The Mediterranean is a central place for European identity. It is a place where the most important problems and issues of the present manifest themselves and which is capable of triggering contradictory associations and discourses. For most Austrians and for many other Europeans, the Mediterranean is the preferred holiday region with its beaches, cultural sights and attractive cuisine. At the same time, it is a centre of migration, which is why it is at the heart of crucial political issues of the present day: How to deal with migration, how much should our European societies open up or close down? Furthermore, the Mediterranean region is not only part of Europe, but is also part of the Global South: like other countries in the South, most of the countries bordering the Mediterranean are confronted with multiple economic, political and ecological problems. At the same time, the Mediterranean has always been seen as a model for the peaceful and productive coexistence of heterogeneous cultures, so it has always had a utopian aura. All these different, sometimes contradictory facets of the Mediterranean have given rise to disparate discourses and representations of the Mediterranean, which have exerted and continue to exert a great fascination on scientists, artists, thinkers and culture enthusiasts from all over the world.
The core research area Trans-Mediterranean Entanglements. Movements and Relationships in the Mediterranean and Beyond brings together Mediterranean research at the Faculty of Humanities in order to promote interdisciplinary, cross-disciplinary exchange. The ambitious goal is to develop innovative new concepts and methods and thereby enrich international Mediterranean research. The promotion of young researchers is also at the centre of this, as innovative developments are often initiated by younger colleagues and pursued over the longer term. A fellowship programme, intensive networking with foreign institutions, a publication series and public events are further measures that deepen international exchange and enable the public to participate in the research results.
As the title of the core research area already indicates, the focus of Mediterranean research in Graz is on a global perspective: The borders of the Mediterranean are not given by geography, but are historically contingent. This means that they change over the course of history, just like the content of the term 'Mediterranean'. The Mediterranean is also closely related to the global developments to which it contributes and through which it is shaped.