History in My Life: A Memoir of Three Eras

Ivan T. Berend is a Distinguished Professor at UCLA and was a key figure in Hungary's regime change. His memoir explores the choices intellectuals face in dictatorial states, comparing East European and American higher education systems and offering insights into life in the United States.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 286 pages
Publication date: 15 September 2023
Publisher: Central European University Press

Ivan T. Berend is a distinguished professor at the University of California Los Angeles, where he serves as the director of the European Studies Program. He is widely recognized for his significant role in orchestrating regime change in Hungary. Berend's academic career in Hungary began as a university professor, where he held positions such as the rector of the University of Economics from 1973 to 1979 and the president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences from 1985 to 1990. During his tenure, he also served as the president of the International Committee of Historical Sciences from 1995 to 2000 and as the vice-president of the International Economic History Association from 1986 to 1994.

Berend's research interests span a wide range of topics, including the complex economic, social, ideological, and cultural history of Central and Eastern Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries. He has extensively studied economic modernization, the challenges of European backwardness, and the transition from state socialism to capitalism. Berend has authored and published 26 books and more than 120 studies, contributing significantly to the field of historical research.

Before his academic career in the United States, Berend had a remarkable life experience. He had survived five regime changes and two revolutions in Hungary, enduring imprisonment and torture in German concentration camps during World War II. His memoir, titled "The Intellectual in the Totalitarian State," offers a unique and personal perspective on the challenges faced by intellectuals in a dictatorial state. The book explores the difficult choices intellectuals must make when confronted with political oppression: whether to remain isolated and focused on scholarly work, to oppose the regime and face discrimination and exclusion, or to remain within the establishment and work for reform within the legal framework. Berend's memoir raises fundamental historical questions and engages in debates about the nature of authoritarianism and the role of intellectuals in society.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Berend's book also compares East European and American higher education systems and provides insightful observations on life in the United States. His experiences and insights shed light on the complexities of transitioning from a totalitarian regime to a democratic society and the challenges faced by individuals and institutions in the process.

Overall, Ivan T. Berend's academic career, his memoir, and his contributions to historical research make him a noteworthy figure in the field of history. His experiences and insights provide valuable perspectives on the challenges of political oppression and the role of intellectuals in society, and his work continues to inspire and inform scholars and policymakers alike.

Weight: 387g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789633867013