The Russian-speaking Population in Eastern Europe – from a Titular Nation to a Minority

The Thesis conducts a comparative political analysis of the Russian-speaking population living in the successor states of the Soviet Union. The comparison is drawn between the Baltic States Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as Ukraine, stating the size and historical background of the Russian-speaking population as parallel variables. The analysis considers the historical formation of the Russian community during the Soviet period, its situation during and after the collapse of the Soviet Union and throughout the periods of transition and democratic consolidation. With that the question is raised, whether a dependency can be found between the system change, the new regime and the position of the Russian-speaking population within the new system. The Russian-speaking population in the countries under study experienced a somewhat special status during the Soviet period. How this status has changed since then and which part the Russian-speaking population has played ever since the systematic shift – these questions state an essential part of the analysis. Concurrently, differences between the democratic consolidations of the countries and the position of the Russian-speaking population are carved out. The international influence exerted on the policy of the countries towards the Russian-speaking population is likewise important and is looked into in the course of research. Theoretical fundament consists of transition theory, as well as sociological concept of assimilation. The Thesis thus makes an interdisciplinary contribution to research in the areas of minority issues and democratic transition.

Personal Details

Dr. Anne Jürgens Dipl.-Wv.

Academic Administration
Transcultural Studies
Marstallstraße 6
69117 Heidelberg

Phone.: 06221/54-7850
Fax: 06221/54-7862

anne.juergens@uni-heidelberg.de

CV

• 2011 – 2016
  PhD in Political Science (Dr. rer. pol.)University of Heidelberg
   
• January 2011 – dato
  Executive Administrator/Research Fellow at the Research project “Transcultural Studies”
  Excellence Initiative, University of Heidelberg
   
• 2008 – 2013
  Research Assistant at the Academic Working Group „International Economcs”
  Department of Economics, University of Heidelberg
   
• 2009 – 2010
  Trainee at the European Commission
  Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs (International Economic and Financial Affairs Unit D.3 – Economies of the Mediterranean countries, Russia, the new independent States and EFTA countries) Brussels, Belgium
   
• 2006 – 2010
  M.A. in Economics (Dipl.-Vw.)
  University of Heidelberg
   
• 2002 – 2008
  M.A. in Political Science
  University of Heidelberg
   
• 2002-2007
  DAAD-Scholarship “Deutsche Auslandsschulen” for obtaining an M.A. at the University of Heidelberg
   
• 1990 – 2002
  German High School in Tallinn (Graduation with honors)
   

Publications

 

Monograph:

• Jürgens, Anne: Russischsprachige Bevölkerung in Osteuropa – von der Titularnation zur Minderheit: Demokratische Transformation und gesellschaftliche Integration im Baltikum und in der Ukraine, Heidelberg: heiBOOKS, 2018. DOI:10.11588/heibooks.354.490

Articles in Journals:

• Jürgens, Anne: Migration, Integration und Frustration? Die russischsprachige Bevölkerung in Estland und der Ukraine im Zuge des Systemwechsels. Theoretische und praktische Befunde. In „Ostblicke“ Heft 5, Jahrgang 5, Ostblick – Initiative OsteuropaStudierender Deutschland e.V., 2014.
  (http://ostblick-deutschland.de/downloads/ostblicke/Ostblicke_5_2014.pdf)
   
• Jürgens, Anne: The Russian-speaking population in Estonia and Ukraine – migration, integration and historical position on the way from a titular nation to a minority. In: Visions of Order, Protest, and Revolution in Post-Soviet Nations Issue 2(4), The Ideology and Politics Journal, 2013.
  (http://ideopol.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/1.6.JurgensENG.pdf)
   
• Jürgens, Anne: Russischsprachige Bevölkerung in Osteuropa – von der Titularnation zur Minderheit Theoretische und praktische Befunde der ethnischen Transformationsprozesse am Beispiel Estlands. In: Konferenzpapier zur 21. Tagung Junger Osteuropa-Experten, Berlin, 31. Mai - 2. Juni 2013.
   
• Jürgens, Anne: Business Climate and Governance Systems. In: European Economy Occasional Papers 59/April 2010. European Commission, Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs, Brussels 2010.

Conferences

• European Research Area Conference/Konferenz zum Europäischen Forschungsraum/Verleihung des Ralf-Dahrendorf-Preises. Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (BBAW), Berlin 15. Mai 2019.
•  
• 19th Annual ASN World Convention (Association for the Study of Nationalities), PANEL CE12 „Conflict and Difference in Baltic History” Harriman Institute, Columbia University (NY), New York 24.-26. April 2014.
   
• 45th Annual Convention “Revolution”; ASEEES (Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies), Panel 2 “Biographies 1989”, Boston Marriott Copley Place, Boston 21.-24. November 2013.
   
• Tagung für Nachwuchswissenschaftler „Der Ostseeraum als neuzeitlicher Migrationsraum“ Sankelmark (Academia Baltica Sankelmark)18.-20. October 2013.
   
• XI. Ostblick-Jahreskongress „Osteuropaforschung. Vergangenheit – Gegenwart – Perspektiven“; Der Verein Ostblick – Initiative OsteuropaStudierender Deutschland e.V., Herder-Institut Marburg 11.-14. July 2013.
   
• Tagung Junger Osteuropa-Experten „Apfel, Birnen und Osteuropa: Vergleichsdesigns und -befunde zu einer divergenten Region“ Europäische Akademie Berlin; Deutsche Gesellschaft für Osteuropakunde Berlin, 31. May - 2. June 2013.

Summer-School

• Summer School at the University of Tartu “Prospects for Democracy, Stability and Europeanization in Ukraine: What lessons from the Baltic experience?” 25.-29. August 2014 UT Centre for EU-Russia Studies (CEURUS), Tartu.