Reflections on Positionality in German Southeast European Studies

Abstract

In our article, we discuss the role of positionality in Southeast European Studies in Germany. Based on the historical development of the discipline, we show which continuities and ruptures have influenced the development of Southeast European Studies until today. Reflecting on postcolonial theories, we discuss why positionality is crucial for New Area Studies. Using our own academic trajectories and research on the Yugoslav wars as examples, we show how such a self-reflexive approach can look before going on to address concrete steps that the academic community can take to decolonize the discipline in question.