Bridging Generations:
Perspectives about Health and Medicine in  Europe after World War II

We are excited to invite students to participate in a creative competition about integrated perspectives on health and medicine in post-war Europe. The successful participants will be awarded a grant to attend a week-long European Summer School in Prague in 2027.

This is an excellent opportunity to engage with important themes in the humanities and social sciences such as sexuality and giving birth, medical ethics, human rights, health care and national traditions.

The competition focusses on the field of medicine and health to approach the history of Europe beyond the usual clichés and dichotomies of the time.  It invites participants to dive creatively into Europe’s past, exchange ideas and experiences across generations through historical sources or interviews and express their own perspectives. We particularly encourage participants to explore the surprising similarities, parallels and interdependencies between Eastern and Western contexts.

The competition is part of the ERC-funded project “Taming the European Leviathan. The Legacy of Post-War Medicine and the Common Good”. Our project is dedicated to an integrative history of Europe in the second half of the 20th century.

Eligible topics include, but are not limited to:

• Socially Significant Diseases and Epidemics
• Providers of Care. “Male” and “Female” Spaces of Care
• Visions of the “Healthy Life”
• Sexuality and its Taboos
• Giving birth: Birth Cultures Across Generations
• Evolution of Informed Consent
• Health, Ethics and Human Rights
• Health Care and National Traditions

• Mental Health and Well-Being: Cultural Attitudes and Stigma
• Disability, Inclusion, and Healthcare Accessibility

• Health Communication

A variety of formats are welcome:

• Written essays
• Photographic essays
• Comics
• Short films
• Other creative expressions

Participation is possible in coordination with the project teams at the University of Hamburg, Charite Berlin, at CEU Budapest Vienna and IEFSEM – BAS Sofia until spring 2027. Selected participants will have the opportunity to attend an international summer school in Prague during the summer of 2027. There, they will examine the city from a medical-historical perspective, gain insights into current research, and connect with peers from Bulgaria, Hungary, and Germany.

Do not hesitate to ask for clarifications, share your ideas and get advice by the respective local teams.

More information will be provided soon.