Before the detailed surveyed map finally established a „standard“ representation of old Peking in the beginning of the 20th century, various city plans of Peking had been produced and published in European languages since the late 17th century. Intelligence gathering, commercial competition, academic pursuit or sheer curiosity drove missionaries, envoys, soldiers, and merchants engaged in making new maps. The development of European plans and Chinese maps were interwoven and closely related to the modernization process of China. Therefore, the evolution of plans of Peking is not only a history of competition in intellectual and military domains, but also a history of cultural exchange. It serves a case study in the broader context of global history.

The first Sarajevo Security Conference was held last week.

Dr. Nadine Zwiener-Collins, Postdoc in Politics & Gender, Diversity & Equality at the Department of Political Science, has become a Fellow in the prestigious “Das Junge ZiF” postdoc network.