Volume 17 (36)

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Symposia on the History of Medicine USSR-GDR: Bridging Medical Historians Through Scientific Exchange (1975‒1989)
(Rīgas Stradiņa universitātes Medicīnas vēstures institūts (Institute of History of Medicine, Rīga Stradiņš University), 2024) Salaks, Juris; Antonovičs, Kaspars
This article examines eight symposia on the history of medicine held in the USSR and the GDR between 1975 and 1989. These symposia provided a significant platform for scholarly exchange between historians of medicine from both countries and became a tool contributing to the strengthening of “ideological unity” among the socialist bloc countries. Particular attention is given to their contribution to promoting socialist healthcare systems as an alternative to Western models. Drawing on archival and published materials, as well as participants’ testimonies, the study investigates the organisational aspects of these events, the evolution of their thematic focus, and their ideological impact on the development of historiography of medicine in the USSR and the GDR. The analysis highlights how the symposia served as instruments for benefiting scientific and bureaucratic elites in both nations, bolstering their influence. This work underscores the importance of these symposia in strengthening academic collaboration and advancing the socialist perspective on healthcare during the global East-West rivalry.