Vor 100 Jahren in der Zukunft von Sebastian Schäffer

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Eine Sirene schrillt plötzlich und ein Banner erscheint auf dem Handydisplay: „Air alert! There is air alert in Kyiv. Proceed to shelter!“ Es ist nicht der erste Alarm an diesem Tag. Zwei Personen sitzen im April 2023 in einer Mikrobrauerei am Andreassteig in Kyjiw und fragen sich, was sie jetzt machen sollen. „Bier bestellen?“ – „Ok.“ So beginnt der Bericht, den Sebastian Schäffer, Direktor des Instituts für den Donauraum und Mitteleuropa (IDM), in einer interaktiven Story Map veröffentlicht hat. Anlässlich der regionalen Initiativen im Rahmen des 70-jährigen Jubiläums des IDM war er in die Ukraine gereist. „Vor 100 Jahren in der Zukunft“ erscheint nun in adaptierter und textlich erweiterter Form als Buch.

Story.one

My Danube Story

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On the occasion of the IDM’s 70th anniversary, we are looking back at the eventful history of the region, the river and its people – and we wanted to know what the Danube means to you! As part of the challenge #MyDanubeStory, people shared with us their experiences, stories and thoughts, and told us how the fluctuations of history in the Danube Region have touched their life.  

The result is this little book with 16 of the best stories we have received, each telling a unique story about the currents of life along the Danube. The reader can find personal travel reports, as well as stories about the struggles of generations living at the shores of the river. Some date further back into history, taking us behind the Iron Curtain, while others even dare a look to the future of Europe. 

The stories show how diverse the role of the Danube can be in history and in our personal lives. It is sometimes a border that divides, or one  to overcome. It can be a place of longing and escape or a new beginning. Always fluid, continuously flowing, regardless of wars, walls, personal victories and failures. The stories also show that the Danube can unite disparate parts to become one diverse whole. In the future, the Danube will hopefully continue to be just that: a connecting element between lives, friends, generations, peoples and countries – “our Donau, Dunaj, Duna, Dunav, Dunărea, Dunay”. 

Available to order online or at your local bookshop. 

#MyDanubeStory – Book Presentation, Discussion & Reading

Ukraine in Central and Eastern Europe

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Kyiv’s Foreign Affairs and the International Relations of the Post-Communist Region

The geopolitics of post-communist Europe are not only important for Ukraine itself, but ultimately also for the future of the continent as a whole. This concerns the interactions between Kyiv, on the one hand, and the capitals of East-Central Europe as well as the Southern Caucasus, on the other. Where does Kyiv currently stand geopolitically and how should it engage in the region between the Baltic, Adriatic, Black, and Caspian Seas?

This volume examines which interests and motivations some select countries in East-Central Europe and the Caucasus have towards Ukraine and provides answers to the question which chances there are for new multilateral networks or structures. Such multilateralism around Ukraine could go beyond the already existing, yet geographically and functionally circumscribed Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM), the Visegrad Four, the Bucharest Nine Group, and the Three Seas Initiative.

The volume also illustrates how the ever-present “elephant in the room”—Russia—shapes the international relations of the post-Soviet space. Researchers from several post-communist countries examine these issues from their specific points of view.

With a Foreword from Pavlo Klimkin who held, among other positions, the office of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in 2014–2019.

Ukraine & Moldau nach Europa – sofort!

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„Ukraine & Moldau nach Europa – sofort!“ ist eine Verneigung vor dem 2022 verstorbenen Erhard Busek, mit dem der Autor „Balkan nach Europa – sofort!“ verfasste. Es auch eine Verbeugung vor den Menschen, die in der Ukraine für unsere Werte kämpfen. In seinem zweiten Buch bei story.one erzählt der Geschäftsführer des Instituts für den Donauraum und Mitteleuropa (IDM) wieder „Gschichtn“ von Fußball, Freiheit und Zukunft.

Balkan nach Europa – sofort!

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Erhard Busek (Vizekanzler a.D. und Vorsitzender des Instituts für den Donauraum und Mitteleuropa – IDM in Wien) und Sebastian Schäffer (Geschäftsführer IDM) fordern die sofortige Aufnahme aller Westbalkanstaaten in die EU. Ihr Plädoyer verbinden sie mit „Gschichtln“ über Grenzen, Glauben und Grausamkeiten, über Fabeln, Frieden und Fußball. So bilden die persönlichen Erlebnisse und Erinnerungen der Autoren auch ein Zeugnis ihrer Zeit.