, a discussion of historiographical interpretations and a selected bibliography. The chapters will also incorporate geographical perspectives, relevant social history and maps to help readers understand the spatial and historical dimensions of the topics discussed. This approach will allow the textbook to introduce students not only to important historical developments but also to the sources, methods and scholarly debates through which historians interpret the past.

An essential feature of the publication is its close integration with the wider academic activities of the UNIDICE project. The nine thematic chapters are coordinated by scholars from the participating universities, ensuring that the textbook reflects a genuinely international and comparative perspective. Research and discussions developed during the project's national and international workshops will contribute to the preparation of the volume, while the textbook will provide a broader educational framework extending beyond the individual workshop themes. Particular attention will be given to incorporating Hungarian, Czech and Polish perspectives, identifying both common historical experiences and differences in national historiographical traditions.

The textbook will be edited by Dániel Bagi (Eötvös Loránd University), Jakub Tyszkiewicz (University of Wrocław) and Martin Wihoda (Masaryk University), with Bálint Mezei (Eötvös Loránd University) serving as Operational Director, responsible for coordinating the editorial process and the Routledge proposal. The preparation of the general introduction will be undertaken jointly by the three editors, while individual thematic coordinators will supervise the development of the nine chapters in cooperation with contributing scholars. The entire volume will be written in British English and will follow a unified editorial and methodological framework.

Following the international editorial meeting held in Brno in October 2026, the project partners agreed on a detailed editorial timetable. The introductory sections are scheduled for completion in February 2027, followed by internal academic review, the involvement of additional contributors and the preparation of the remaining sections. The complete manuscript is planned to be finalised by December 2027, with submission to Routledge targeted for February 2028. As a major long-term outcome of UNIDICE, the textbook is intended to support university teaching, encourage comparative historical thinking and contribute to a deeper understanding of Central Europe's shared and diverse historical heritage.