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The subject of this paper is metaphysics in the research of the Croatian neo-scholastic Stjepan Zimmermann. The introduction and the first part summarize the basic bio-bibliographical data of Zimmermann and his importance for the Croatian philosophy of the 20th century. The second part deals with Zimmermann‘s statements as to whether one can talk about scientific metaphysics at all. The following section of the article deals with the question to what extent the natural sciences can replace metaphysics. In Zimmermann‘s opinion metaphysics largely transcends empirical reality and is therefore still possible and very necessary. Only philosophy, and in this context metaphysics, can lead man to God. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the late 20th century activity spaces have mainly been perceived as a niche concept in German-speaking spatial research. Meanwhile, international research on activity spaces has developed further and gained quite some attention recently. This paper elaborates a comprehensive definition of activity spaces and presents current fields of application with special regard to research on travel behaviour, segregation and public health. Activity spaces as a concept improve estimates of the interactions between individuals and their respective social or built environments. Therefore, insights on activity spaces might ease the development of adequate planning and policy measures. In order to facilitate the systematic generation of future research questions, hypotheses, research designs and practice-oriented insights, this paper presents both a novel analytical concept and established methods for the study of activity spaces. The paper closes with considerations on possible research perspectives that lie beyond the current state of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the problem of the Hebrew term קָדֵשׁ. It is usually associated with temple prostitution in Ancient Israel, although evidence for temple prostitution in Israel is missing. After a summary of the myth of sacred prostitution, as it was 'invented' by researchers of the 19th and 20th century, the paper gives an analysis of the ten instances in the Old Testament where the term occurs. Instead of a conclusion, the author offers a thesis about the origin and use of the term קָדֵשׁ. Originally a broad term for priestly personnel, it developed into an insult, which has more sexual than cultic connotations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a report from an October 12-13, 2017 conference in Berlin, Germany on the history of "nerves" in German war psychology from the turn of the 20th century to the outbreak of World War II. Topics of presentations delivered included the collective psychological impact of World War I on the nerves of the German population, the political symbolism of "strong nerves", and the 1913 paper "Krieg und Geistesstörung" by psychiatrist Gustav Specht.

Philosophical theories concerning the arts have undergone significant changes in the past few centuries. These changes ran parallel to the reconception of philosophy itself. As is known, the beginning of the 20th century bore witness to the "linguistic" turn, and there has also been a second, no less significant event: the "hermeneutical turn," enacted by Heidegger and Gadamer. In an essay written in 1990 with the title "The Multiplicity of Languages and the Understanding of the World", Gadamer th summed up the philosophical developments of the 20th century as follows: "In this century we have performed, as is known, a kind of »linguistic turn«, that is, a turn to linguisticality. [...] A second development, of equal import, has taken place in our German tradition. Thereby I mean the transition from Neo-Kantianism to phenomenology and, in particular, the further development of phenomenology to the hermeneutic turn which Heidegger has initiated" (Gesammelte Werke, vol. 8, p. 343). In the aftermath of Heidegger's thinking, and due especially to Gadamer's major contributions, hermeneutic philosophy has come to be one of the main philosophical th trends of 20th century philosophy. It has transformed traditional ways of approaching philosophical problems, of looking upon and dealing with them. Indeed, it modified to a great extent our understanding of philosophy itself. "To speak of a revolution in the history of thought is perhaps too grand," an interpreter wrote, "but certainly there has been a general movement that can be called the 'hermeneutic turn'" (David C. Hoy, "Heidegger and the Hermeneutic Turn," in: The Cambridge Companion to Heidegger, ed. Ch. Guignon (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1993), p. 170). Central to the hermeneutical perspective of viewing things is a new attitude to the history of philosophy and to the philosophical disciplines themselves. What Heidegger called "destruction" means going back to the original experiences of factical life and legitimizing philosophical concepts and theories originating from, and with reference to, them. Hermeneutics is reluctant to recognize the traditional splitting of philosophical disciplines into fields separate and isolated from each other, such as, e.g., theory of knowledge, morals, aesthetics. In their effort to go back to the fundaments of human experience, Heidegger and Gadamer undertook a radical re-thinking of the theoretical fundaments of the discipline destined to account for, and to do justice to, the arts -- that is, aesthetics as well. What they achieved is a veritable "destruction" of aesthetics. Heidegger's decisive step in the thirties lay in his attempt to connect arts with truth, thereby questioning the traditional view according to which truth is a character of knowledge, and a work of art can be "beautiful" but not "true." Heidegger's hints have then been elaborated in detail by Gadamer in his Truth and Method. The present paper proposes to show the essential steps taken by Heidegger and Gadamer in their re-examination of the autonomy of the realm called "aesthetics" and their efforts to replace it by a hermeneutical arts theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a report on a workshop on violence in Communist Eastern Europe in the second half of the twentieth century, held in Potsdam, Germany, on January 24, 2014. Topics of discussion included hormonal contraception, the abuse of psychiatric patients, and violence against children in institutional care. All papers presented drew on the theoretical work of French philosopher Michel Foucault.

The article reports on a conference on the history of antisemitism in Eastern Europe from the late nineteenth century until the beginning of World War II, convened in Warsaw, Poland, from May 16-18, 2013. Papers presented included examples of antisemitic political violence, pogroms, and racist propaganda in such countries as Hungary, Poland, and Ukraine.

The article reviews the conference, "Stadt - Image - Identität: Konstruktion und Wandel von Städtebildern im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert," on the subject of the images of European cities in the 19th and 20th century, held in Munich, Germany, from September 11th to November 11th, 2012. Researcher Isabel Leicht presented a paper on city identity in Europe as reflected in architecture Carol Marmor discussed changes in the image projected by socialist cities in Eastern Europe during the 1970s and the 1980 Olympic Games.

The article reports on a conference on the connection between sports and nationalism in historical perspective, held in Prague, Czech Republic, from June 28-30, 2012. Papers and discussions revolved around the political aspects of sports, exemplified with such case studies as soccer in Denmark during the German occupation in World War II, the participation of the Soviet Union in the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland, and international soccer matches between Hungary and Romania from 1936-2009.

The article reports on a conference about the anti-Nazi movement in the Rhineland, Germany, in the 1930s and 1940s, which was held in Bonn, Germany, from September 26-27, 2011. Papers presented discussed opposition and resistance to the Nazi dictatorship by various groups, including Communists and Catholics. The repression of political dissent by police and the justice system was also addressed.

The article reports on a conference on the concept of democracy in Germany and Poland in the 20th and 21st centuries, held in Ciążeń and Poznań, Poland, from September 26-29, 2011. The papers presented discussed such topics as the role of democracy as a political idea and catchphrase in the aftermath of World War I, the democratization of Poland and East Germany after the fall of communism in 1989, and civic engagement in 21st-century German and Polish politics.

The article offers information on "Technische Hochschulen und Universitäten im 'Dritten Reich' und der Nachkriegszeit," a conference that focused on technical colleges and universities in Germany during the regime of the German National Socialists (Nazis). Papers that were presented discussed topics such as how the National Socialists (Nazis) affected school politics, how the Nazi-regime affected the professional orientation of students, and how geography was taught during this period.

The article reports on a conference at the Schwabenakademie (Swabian Academy) in Irsee, Germany, from February 4-6, 2011, which was dedicated to the history of women's soccer in 20th-century Germany. Papers presented discussed topics including the development of women's soccer clubs, the introduction of soccer in girls' physical education classes in public schools and universities, and the representation of female soccer players in the media.

The article reports on a workshop dedicated to providing historical perspectives on 21st-century debates regarding applied research in university, which was held in Munich, Germany, on March 4-5, 2011. The papers discussed case studies, including the connections between basic and applied research in the funding strategies of the German Science Council after World War II, the politics of research funding at the Technical University of Zurich, Switzerland, between 1918 and 1952, and biotechnology.

The article reports on the conference "'Bro's, Homes, Dudes': Men and Masculinities in the 20th Century American Family," held at the University of Münster, Germany, from December 2-4, 2010. Papers approached the subject from various angles, including young men's sexualities, the gender politics of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and debates about absent fathers and good fatherhood. Presenters included Isabel Heinemann, Michael Kimmel, and Jürgen Martschukat.

The article reports on the conference "Der Kult des großen Plans um 1910: Gestaltung von Metropolen in historischer Perspektive," held on November 25-26, 2010, at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany. The conference discussed philosophies and standards of urban planning in the early 20th century in cross-cultural perspective, with papers focusing on various cities, including Chicago, Illinois, Vienna, Austria, and Canberra, Australia.

The article reports on the conference "Die nationalsozialistische Okkupationspresse in den besetzten Gebieten der Sowjetunion, 1941-1944" (The National Socialist Press in the Occupied Territories of the Soviet Union), held at the University of Heidelberg from November 5-8, 2010. Papers discussed various aspects of press politics and propaganda in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe, including their institutional organization, content, reception, and audience, as well as biographical questions.