Cultures of 20th-Century Cultural Diplomacy: National Cases and Global Trends

An International Workshop

Uppsala University, Department of History of Science and Ideas, Rausing Seminar Room

7 June 2022, 13:15-17:00

Cultural diplomacy became a major feature of international relations in the twentieth century. But what is “cultural” about it exactly? As a concluding event of Benjamin Martin’s project on the history of bilateral cultural treaties, this workshop brings together leading scholars of the history of cultural diplomacy to discuss the changing meanings of “culture” in the twentieth-century international system, and to explore how digital and traditional approaches to diplomatic-historical materials can advance our knowledge of cultural-historical topics.

Program

13:15              Welcome, introductions

13:20              Benjamin Martin, “Toward an International History of the Culture Concept: Cultural Treaties, from several approaches”

13:40              Charlotte Faucher, “Exploring Transnational European Cultural Diplomacy 1870-1940” (via zoom)

14:00              Discussion

14:30              coffee break

15:00              Eleonory Gilburd, “Soviet Cultural Diplomacy at Mid-Century”

15:20              Nikolas Glover, “After Treaties: Partnerships? Promoting Competitive Bilateral Cultural Relations in the Era of Globalization”

15:40              Discussion

16:00              break

16:10              Concluding roundtable discussion, moderated by Susanna Erlandsson

17:00              Drinks

This event is made possible by a grant from the Swedish Foundation for Humanities and Social Sciences (Riksbankens Jubileumsfond), P16-0900:1.