The future of time: New research project sheds light on Eastern Europe!

The future of time: New research project sheds light on Eastern Europe!

On April 7, 2025, the research college “European Times/European Times – A Transregional Approach to the Societies of Central and Eastern Europe” (EUTIM) reached a significant milestone. The project, which has been running since April 2021, is supported by renowned institutions such as the European University Viadrina, the University of Potsdam and the Forum Transregionale Studien in Berlin and is dedicated to the investigation of time and space narratives in Central and Eastern Europe. With funding of around 1.7 million euros from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in the first funding phase, a second, additional three-year funding phase with 1,143,000 euros is just around the corner since the official launch of EUTIM on January 17, 2025.

How uni-potsdam.de reports, a central question of the project is how the different concepts of time between Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe affect. Prof. Dr. Alexander Wöll, head of the Potsdam part of the project, highlights the need to analyze the cultural impact of these different views. The historical context shows how universal time has been defined as Western since the Enlightenment. In his work “Inventing Eastern Europe,” Larry Wolff describes the categorization of Eastern countries as “unenlightened,” which continues to influence the perception of concepts of time.

Insights into concepts of time and their cultural meaning

The EUTIM project looks at historical turning points such as the 1917 revolution, which resulted in the introduction of a five-day working week and the abolition of the Christian day of rest. This led to a new perception of time in society. The research also examines the representations of time in Eastern European literature. Examples such as Sofia Andrukhovych's “Amadoka,” which addresses the traumatizing effects of war, and Jacek Hugo-Bader's “Kolyma Diary,” which illuminates Soviet ideas about time, demonstrate the diversity of temporal narratives in the region.

In addition, modern authors such as Jáchym Topol and Saša Stanišić use innovative textual strategies to present their perspectives on the time. The discussion about the term “turning point” has become more relevant due to the current political situation, especially in view of developments in the context of Russia and the Ukraine conflict. According to project leader Hartmut Rosa, social acceleration is also discussed as having a significant influence on the perception of time.

Research approaches and future challenges

The project has already seen success in supporting young scientists and artists from Ukraine. Future research questions will focus, among other things, on the life stories of queer artists and the analysis of temporalities in Slavic literature. Conferences and projects are planned in the coming years that will deal intensively with literary and cultural topics in Eastern Europe.

How das-wissen.de As can be seen, the interdisciplinary approach in the EUTIM project will not only deepen the existing questions, but also shed light on topics that are extremely relevant today, such as the analysis of heterogeneous conceptions of time and their historical dynamics. Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Annette Werberger and Prof. Dr. Andrii Portnov, sub-projects will scientifically investigate the temporal inequalities in the region and promote innovations in regional studies in Germany.

In summary, the EUTIM research college plays a key role in developing a deeper understanding of the complexity of time and its cultural meaning in Central and Eastern Europe. It will be exciting to see what results and insights the coming years will bring as the world continues to operate in a dynamic political and social context.