This September in Vienna beats the "heart" of Modern Greek Studies on a European level. The Chair of Modern Greek Studies, the Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies and the Austrian Society of Modern Greek Studies, with the support of the Rector of the University of Vienna, have been asked by the European Society of Modern Greek Studies (ESNS) to organize the 7th European Conference on Modern Greek Studies. Taking over from Lund University (Lund, Sweden), where the previous conference was held in 2018, the University of Vienna is organizing the largest academic meeting of Modern Greek Studies in Europe from 11 to 14 September 2023 at the university's AAKH Campus. (text summary by Ioannis Brigkos, for further reading click the title)

Are Modern Greek Studies declining? A highly successful international conference in Vienna proves just the opposite. Modern Greek scholars from Europe, philologists and comparativists, linguists, historians of many disciplines, theatre and film experts, art historians and digital humanities specialists from 25 countries, from Finland to Spain and from the United Kingdom to Georgia, from France to Turkey and of course from Greece and Cyprus and even from the United States and China met in Vienna at the 7th European Congress on Modern Greek Studies entitled "Zoom in and Focus on Modern Hellenism: Texts, Images, Objects, Histories" from 11 to 14 September 2023. (text summary by Ioannis Brigkos, for further reading click the title)

The highly successful 7th Congress of Modern Greek Studies demonstrated the vibrant nature of Modern Greek Studies today. Scientific approach or openness to society? This question poses no dilemma. Both have proven to be possible. Gunnar Hering was the first professor of the Chair of Modern Greek Studies in Vienna, as part of the pre-existing Department of Byzantine Studies. He focused on teaching history alongside that of language and the history of ideas. He collaborated with colleagues in History, South-Eastern European History, Philosophy, Slavic and Romance Languages, etc. The current holder of the chair, Maria Stasinopoulou, taking advantage of the background of the existence of two Greek communities in the Austrian capital (since the 18th century), developed research projects co-funded by the Austrian Research Fund or the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Modern Greek Studies are alive when there are teachers and researchers who believe in their mission, listen to the society in which they are active, and interact with new trends with open horizons. (text summary by Ioannis Brigkos, for further reading click the title)

From the 11th to the 14th of September 2023, the heart of Modern Greek Studies beat at the University of Vienna. The Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies of the Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies, the European Society of Modern Greek Studies, and the Austrian Society of Modern Greek Studies organized the 7th European Congress of Modern Greek Studies entitled “Zoom in and Focus on Modern Hellenism: texts, images, objects, histories.”There was a strong focus on Early Modernity, also due to the long tradition of Greek commercial, literary, and printing presence in Vienna and of the relevant scholarship starting already in the 19th century with Emile Legrand and Spyridon Lambros and continuing to this day, as Professor Maria A. Stassinopoulou of the University of Vienna and the Austrian Society of Modern Greek Studies explained in her inaugural speech on behalf of the organizing committee. Papers on prose and poetry discussed significant figures of modernity, such as Kavafy and Kazantzakis, but also reached into the narratives of utopia and dystopia in contemporary literary publications and media. The intersection between migration and language, the history of the language question, and language in the media were discussed in numerous papers. (text summary by Ioannis Brigkos, for further reading click the title)

How have the collective historical experiences of Modern Hellenism left their imprint on the realms of literature and the visual arts, and what key themes or narratives do these artistic expressions reveal? When examining the impact of diasporas, migrations, and forced population movements, what historiographical interpretations and approaches have been employed to shed light on the evolving identity of Modern Hellenism, and how have these interpretations shaped our understanding of the Greek diasporic experience? In the context of the history of the Greek book and printing, how have printed materials contributed to the multiple expressions and representations of Modern Hellenism, particularly in relation to religion, language, and cultural identity, and what role has the written word played in preserving and shaping this cultural heritage? These and similar thematic categories were the focal point of the 7th European Congress of Modern Greek Studies. In a fruitful and stimulating event, more than 250 junior and senior academics from diverse disciplines and across the globe discussed new approaches and undercurrents in a vibrant academic field. The participation of scholars from various institutions, such as schools, museums, memorials, universities, and culture administration offices, who engaged in lively discussions for four days, further highlighted the congress’s interdisciplinarity.

They said about the congress on Social Media:

Katerina Kostiou: The 7th Congress of the European Society of Modern Greek Studies was concluded, as always, in beautiful Vienna from 11 to 14 September. Thanks to Vassilis Sabatakakis and Maria Stassinopoulou for the excellent organization.

Vasilis Sabatakakis: In Vienna, the 7th European Congress of Modern Greek Studies was held in the beautiful and functional premises of the university of a city that has historical significance for Hellenism. The dynamism of Modern Greek Studies in Europe was highlighted in a creative and pleasant atmosphere. The success of the Congress is due to the intensive work of Professor Maria Stasinopoulou and the members of the organizing committee, always in excellent cooperation with the European Society of Modern Greek Studies, the scientific committee of the Congress, and of course the 250 colleagues, old and new, who came from 25 different countries, with the best feelings.

Julia Chatzipanagioti-Sangmeister: From Monday to Thursday, dozens of papers in six parallel sessions developed a scientifically fruitful and enjoyable dialogue between the various disciplines of literature and history. All the papers I heard were excellent - and there were certainly many other equally good ones that I was unable to attend. The organization by the Professor of Modern Greek Studies at the University of Vienna, Maria Stasinopoulou, by her colleagues (the Modern Greek scholars Hudler, Brigkos, Ransmayr, Sabanis, etc. ) and by Vassilis Sabatakakis, Professor of Modern Greek Studies at the University of Lund (Sweden) and President of the European Society of Modern Greek Studies, created the appropriate forum and the favorable conditions for a very high-quality scientific encounter, which creates optimism for the future of Modern Greek Studies. The founder of Modern Greek Studies in Vienna, the leading historian Gunnar Hering, would be proud of the continuation of his work.