Imperial Rule in the Vlstula Land: The Kingdom of Poland and the Russlan Empire (1864- 1915)

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Malte Rolf
• Subject Area: Modern and Contemporary History
• Term: from 2014 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 269451328

My Habilitation- project "Imperial Rule in the Vistula Land: The Kingdom of Polend and the Russian Empire (1864-1915)" contributes to our knowledge of the cultural and social history of the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th and the beginning of 20th centuries. lnspired by post-colonial theory, I view imperial rule in Poland not merely as a repressive tool as it is usually depicted by fellow historians. I write about interactions among social, ethnic and religious milieus and political actors and ways in which their interplay contestad Russian domination. My research concentrates on hitherto completely neglected figures who were more often than not of Russian origin and acted as bureaucrats, military officials, academics and priests. I am interested in the shaping of their cultural identities and political thinking by the daily encounter with Poles and Jews in Warsaw. in addition, I am investigating how these offleials tried to influence imperial policies and participate in public debates on the fate of the Russian Empire.The book also includes a comparative perspective and takes a closer Iook at trans-imperial exchange of concepts and experts, mainly focusing on the Habsburg Monarchy. in general, the methodological agenda of my research will open new ways for research on the history and nature of multinational Empires in the long 19th century and will contribute to their trans-imperial comparison.

• DFG Programme: Publication Grants