Postcolonial studies as an academic discipline dealing with the effects of colonialism on cultures and societies are not new. They were developed by scholars from formerly colonized countries whose goal was to describe colonial systems from the perspective of the colonized on many levels of society. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a number of scholars from the Baltic states have attempted to describe their own history in terms of postcolonial studies, claiming that their own experiences with Soviet rule, as well as with the former Russian Empire, were essentially colonial in nature. This trend has remained confined mainly to literary studies and has had little impact on academic historiography. Nevertheless, it offers important new perspectives and additions to current historiography that mainly focuses on national aspects.
- Course owner: PD Dr. David Feest