HOW DID IT BEGIN?
There are hundreds of “Histories of Europe”, but most of them are written from one single perspective and conceived in one language. To express their discomfort, 100 historians and social scientists in 20 countries signed the appeal: “One heritage, one story : that’s not the Europe we know“ (The Guardian, El País, Le Monde, Gazeta Wyborcza, Der Tagesspiegel, Efimeridon ton Syntakton, Jutarnji list, 2019). Some of them started dreaming of a multilingual tool allowing a multi-perspective reflection on those linguistic biases. Conceived at the interface of languages and the crossroads of European history, the history of memory cultures, and different traditions in the history of concepts and historical semantics, ʟᴇxɪ.ᴇᴄᴏ is their proposal. Its guiding principle is that concepts are not fixed labels but dynamic carriers of social experience, political struggle, and cultural imagination. Drawing on this central idea, ʟᴇxɪ.ᴇᴄᴏ provides a digital historical lexicon that traces the evolution of meanings since the end of the Cold War. By following the trajectories of key words in European debates across time, space, and languages, ʟᴇxɪ.ᴇᴄᴏ creates a platform to explore how public discourses change, how conflicts are framed, and how shared narratives of Europe continue to be negotiated.
WHO ARE WE?
An Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership in Higher Education focusing on the history of concepts in its European dimensions, ʟᴇxɪ.ᴇᴄᴏ addresses the everlasting challenge of European diversity and multilingualism in light of the current debasement of key concepts in political and social discourse, and the semantic shifts and reversals that are taking place before our very eyes. By analysing concepts in their contexts, mapping meanings across borders, and following shifts of meanings in recent history, ʟᴇxɪ.ᴇᴄᴏ bridges the semantic gaps between Europeans.
Transnational in nature and purpose, ʟᴇxɪ.ᴇᴄᴏ brings together experts in the fields of European history, political and social sciences, and history teaching from 7 academic and non-academic institutions in 6 European countries (Estonia, France, Germany, Spain, and Ukraine), without limitation of scope.
The project is funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ Key Action 220.
WHAT DO WE DO?
ʟᴇxɪ.ᴇᴄᴏ produces textual, visual and audiovisual materials created by international author teams. All outputs are open access and free to use:
(1) A truly transnational and multilingual textbook that reflects intercultural misunderstandings around the different meanings of key concepts in a series of European countries, revealing long-term differentiations and transnational circulations in recent history. The entries and case studies are written collaboratively by international teams of authors to ensure the much-needed multiperspectivity.
(2) An online collection of selected primary sources in the original language and English translations, clustered around the key concepts analysed,
(3) Added audiovisual materials and a digital teaching guide for the use of the above-mentioned outputs in the classroom, based on the testing of the outputs at international encounters of scholars and students.
The close integration of all outputs creates a blended learning environment, providing all users (teachers, learners) an innovative and unique resource to reflect on the words we use and what they mean in other linguistic contexts on a European scale.
WHAT DOES AN ENTRY LOOK LIKE?
To illustrate the multiple meanings of each concept we select, we leverage the full potential of digital publishing by providing in each entry a timeline showing the changes in meaning over time; hypertextual relations to other entries allowing users to navigate between concepts and languages; and multimedia material including texts, videos, audio and graphs that enrich the experience of the user.
WHO IS OUR TARGET AUDIENCE?
Our online platform is designed for individuals who cross borders and cultures in their professional and/or personal lives, including researchers and students, politicians and journalists, translators, educators, practitioners, as well as tourists abroad, digital creators, and media consumers. In a word, we work for those to whom concepts and communication matter.
We are looking for:
researchers (both senior and early career) interested in co-creating the platform with us
translators interested in bringing our content to other languages
educators and other practitioners interested in using the lexicon in their work