Although the copper axes with central shaft-hole from south-eastern Europe have a long history of research, they have not been studied on a transnational basis since the 1960s. What has also been missing is an integrated or holistic approach, trying to use as many methods as possible and better understand the production, use and context of these enigmatic objects. This present research therefore approaches the axes from different angles. A database was compiled in order to find answers on questions such as the patterns of distribution, context, fragmentation and deformation of axes. For the distribution of axes in general as well as different attributes like fragmentation and typology, the content of the database was imported into GIS software and analysed. Aspects of production were considered through experimental archaeology, metallographic analysis and a re-discovered axe blank with missing shafthole. Especially the missing moulds make it difficult to fully understand the production sequence. The typology was re-evaluated and modified to ensure comparability across modern national boundaries. The context and background was developed through a thorough review of the literature and combined with theoretical considerations. The integration of all these approaches yielded some interesting results. The great variability in shape combined with the results of metallographic analyses clearly shows that a variety of production techniques were used, but it is as yet difficult to relate these to specific geographic areas or even cultural groups. In fact the typology as well as the practice of marking the axes indicate that traditional archaeological ‘cultures’ rarely correspond to the distribution of a type or to the practice of marking the axes. They show instead that there were different spheres of influence, some even more localised and others much larger (like the Carpathian Basin) than specific ceramic traditions. These different levels of belonging, as well as the increasing visibility of the individual in the archaeological record, show that it was a period of complex cultural patterns and interactions. The axes were a part of these networks of the daily life on many different levels from the strict utilitarian to the ritualised placement in burial contexts.

Wenn sich auch die ältesten Musikdokumente des Banats auf die reichen kirchenmusikalischen Traditionen dieser südosteuropäischen Grenzregion beziehen, so spielte trotzdem das Operntheater die wichtigste Rolle als Kulturfaktor und Multiplikator in der musikalischen Erziehung der bürgerlichen Gesellschaft. Die Oper feierte gleichzeitig einen triumphalen Einzug in die Banater Städte Temeswar, Arad, Lugosch, Orawitza, Reschitza und Werschetz.

We investigate the role of leasing in the lending boom in Central and South Eastern Europe (CEE and SEE). We contribute by (1) providing a full picture of the financing situation in Eastern Europe, where leasing plays a more important role than elsewhere; (2) by investigating the finance-growth-nexus for ten Eastern European countries with a panel data approach over 1999-2006; (3) by extending the production function approach (credit, stock, bond) and the law-and-financeview for leasing. We find that leasing and credit positively contributed to economic growth. However, leasing and credit are complements and not substitutes as suggested partly by previous research in other regions. We conclude that leasing cannot be used to circumvent proper regulation by policy makers or market participants, and that alternative forms of finance need to be included for a full picture of the finance-growth link. / Series: EI Working Papers / Europainstitut

Wenn sich auch die ältesten Musikdokumente des Banats auf die reichen kirchenmusikalischen Traditionen dieser südosteuropäischen Grenzregion beziehen, so spielte trotzdem das Operntheater die wichtigste Rolle als Kulturfaktor und Multiplikator in der musikalischen Erziehung der bürgerlichen Gesellschaft. Die Oper feierte gleichzeitig einen triumphalen Einzug in die Banater Städte Temeswar, Arad, Lugosch, Orawitza, Reschitza und Werschetz.

No / This book is dedicated to the memory of Dr Volodymyr Kruts, whose studies on the Cucuteni-Trypillia cultural complex made a major contribution to world archaeology. The volume includes chapters in English, Polish, Russian and Ukrainian, which chronologically span from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age in Central and South-eastern Europe, focusing in particular on the Eneolithic/Chalcolithic period. The various papers discuss the general development of the Cucuteni-Trypillia cultural complex, including the giant-settlements (mega-sites), their different aspects of population identity, subsistence in relation to environment, and their archaeological data interpretation. There are also in-depth accounts on the relationship between the Cucuteni-Trypillians (and their settlements) and the neighbouring contemporaneous populations of Central and Southeastern Europe, with a special emphasis placed on the settlement structure, the house construction, the ritual destruction of dwellings, and the different mortuary practices. What makes the volume even more interesting is the combination of recent research, with old data from earlier excavations

<p>Since the beginning of the 1990s important changes took place, such as the collapse of Communism and the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Consequently, the European Union (EU) has faced a new agenda in SouthEastern Europe. The EU policies towards this region were not very well coordinated in the first half of the 1990s. From the second half of the 1990s onwards, the EU has become more focused in its policies towards South Eastern Europe. Since 1999, the Stabilisation and Association Process is the new institutional framework of the EU towards this region. The main purpose of the Stabilisation and Association Process is to promote peace, prosperity and stability in this region. </p><p>This study aims to explore the EU relations with South Eastern Europe with a single case study of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Process. The main research questions are: What are the main aims and dynamics of the EU’s relations with South Eastern Europe? What are the main problems concerning the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Process in the case of Bosnia? How do the norms, values and culture of Bosnia affect the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Process? </p><p>The focus of this study is on democratization as an open- ended process. Thus, it is relevant to apply democratization theories, with a focus on the Transition Approach as a theoretical framework. Democratization theories aim to explain how authoritarian regimes change into liberal democratic ones. The transition approach makes a clear distinction between democratic transition and democratic consolidation phases, and identifies the necessary conditions for the success of each phase. New Institutionalism is another theoretical orientation that will be applied to this study. New Institutionalism is used in this study to discuss the concepts of institutional change and democratic governance, and to further study both the formal and informal institutions in Bosnia and how they limit the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Process. </p><p>This study comes up with the conclusion that South Eastern Europe remains one of the priority regions for the EU. The dynamics of EU-South Eastern Europe relations is based on a number of different factors, such as political and economic considerations, concerns about peace, prosperity, and stability at the doorstep of the EU. The implementation of EU policies in this region is related to the debate on the future of the EU as well. The conclusions about Bosnia and Herzegovina point out that the country has moved forward a considerable amount after the 1992-95 Bosnian War. Democracy is beginning to emerge in the country. However, the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Process is constrained by the complex formal institutional structure as laid out in the Dayton Peace Agreement. Moreover, the informal institutions in Bosnia limit the implementation. For instance, the path-dependent authoritarian legacy of former Yugoslavia, exclusive ethnic nationalism, and distrust among the major ethnic groups in Bosnia are obstacles in front of the effective implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Process. The level of international community involvement in the country is still very intensive. Bosnia has not become a self-sustainable democratic state yet. Strengthening the civil society in Bosnia and Herzegovina and promoting an inclusive civic identity that will lead to the enhancement of democratic values in the country can be recommended as solutions for the current problems of the country.</p>

Since the beginning of the 1990s important changes took place, such as the collapse of Communism and the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Consequently, the European Union (EU) has faced a new agenda in SouthEastern Europe. The EU policies towards this region were not very well coordinated in the first half of the 1990s. From the second half of the 1990s onwards, the EU has become more focused in its policies towards South Eastern Europe. Since 1999, the Stabilisation and Association Process is the new institutional framework of the EU towards this region. The main purpose of the Stabilisation and Association Process is to promote peace, prosperity and stability in this region. This study aims to explore the EU relations with South Eastern Europe with a single case study of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Process. The main research questions are: What are the main aims and dynamics of the EU’s relations with South Eastern Europe? What are the main problems concerning the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Process in the case of Bosnia? How do the norms, values and culture of Bosnia affect the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Process? The focus of this study is on democratization as an open- ended process. Thus, it is relevant to apply democratization theories, with a focus on the Transition Approach as a theoretical framework. Democratization theories aim to explain how authoritarian regimes change into liberal democratic ones. The transition approach makes a clear distinction between democratic transition and democratic consolidation phases, and identifies the necessary conditions for the success of each phase. New Institutionalism is another theoretical orientation that will be applied to this study. New Institutionalism is used in this study to discuss the concepts of institutional change and democratic governance, and to further study both the formal and informal institutions in Bosnia and how they limit the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Process. This study comes up with the conclusion that South Eastern Europe remains one of the priority regions for the EU. The dynamics of EU-South Eastern Europe relations is based on a number of different factors, such as political and economic considerations, concerns about peace, prosperity, and stability at the doorstep of the EU. The implementation of EU policies in this region is related to the debate on the future of the EU as well. The conclusions about Bosnia and Herzegovina point out that the country has moved forward a considerable amount after the 1992-95 Bosnian War. Democracy is beginning to emerge in the country. However, the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Process is constrained by the complex formal institutional structure as laid out in the Dayton Peace Agreement. Moreover, the informal institutions in Bosnia limit the implementation. For instance, the path-dependent authoritarian legacy of former Yugoslavia, exclusive ethnic nationalism, and distrust among the major ethnic groups in Bosnia are obstacles in front of the effective implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Process. The level of international community involvement in the country is still very intensive. Bosnia has not become a self-sustainable democratic state yet. Strengthening the civil society in Bosnia and Herzegovina and promoting an inclusive civic identity that will lead to the enhancement of democratic values in the country can be recommended as solutions for the current problems of the country.