The meeting was introduced by Carmen Popescu and Alona Nitzan-Shiftan

Popescu reviewed the history, goals, and current status of the EAHN (for Christine Mengin’s summary of the same, see the minutes of the third meeting in Savannah, in April 2006, on the EAHN home page).

Nitzan-Shiftan presented the discussions which took place at the Berlin meeting of the EAHN committee in January 2006 (see minutes of Berlin meeting on EAHN home page).  That meeting established that the purpose of the network is to promote excellence in the field of architectural history both through networking that overcomes national and institutional boundaries and through challenges to the boundaries of the discipline.  Other aims are to make the discipline visible to other scholars of space, to explore new historiographical methods, and to provide professional support in career development and teaching.   In Berlin, among other issues discussed, the proposal was put forward to establish subthematic groups in interdisciplinary areas such as space, the politics of architecture, and area studies.

Popescu presented the existing resources of the network:  the mailing list, web site, and tour program.  The aim of the tour program is to provide access to lesser-known destinations, particularly those generally overlooked by traditional historiography, and to increase knowledge of research institutions, thus creating opportunities for scientific networking.  Local scholars act as guides, as occurred with the successful tour to Ljubljana in July 2006.  She asked for proposals for short, low-cost, intensive tours.
Future developments within EAHN were discussed, including the holding of conferences.  Two means have been discussed to keep costs down.  One is to hold local conferences with an international audience of scholars working on similar, well-defined topics, thus facilitating the confrontation of varying methodologies.  Another solution for reducing the cost of organizing such events would be to co-sponsor conferences organized by others.  The international conference previously planned for 2007 has been postponed until 2008.  It will be a collaborative venture with the SAH and ETH Zurich. 
Several subthematic groups are currently being formed.  One centers on Eastern Europe and has been organized by Popescu.  It has already produced a round table discussion at Bucharest in conjunction with an exhibition on the “Two German Architectures 1949-1989” at the MNAC (National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest).  Another, to be organized by John Lagae, will investigate colonial African studies.  Other suggestions have been architecture and space, the politics of architecture, and a focus on European émigrés.  Suggestions for other topics are welcome.
Finally, plans continue to establish a) publications, both a newsletter and a journal;  b) databases on research centers, archives, periodicals, exhibitions, and Ph.D. theses related to architectural history.

DISCUSSION:

A lively discussion followed the presentations with questions fielded from the audience.  The relationship of EAHN to existing national organizations such as the SAHGB was raised.  It was made clear that the EAHN is not intended to compete with national organizations, but provides an international forum for architectural historians.  At this moment, approximately one half of the 160 members are from Western Europe, one quarter are from Eastern Europe, with another quarter from other parts of the globe, including members from Palestine, Australia, Israel, Turkey, and the United States, among others.
The importance of participation in the formation of the EAHN by a broad array of architectural historians was stressed.  The network is a group preparing creation of an autonomous European Society of Architectural Historians and it is essential that many voices contribute to the formation of its goals and organization in these early phases of developmental work.   Ultimately, the EAHN will contribute to defining the current and future boundaries of architectural history.
The suggestion was made that the EAHN survey existing institutions of architectural history in Europe to consider potential overlaps and opportunities for collaboration.
Several members of  the audience expressed their interest and support for the activities of the EAHN, noting its necessity.  Lena Berg Villner will bring the establishment of the EAHN to the notice of a Scandinavian audience.  Interest on the part of architectural historians in Scotland was expressed.
The meeting ended with an invitation to all to attend the next meeting of the EAHN, the annual business meeting to be held in Delft 13 January 2007.

Minutes submitted by Nancy Stieber