Central Europe: A Constant in a Changing World?

Tectonic shifts in global geopolitics, the drive for internal transformation within the European Union, and a renewed search for identity in the West call upon us to reconsider what Central Europe is, what it once was, and what it might yet become.

The Slovenes, situated at the crossroads of the Latin, Slavic, and Germanic worlds, have throughout history inhabited the Central European space culturally, religiously, intellectually, and geopolitically. At the same time, however, the position of Slovenia and the Slovenes within the region has often remained undefined—both in public discourse and in strategic orientation. This conference seeks to reassess and redefine that position. It aims to revive the idea of Mitteleuropa as something more than a mere historical-geographical curiosity or a nostalgic ideal. The ambition is to present Central Europe as a living intellectual, cultural, and political space—an axis of shared experiences, values, and challenges.

In doing so, we also wish to challenge ideological simplifications: Central Europe is neither merely a transit zone nor a periphery, but a center in its own right, with diverse voices and traditions that can help reshape Europe beyond technocratic centralism and geopolitical naivety.

View the conference programme HERE.