Federal Institute for Eastern and International Studies

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The Federal Institute for Eastern and International Studies (BIOst) was one of the most important political science research institutes in Europe, specializing in Eastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia and China. It had its seat in Cologne and was a subordinate authority of the Federal Ministry of the Interior .

history

With a decree of April 6, 1961, it was established as an institute according to the wishes of the Federal Ministry of the Interior with an ideological focus under the name of the Federal Institute for Research into Marxism-Leninism ( Institute for Sovietology ). With the move to a larger building in Cologne's Ehrenfeld district in May 1966, his name was also changed to the Federal Institute for Eastern and International Studies , which signaled a move away from ideology to comprehensive country research. The multiple name changes went hand in hand with a discussion about the aims and concept of the institute, which, instead of a nebulous ideological discussion of communism, focused on research into domestic and foreign policy relevant processes in the Soviet Union and the other Eastern Bloc countries . The institute thus became a broader advisory body for the federal government.

For the purposes of the Federal Government and to inform Parliament, it researched the political, social and economic developments in the Soviet Union, its successor states, the states of East Central and Southeast Europe, the People's Republic of China and the communist- ruled states of the Third World , as well as the effects of these developments international relations.

At the end of 2000 the institute was dissolved and the employees transferred to the research institute of the Science and Politics Foundation based in Berlin .

The managing director of the federal institute was the economist Heinrich Vogel from 1976 until its dissolution .

inventory

Looking back, Heinz Brahm , long-time head of research and scientific director of the institute, praised the role of the federal institute as the "hub of Eastern European research" and described it in 2005 in the journal Eastern Europe with the words:

“Five years have passed since the Federal Institute for Eastern and International Studies (BIOst) closed. As a link between Eastern European research and the federal government, the interdisciplinary BIOst was a novelty. Political scientists, economists and lawyers had to constantly compare their findings in round tables. Although the BIOst worked for many ministries, its real benefit lies in research. The institute was neither taken over by the departments, nor did it follow academic trends. It was an open house where students worked and journalists found people to talk to. For the scientists, insights arose through contacts that were hardly possible elsewhere. "

See also

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Institute for Sovietology on bundesarchiv.de
  2. ↑ Heinz Brahm: "Turntable for Eastern European Research ( Memento from April 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive ): Federal Institute for Eastern and International Studies", in: Eastern Europe , 55th year, 12/2005, here page 163.