The project ‘Greek Heritage in European Culture and Identity’ (GrECI) explores a key phase in this process: the reception and appropriation of ancient Greek culture in early modern Europe (15th-17th century), from the so-called ‘rediscovery’ of Greek language and literature to their full incorporation in the European cultural landscape.
GrECI aims to examine this complex historical subject and its implications for present-day ideas of European identity within an interdisciplinary and international framework, through a consortium of three partners from Cyprus (University of Cyprus), Norway (University of Oslo), and France (University of Franche-Comté).
The three partner institutes will approach the reception and appropriation of Greek heritage in early modern Europe from four different disciplines: the history of the book, digital heritage studies, language and literature studies, and intellectual history (Reformation studies).
They are particularly interested in why and how Ancient Greece became a shared cultural archive, used as a common reference point for self-identification throughout Europe. It is the project’s hypothesis that the answer to this question is not self-evident and cannot be reduced to general musings on the cultural excellence of Ancient Greece.
Rather, the analysis of the process should be grounded on the specific, historical processes that led to Greece becoming a ‘common archive’ for generations of Europeans. By exploring how this process unfolded, GrECI will also encourage a critical historical interrogation of how modern notions of European identity emerged.
More information: https://greci-twinning.org/
Organizer: Han Lamers, UiO