LOCAL AND BERKELEY EVENTS

Brussels in the Belgian Labyrinth: Problem or Asset?
by Jeffrey Tyssens (Professor in History at the Free University of
Brussels, VUB, and this year's Pieter Paul Rubens Chair at the Dutch
Studies Program).
Wednesday, December 2, 5-6pm, 201 Moses Hall (IES). The lecture is
followed by a small reception.
Abstract: Belgium is widely reputed for its unique and complex federal
state structure. Brussels mirrors that complexity in its highly particular
institutional frame. Once a predominantly Dutch speaking city, it has
become a mostly French speaking town. With both communities laying claims
on it, it had to become, after long and difficult political
confrontations, a genuinely shared Capital of French speakers and
Flemings. Eventually, the institutions of the Brussels Capital Region
succeeded to tune down language conflict within the city, but the
equilibrium remains fragile. Recent tensions at the federal level show how
much the issue of BrusselsÕ borders still is delicate. Furthermore, the
development of a more broad linguistic mix within the city increasingly
puts its institutional frame at odds with its societal realities. EU
Capital Brussels being the only truly Òglobal cityÓ of the country, it is
an important economical, political and cultural asset for Belgium as a
whole, but it is not that certain that it is always valued on these
merits. Recent discussions about a possible split of Belgium show again
how Brussels continues act as a political ÒglueÓ between communities. But
will this essential role in keeping the country together remain just as
stable in the future?

Cold War and European Integration in the 1950s: A Biographical Approach
by Madelon de Keizer (Netherlands Institute for War Documentation, Amsterdam)

In the post-war years, many Europeans saw the USA as a bastion of freedom
and democracy. European and US politicians established contacts with
ŽmigrŽ organizations from the Soviet satellite countries, who were
vigorously lobbying to secure the liberation of their native countries.
This presentation focuses on the infrastructure of this tripartite
partnership and provides insights into the political networks that were
being woven to galvanize this collaboration.

Wednesday, October 7, 5-6pm, Institute of European Studies, 201 Moses
Hall. The lecture is followed by a small reception.