EOS

European Orientalisms

 Partecipanti

Mappa

 Word cloud

Esplora la "nuvola delle parole (Word Cloud) per avere un'idea di massima del progetto.

 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The overall aim of this project is a comparative study of German and English Orientalist discourses – Western modes and categories of thinking about the Orient – between 1500 and 1650. The central issue addressed here is whether the German and English experiences of the Orient in this period, more specifically encounters with the Ottoman Empire, differed and, in turn, produced other kinds of Orientalism. This is an important project for a number of reasons: firstly, it will examine the viability of the prevalent concept of Orientalism as it was first formulated by Edward Said; secondly, the project addresses a gap in the existing research by providing not only the first Anglo-German comparative study on the subject, but will also synthesise the different scholarly approaches to the field towards a poetics of Orientalism. The questions Orientalism addresses are, among other things, concerned with Europe’s understanding of Islamic cultures; thus, a third important reason for this study is that it will trace and analyse some of the earliest debates and experiences of these encounters. Such a historical narrative is crucial if we are to understand Europe’s relationships with its Islamic neighbours today. While my own research expertise is on early modern English Orientalism, this project depends substantially on further archival research in Germany, Austria and England. An interdisciplinary undertaking combining literary and historical approaches, the results of this project represent an innovative reappraisal of an established problem, by bringing to consciousness some of the finer, neglected strategies that inform geographically specific Orientalisms.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

An EU study examined historical origins of European attitudes to the Orient. Renaissance documents show differences in German and English responses to the Ottoman Empire as expressed in writings and popular art forms.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

European interaction with the Islamic world is not a recent phenomenon. The study of Orientalism is today as important as ever, and studying its early forms sheds light on historical reasons for modern interaction.

The EU-funded project 'European Orientalism' (EOS) aimed to compare German and English responses to the Ottoman Empire between 1500 and 1650. The study addressed five major themes using historical documents including military accounts, travel narratives and dramatic pageants. EOS ran over two years to September 2012, and fell under the Marie Curie career development programme for researchers.

First, the research began with a comparison of German and English texts describing a Turkish threat to Europe. The analysis focused on key events, including the 1529 Siege of Vienna and the Battle of Lepanto, and compared the respective portrayals of the Turks. Additionally, the study examined dissemination of such materials between Germany and England.

A second level of research explored more positive travel accounts of the Ottomans, which challenged the threat mentality and contributed valuable new understanding for the time.

Another element compared German and English historical accounts, some of which incorporated Turkish material. Unlike the study's earlier comparisons, these documents showed real differences, indicating that Europe was not uniformly hostile to the east. EOS also compared European artistic and dramatic responses to the Ottomans, again showing English/German differences.

Research output consisted of two published book chapters, and one article is under review. Another three draft chapters were also prepared on the histories of Islam as portrayed in modern English writings, and four conference papers have been produced.

The legacy of EOS was an innovative reappraisal of historical mechanisms affecting different European national responses to the Orient. That means a more complete understanding of how modern relationships evolved.