Germany and Central Europe: Geopolitics of an Uneasy Relationship - JTM427

• Title: Germany and Central Europe: Geopolitics of an Uneasy Relationship
• Czech title: Německo a střední Evropa: geopolitika nesnadných vztahů
• Guaranteed by: Department of German and Austrian Studies (23-KNRS)
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Actual: from 2025
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 6
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:1/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: unlimited / unknown (20)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: doc. Jakub Eberle, Ph.D.
• Teacher(s): doc. Jakub Eberle, Ph.D.
• Class: Courses for incoming students

Annotation

English

The relationship between Germany and Central Europe has been uneasy, turbulent and complicated for centuries. While the forms of cooperation and conflict kept changing, they were always rooted in geopolitical ideas about how the map of (Central) Europe should be organised. It is around these shared “mental maps” that key political questions are asked. What is Central Europe and what is the best way to govern it? Is Germany part of Central Europe, or rather a distinct entity, perhaps even a rival or enemy? Are Germany and Central Europe integral parts of the West, or do they rather occupy a distinct position? Does the geographical proximity between Germany and Central Europe make everyone more, or less secure? The module will explore some of the most important instalments of such geopolitical thinking in and about Germany and Central Europe from 1848 until the present time, with heavy emphasis on the post-1990 period. Each of the topics will be split between an introductory lecture and a subsequent seminar discussion based on required readings.

English will be the working language, no other language skills are required.

All communication will be done through the module Moodle page (https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=11727)

The course is open only for students of master's degree programmes.

Last update: Hrubá Kateřina, Mgr. (28.01.2026)

Czech

Vztah mezi Německem a střední Evropou byl po staletí neklidný, turbulentní a komplikovaný. Ačkoli se formy spolupráce a konfliktů neustále měnily, vždy byly zakořeněny v geopolitických představách o tom, jak by měla být mapa (střední) Evropy uspořádána. Právě kolem těchto sdílených „mentálních map“ jsou kladeny klíčové politické otázky. Co je střední Evropa a jaký je nejlepší způsob, jak ji spravovat? Je Německo součástí střední Evropy, nebo spíše samostatným celkem, možná dokonce soupeřem či nepřítelem? Jsou Německo a střední Evropa nedílnou součástí Západu, nebo spíše zaujímají odlišné postavení? Modul se bude zabývat některými z nejdůležitějších aspektů geopolitického uvažování v Německu a střední Evropě od roku 1848 do současnosti, s důrazem na období po roce 1990. Každé z témat bude rozděleno mezi úvodní přednášku a následnou seminární diskusi založenou na povinné literatuře.

Kurz je určen pouze pro studenty magisterských programů.

Last update: Hrubá Kateřina, Mgr. (28.01.2026)

Aim of the course

 

Upon completion of the course, the students will

• be able to discuss how have different ideas about the ordering of Central Europe shaped the relationship between Germany and its neighbours
• be familiar with the development of geopolitical thinking in Germany and Central Europe over the last two centuries, with emphasis on the post-Cold War period
• be able to critically assess the meaning of notions like ‘the West’, ‘Central Europe’, ‘Eastern Europe’ or ‘civilisation’
• develop an understanding of relevant academic literatures
• have practiced formulating their own positions on these matters

Last update: Eberle Jakub, doc., Ph.D. (07.08.2025)

Literature

 

The literature will be distributed via Moodle. All readings are in English, knowledge of other languages is not necessary.

Last update: Eberle Jakub, doc., Ph.D. (07.08.2025)

Teaching methods

 

There will be weekly sessions consisting of

• 40 min lecture
• 40 min seminar based on assigned readings and initiated by a student presentation

Regular participation is a prerequisite for passing the course.

Last update: Eberle Jakub, doc., Ph.D. (07.08.2025)

Requirements to the exam

 

The grade will consist of 100 points divided between the following four elements.

• 30 % for attendance and active participation.  
• 20 % for oral presentation.
• 10 % for a written version of the oral presentation (800 words).
• 40 % for final oral exam.

The use of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, or similar technologies is permitted to support critical thinking and analysis. You may use generative AI tools, with disclosure, e.g. for literature search, to check spelling and grammar correctness, to improve your academic writing and style, or to gather feedback on your ideas. On the contrary, you are not permitted to use AI to generate blocks of text or to provide arguments that you would then claim as your own. Importantly, you are the author of the final work and, therefore, are solely responsible for the content. If you use generative AI in any stage, you must include a brief note clarifying which tools were used and to what purpose. AI may be used in the preparation of teaching materials, but not in evaluating your work (apart from formal checks for plagiarism etc.). University and faculty regulations apply.

Last update: Eberle Jakub, doc., Ph.D. (18.09.2025)

Syllabus

1. Introduction
2. Geopolitics and the idea of the West
3. Mitteleuropa: 19th century and the emergence of Central Europe
4. The Spectre of Geopolitik
5. Westbindung: ‘Bonn Republic’, Cold War and Westernness
6. ‘The Kidnapped West’: Central Europe and the Cold War
7. ‘Return to Europe’: Central Europe and the geopolitics of NATO enlargement
8. Germany reunited: Return to Mittellage?
9. Germany and contemporary Central Europe: Hegemony and dependency
10. The end of Ostpolitik?: German geopolitics since 2022
11. The triumph of civilisationism?: Geopolitics in contemporary Central Europe

The full syllabus will be available in Moodle (https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=11727)

Last update: Eberle Jakub, doc., Ph.D. (07.08.2025)