Jahreskonferenz/Annual Conference des Leibniz-Institut für Geschichte und Kultur des östlichen Europa
Fließende Grenzen. Wassernutzung in Geschichte und Kultur Ostmitteleuropas
Fluid boundaries. Water bodies and their use in the history and culture of Eastern Central Europe
26.-27. Oktober 2026
Water bodies shape landscapes, influence settlement patterns, and facilitate trade. Reflecting on the schol arly work of Matthias Hardt, this conference explores their significance for Eastern Central Europe from the premodern period to the present through the lenses of development, demarcation, and exchange. Hydraulic engineering projects opened up natural environments, while land reclamation and drainage enabled agricultural use and the establishment of settlements. At the same time, waterways connected cities, markets, and societies, fostering the circulation of goods, people, and knowledge. Rivers such as the Vistula, Oder, and Danube became important corri dors of transregional interaction. Yet bodies of water also served as lines of division and borders. Their role as lifelines, connecting links, and boundary spaces makes them a particularly fruitful subject for histori cal and cultural research on East Central Europe.