Slavic Cultures between East and West: Linguistic Contact and Linguistic Contrast

PhD Advisor: Prof. Janusz Rieger

The cultures and languages of the Slavic peoples developed in a frontier setting, under the combined influence of two distinct religious and cultural centers: Rome and Byzantium. This situation led to a diversified and complex reception of Ancient Mediterranean Humanism during the Renaissance. Since the 16th century two eastern Slavic languages – Ukrainian and Belorussian – have been influenced on the one hand by Polish language (and consequently by West European culture), and on the other by Russian language (and consequently by the culture of the Eastern part of the Mediterranean). And inversely, Polish language remained under the strong influence of Ukrainian and Belorussian cultures. Moreover, throughout history the literary forms of these languages were shaped by popular dialects as well. Such historical and cultural legacy constitutes a fundamental background for the study of contemporary processes in Slavic languages, especially those prompted by globalization. We invite you to engage in the contrastive study of Western and Eastern Slavic languages, as well as in the study of their mutual influences resulting from linguistic contacts, while taking into consideration the diverse historical paths through which the tradition of Mediterranean Humanism permeated the frontiers of Slavic cultures and linguistic realms.

If you choose this field of doctoral research you will complete your fellowships abroad at the following Partner Institution:

Institut für Slawistik, Universität Wien
The Slavic Department of the University of Vienna is the perfect setting for studying the changes in Slavic-speaking cultures over the course of history and their response to the combined influences of Western Europe and Eastern cultures. Due to the former status of Vienna as the capital of the Habsburg Monarchy and due to the strong focus on Slavic studies at the University of Vienna, the libraries of Vienna hold a considerable amount of both older and contemporary books, which are of vital relevance for the this field of inquiry: Universitätsbibliothek Wien, Fachbibliothek für Slawistik, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Österreichisches Staatsarchiv. You will work under the supervision of Prof. Michael Moser.
For more information see:
http://slawistik.univie.ac.at/