The Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C²DH) hostes the Summer School on Transnational Radio History, including two full-day excursions to the historic transmitter sites of Europe 1 (in Berus, Germany) and Radio Luxembourg (in Junglinster, Luxembourg). The Summer School is organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of Saarland / Germany and the Ministry of Culture of Luxembourg in the context of the European Year of Culture 2018.
The Summer School focuses on the history of transnational radio in the 20th century, more specifically on the material, technical, and architectural histories of radio as a symbolic media of transnational communication in Europe and beyond. Following recent trends in media historiography, the Summer School aims at problematizing and reflecting on radio as one of the most important technologies of transborder and transnational communication, emphasizing its role as cultural mediator and political actor in the modern media landscape. The Summer School is looking for post-graduate and doctoral students as well as early career scholars to discuss ongoing research projects in this field as well as neighbouring disciplines (media studies, cultural studies, material studies). The program offers a combination of keynote lectures by senior scholars, round-table discussions and individual research project presentations, enriched by two media-archaeological site visits to iconic buildings of modern radio architecture: the 1931 transmitter station of Radio Luxembourg in Junglinster, and the 1954 transmitter hall of Europe 1 in Berus.
Monday 18 June 2018 Location: Digital History Lab, 1stfloor, Maison des Sciences Humaines
Welcoming of the participants
Round of introductions & presentation of the program
Kick-off talks by the keynote speakers: Kristin Skoog (Bournemouth),
Hans-Ulrich Wagner (Hamburg), Alexander Badenoch (Utrecht) and Andreas Fickers (Luxembourg) - “How to do Transnational Radio History? Reflections on practices and methodological challenges”
Lunch break
Panel 1.1 – Transnational Radio in War and post-war times
· Dr. Slawomir Wieczorek (University of Wroclaw): “Radio in the Soundscape of Breslau/Wroclaw in 1945”
· Dr. Joanna Walewska (Nicolaus Copernicus University of Torun): “Transnational and transborder History of Radio Broadcasting in Silesia”
· Anna Grutza (Europa-Universität Flensburg): “Europe’s secret agents and the power of things: A Transnational Media History of actor-networks in the Cold War”
Coffee break
Panel 1.2 – Transnational Radio in the Soviet Union
· Ekaterina Basmonova (Moscow Russian State University): “Encouraged and forbidden: ham radio in postwar-USSR”
· Ruta Kupetyte (University of Vilnius): “Evolution of Operating Strategies in the Field of Soviet Radio Broadcasting: A Case-study of Lithuanian SSR Radio (1980-1990)”
· Elena Varta (Ion Creanga State Pedagogical University): “Measures on Western Radio Broadcasting counteraction undertaken by the Soviet Union in the 80s. Study-case: Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic”
· Ekaterina Rybkina (European University Institute of Florence): “Playing with Radio Waves: Radio Amateur Activities in Russia, 1920s-30s”
Tuesday 19 June 2018 Location: Digital History Lab, 1stfloor, Maison des Sciences Humaines
“My favourite source 1” – presentation & problematization of source by the keynote speakers
Hans-Ulrich Wagner and Kristin Skoog
Panel 2.1 – Transnational Radio in the Americas
· Dr. Priciscila Pilatowsky (Institut des Hautes-études de l’Amérique Latine) “Broadcasting the picturesque: Radio and the shaping of a transnational taste for Mexican Music (1930-1940)”
· Dr. Francisco Garrido (National Natural History Museum of Santiago) “Modernizing a Nation: RCA VICTOR in Chile, 1928-1973”
Panel 2.2 – Between the Local and the Global
· Dr. Gloria Khamkar (University of Bournemouth) “The Evolution of British Asian Radio in England (1960-2004)”
· Dr. Jose Emilio Perez (Université Paris-Sorbonne) “The Origines of the Free Radio Movement in Madrid (1976-1989)” · Eddie Bohan (Independent broadcaster) “Transnational Broadcasting from Ireland”
Lunch break
Afternoon excursion to various Radio sites in Luxembourg
Visit to RTL Group
Quick visit to the transmitter site in Junglinster
Visit to the Centre National de l’Audiovisuel, Dudelange
· Hands-on media archeology session
· Dr. Anna Jehle (University of Potsdam) “Qualifying Radio Luxembourg’s transnational activities: a European station?”
Wednesday 20 June 2018 Location: Saarland, Germany
All-day excursion to Berus (Saarland, Germany) to Europe 1’s transmitter site.
Visit of the building & guided tour by Dr. Axel Böcker.
Lunch break at Hôtel-Restaurant Margarenthof (transport by bus)
· Maryam El Moumni (University of Cottbus) “The Cultural Significance f Telecommunication Heritage Sites. The case of Europe 1’s transmitter building in Berus”
· Prof. Dr. Andreas Fickers (University of Luxembourg) “The Origins of Commercial Radio and Television transmissions in Saarland during the French occupation”
· Richard Legay (University of Luxembourg) “The challenges of researching Commercial Radio Stations”
Discussion round with former technicians & managers of Europe 1
Thursday 21 June 2018 Location: Digital History Lab, 1stfloor, Maison des Sciences Humaines
“My favourite source 2” – presentation & problematization of source by the keynote speakers Andreas Fickers and Alexander Badenoch
Panel 3.1 – Transnational Radio, Organisations and Events
· Dr. Valentina Vardabasso (UMR Sirice) “Radio Nations: comment la technique radiophonique a changé la diplomatie”
· Dr. Raphaëlle Ruppen-Coutaz (University of Lausanne) “When National Identity serves Transnational Ambition: The Case of Swiss International Radio (1938-1949)”
· Camilla Tenaglia (University of Trento) “From Flying Cardinal to International Pope: Pacelli on St. Peter’s Throne”
Coffee break
Panel 3.2 – Transnational Radio Spaces & Times
· Dr. Maude Williams (Universität des Saarlandes) “War is in the air. The German-French Broadcast Conflict during the Phoney war”
· Dr. Marine Beccarelli (Université Paris-1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) “Night Time Radio: a particularly transnational radio space-time”
Lunch break
Production of short radio podcasts on the Summer School
Friday 22 June 2018 Location: Digital History Lab, 1stfloor, Maison des Sciences Humaines
Presentation of the radio podcasts
Final discussions
Lunch & goodbye
