Colonial Fantasies, Imperial Realities
Race Science and the Making of Polishness on the Fringes of the German Empire, 1840–1920
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Ohio University Press
Published:15th Feb '21
Should be back in stock very soon
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£60.00(9780821423738)
This exploration of transnational Polish-German relations reveals how medicine, migration, and colonialism intersect, particularly in Colonial Fantasies, Imperial Realities.
In Colonial Fantasies, Imperial Realities, Lenny Ureña Valerio explores the intricate relationships between imperialism and colonialism through a diverse array of sources. By examining medical texts, state documents, travel literature, and fiction, she sheds light on the interconnectedness of medicine, migration, and colonial practices. This comprehensive analysis not only enriches our understanding of Polish history but also offers a fresh perspective on global historical dynamics.
Ureña Valerio's work delves into the cultural and scientific exchanges that occurred between Germany and Prussian Poland during the nineteenth century. She investigates how these exchanges influenced the formation of colonial subjectivities and the positioning of Poles within the German Empire. Through her meticulous research, she reveals how these interactions contributed to identity formation and nationalist movements, providing valuable insights into the experiences of Poles in relation to Germans and indigenous populations in overseas colonies.
Furthermore, the author examines the flow of medical ideas and scientific projects between the colonies and the German metropole. This exchange played a crucial role in shaping the racialization of Slavic populations and integrating scientific notions of race into the everyday life of the German Empire. Overall, Colonial Fantasies, Imperial Realities not only illuminates complex imperial and colonial relations but also establishes a compelling framework for understanding Polish history within a broader global context.
“Stands to revolutionize how scholars conceive of imperial Germany’s eastern domains as well as German-Polish and German-Slavic relations. Of great interest to an interdisciplinary audience that includes specialists of Central Europe, Germany, Poland, migration, imperialism, race, the history of medicine, and African and Latin American studies. Ureña Valerio’s approach and findings are remarkably original and important, and offer an excellent example of how Central European history, and even Polish history, can be written in a global approach and in the context of European colonialism.”
“Ureña Valerio’s innovative work addresses what has been missing in recent works on the ‘eastern turn’ and ‘colonial turn’ in German studies: it integrates Polish responses to German colonial projects, both discursive and real. Another valuable contribution is her analysis of eugenics and racial hygiene discourses.”
“This highly interesting work brings together the insights of colonial and comparative studies. Ureña Valerio applies them to the Polish-German borderland, or ‘Prussian Poland,’ the subject of which has until now been dominated by traditional monographs seeking to claim the land as either rightfully German or rightfully Polish. Her approach is new and refreshing.”
“(Colonial Fantasies, Imperial Realities) is not only an exceptional addition to the discussion around identity formation and the making of Polishness, but also offers new insights on colonial comparative studies, and an invaluable addition to theories of eugenics and race science in Europe.” * History: The Journal of the Historical Association *
- Winner of Kulczycki Book Prize in Polish Studies 2020
- Commended for Heldt Prize 2020
ISBN: 9780821424537
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
320 pages