Dr. Jan Zofka (Jena): The Eastern Cotton Empire. A Commodity History of Early Cold War Socialism

Wir laden Sie herzlich zu einer gemeinsamen Kolloquiumsveranstaltung mit der Professur für Neuere und Osteuropäische Geschichte ein.

Dr.Jan Zofka (Universität Jena) wird einen Vortrag zum Thema "The Eastern Cotton Empire. A Commidity History of Early Cold War Socialism" halten. Die Veranstaltung findet am Dienstag den 14.11.2023 von 18:00 ct - 20:00 Uhr statt.

Abstract zum Vortrag:

The Eastern Cotton Empire. A Commodity History of Early Cold War Socialism

The presentation takes the history of cotton as a starting point to approach the economy of the early Cold War Soviet bloc. The role of cotton in the economic development in 1950s’ East (Central) Europe will be examined by looking into different layers of the commodity chain: from agricultural techniques of cotton growing and agro-biological knowledge transfers to trade, textile production and technology transfers in the textile industry. This perspective highlights the intra-regional connections of socialist Eastern Europe as well as its integration into global economic flows, knowledge circulations, and trade infrastructures from standardization to price-building. The “Empire of Cotton” (Sven Beckert) did not stop in front of the Iron Curtain.