The Creation of National Spaces in a Pluricultural Region

"Maps are not made in a vacuum. In this geographically sophisticated book, Vasilijus Safronovas shows how Lithuania was formed by its diverse peoples as a space for interaction. Interrogating how the toponyms of East Prussia, Lithuania Minor, and Prussian Lithuania evolved as regions, and fed into modern nation-building, irredentist, or diasporic projects, the author skillfully analyzes the country's social and political history. Making fine use of German, Polish, Lithuanian and Russian sources, he persuasively challenges us to reconsider the criteria behind Lithuania's slew of mental maps—why some systems of meaning persisted, while others were suppressed or altered beyond recognition." ~Steven Seegel, University of Northern Colorado

“Of all the regions of Lithuania, its far west—until 1920 under Prussian/German rule—is the least known. This book should change that by giving western readers a sophisticated, well-researched, and engagingly written overview of “Prussian Lithuania” and its importance in the history of the Baltic region. Emphasizing the tensions between diverging national and spatial conceptions, Safronovas makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the role this region played in the development of Lithuanian national identity.” ~Theodore R. Weeks. Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

“By bringing the neglected case of Prussian Lithuania into a
dialogue with research on the Russian Empire, Safronovas’ book fills an
important gap in scholarship, and enables us to build up a picture of the
complex articulation of ideas about ‘Lithuania’ that occurred within different
states and across borders. … The book is well written, extensively researched
and draws attention to a region which has often been overlooked in the wider
discussion on spatial concepts of Lithuania. One of the particular strengths of
the book is Safronovas’ ability to bring German, Lithuanian, Russian and Polish
sources into a dialogue with one another to historicise the spatial discourse
on ‘Lithuania’ within the multilingual and pre-national context of the long
19th century. The book no doubt occupies a key place in the historiography of
19th-century Lithuanian and Prussian history, but also raises many questions
and topics that will resonate with scholars who are interested more broadly in
the invention and construction of national spaces spanning administrative or
imperial border regions.” —Catherine Gibson, European University Institute,
Lithuanian Historical Studies Vol. 22

~Catherine Gibson