University Jubilees and University History Writing: A Challenging Relationship

Researching and writing its history has always been one of the tasks of the university, particularly on the occasion of anniversary celebrations. Through case studies of Prague (1848, 1948), Oslo (1911), Cluj (from 1919), Leipzig (2009) and Trondheim (2010), this book shows the continuity of the close relationship between jubilees and university historiography and the impact of this interaction on the jubilee publications and academic heritage. Up to today, historians are faced with the challenge of finding a balance between an engaged, celebratory approach and a more distant, academically critical one. In its third part, the book aims to go beyond the jubilee and presents three other ways of writing university history, by focusing on the university as an educational institution. Contributors are: Thomas Brandt, Pieter Dhondt, Marek Durcansky, Jonas Floeter, Jorunn Sem Fure, Trude Maurer, Emmanuelle Picard, Ana-Maria Stan and Johan OEstling.