Eastern Europe in Berlin

The Institute for East European Studies, founded in 1951, is an interdisciplinary regional institute housed at the Freie Universität Berlin. Here on the Dahlem Campus, the Institute’s teaching, research, and advising reflect the dynamics of the numerous transformation processes currently underway in the eastern part of our continent. Eastern Europe is a heterogeneous, conflict-ridden, and – due to the expansion of the European Union – very important region full of issues and challenges. Berlin is the best place to study them. Berlin is not only a meetiing place for the cultures, peoples, and markets of East and West: as host to countless East European-focused institutions and initiatives, Berlin is also home to Germany's Eastern Europe expertise. The Institute for East European Studies plays an essential role in this context, with its programs and academic networks in Berlin and Brandenburg as well as in Eastern Europe.

Programs, research and publications of the Institute for East European Studies

• The Institute for East European Studies' course offerings are concentrated around the multidisciplinary, contemporary-focused masters degree program "East European Studies," which was founded several years ago, and the masters program "East European Studies Online." An additional masters program "East European and Southeast European History" is offered in conjunction with the Department of History. Furthermore, the Institute reaches countless additional graduate students who are taking elective courses and auditors who are continuing their studies.

• Research focuses primarily on contemporary topics and their historical roots, particularly those related to the transformation processes in East Central, Southeast, and Eastern Europe. Additional areas of research include cultural questions and the examination of ethno-national conflicts in the East European space.

• Our specialty divisions of culture, economics, history, politics and sociology publish their current research as "Working Papers of the Institute for East European Studies".

• With its approximately 360,000 volumes, the library of the Institute for East European Studies provides an excellent resource for research.