Scientific Internationalism in Cold War Central and Eastern Europe: The Age of Reciprocity | Berghahn Books
The Age of ReciprocityEdited by Jan Surman and Tomáš W. PavlíčekAfterword by Simone Turchetti352 pages, 6 illus. , bibliog. , indexISBN 978-1-80758-068-1$135. 00/£104. 00/ Hb / Not Yet Published (November. . .
The Age of ReciprocityEdited by Jan Surman and Tomáš W. PavlíčekAfterword by Simone Turchetti352 pages, 6 illus. , bibliog. , indexISBN 978-1-80758-068-1$135. 00/£104. 00/ Hb / Not Yet Published (November 2026)eISBN 978-1-80758-069-8 eBook Not Yet PublishedView CartYour country: - editRecommend to your LibraryAvailable in GOBI®Reviews“This excellently composed volume brings together eminent experts in the history of science of East Central Europe. …The focus on two East Central European countries allows for an innovative view of the history of scientific relations, because it brings regions into focus that cannot simply be classified within narratives of post- or decolonial relations. In this way the volume successfully contributes to a de-centering of the history of science. ”• Claudia Kraft, University of ViennaDescriptionFocusing on cooperative exchanges between Czechoslovakia and Poland in the 1960s and 70s, this collection explores international science collaborations during the Cold War. During the era of real socialism, the states of Central and Eastern Europe were caught between the "East" and the "West. " As members of the Eastern Bloc they had to adhere to Moscow centrism, yet partial autonomy in scientific internationalism and longstanding Western-oriented traditions created space for exceptions. The Contributors to this volume provide a nuanced understanding of socialist hierarchies and the knowledge transfers they facilitated, challenging the perception that socialist scholars acted solely according to rigid, reciprocal plans. Jan Jakub Surmanis a historian specializing in the intellectual and scientific history of Central and Eastern Europe. He earned his Ph. D. in History at the University of Vienna and has held fellowships in Vienna, Moscow, Princeton, and Marburg. His research explores the intersections of science, language, and politics. He has published widely on multilingualism in academia, the history of positivism, and knowledge circulation, and serves on editorial boards of several international journals in the history of science. Tomáš W. Pavlíčekis a historian at the Masaryk Institute and Archive of the Czech Academy of Sciences. He specializes in the social and cultural history of Central Europe, oral history, and the history of science. He earned his Ph. D. through a Czech-German program (LMU Munich–Charles University). He leads international research on Czech-Polish scholarly networks and has published extensively on science, religion, and memory in 19th–20th century Europe. Subject:History: 20th Century to PresentArea:Central/Eastern EuropeSubject CodesBISAC:HIS037100 HISTORY/Modern/20th Century/Cold War;SCI034000 SCIENCE/History;HIS010010 HISTORY/Europe/EasternTHEMA:3MPQ-DE-J;PDX;NHD;1DFContentsExpand ToCList of IllustrationsPrefaceThe Age of Reciprocity: An IntroductionJan Surman, Lukas Becht, Maciej Górny, Kornelia Kończal, Doubravka Olšáková, Tomáš W. Pavlíček, Luboš Studený, Michaela ŠmidrkalováChapter 1. National Internationalism in Socialist Science: Entanglements of Czech, Slovak and Polish Historians of Science and TechnologyMichaela ŠmidrkalováChapter 2. Scientific Technological Revolution and the Failure of Czechoslovak-Polish CooperationJan SurmanChapter 3. Networking the Future? Czech-Polish Futures Studies in the 1970sLuboš Studený and Lukas BechtChapter 4. Central Planning and Socialist ReciprocityMaciej GórnyChapter 5. Asymmetries in Mathematical KnowledgeTomáš W. PavlíčekChapter 6. Roads (Not) Taken: Practices of Cooperation between Polish and Czechoslovak Sociologists under State SocialismKornelia KończalChapter 7. Czechoslovak-Polish Scientific Collaboration on Security in Central and Eastern Europe: The Pugwash Conferences in Czechoslovakia and PolandDoubravka OlšákováAfterword:So, What Was it Like? The Science Diplomacy of Reciprocity in Eastern and Central Europe During the Cold WarSimone TurchettiIndexBack to Top