The Fall of the Iron Curtain and the Culture of Europe

The end of communism in Europe has tended to be discussed mainly in the context of political science and history. This book, in contrast, assesses the cultural consequences for Europe of the disappearance of the Soviet bloc. Adopting a multi-disciplinary approach, the book examines the new narratives about national, individual and European identities that have emerged in literature, theatre and other cultural media, investigates the impact of the re-unification of the continent on the mental landscape of Western Europe as well as Eastern Europe and Russia, and explores the new borders in the form of divisive nationalism that have reappeared since the disappearance of the Iron Curtain.

Foreword writer Katalin Bogyay is President of the General Conference of UNESCO and Hungary’s Ambassador to UNESCO. In 1999 she founded the Hungarian Cultural Centre in London and served as its director between 1999 and 2005.