The Convergence of two worlds: historians and emerging histories in the Baltic States
ENWhen thinking about issues of diversity and inclusion in the writing of 20th century Baltic history and connecting them with the work of John Hiden, my thoughts turn first to issues of minority history; to ethnic or religious minorities, or to other socially (and politically) marginalized groups and individuals, whose stories rarely find their way onto the pages of Baltic history books. It is, perhaps, the most important duty of the professional historian―and it has, no doubt, been John‟s interest over the years―to make some of these voices of the past heard and to give them the place in history that they deserve. However, my current reflections on the emerging historiographies in the Baltic States since 1991 in relation to questions of diversity and inclusion will not so much focus on issues of minority representation in historical accounts. Instead, I wish to draw attention to the creators of these accounts, i.e. to professional historians, both within and outside the Baltic countries. More specifically, I want to reflect on the relationships between them―between local and foreign historians as well as between younger and older scholars of contemporary Baltic history. What are the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion here and what do they mean for the historical discourse as it has evolved over the past twenty years?. [Extract, p. 263]
