What is Ister?
What is “Ister” and the purpose of this newsletter and blog.
What is “Ister” and its purpose? Let’s start with the meaning. "Ister" is mentioned in Martin Heidegger's book The Introduction to Metaphysics. In this book, Heidegger uses the term "Ister" to refer to the river Danube, which he sees as a symbol for the history and culture of Europe. The Danube is used as a metaphor for the flow of history and the way in which different cultures and civilizations come into contact with one another. The river is a way to explore the concept of time and how it shapes our understanding of the world. The "Ister" is an important part of Heidegger's philosophy and has been widely discussed and analyzed by scholars of philosophy and literature.
Heidegger was also discussing “Ister” during Europe’s darkest hour. In 1942 he chose to deliver a lecture course on Friedrich Hölderlin’s poem Der Ister. The course explored the meaning of poetry, the nature of technology, the relationship between ancient Greece and modern Germany, the essence of politics, and human dwelling.
Of course, the lecture’s timing reminds us of the controversy regarding Heidegger's relationship with nazism, examined recently in Heidegger in Ruins: Between Philosophy and Ideology by Richard Wolin. This symptomatic shadow lingering above one of the greatest 20th-century minds reflects the ambiguity of Europe’s culture and history in the nutshell.
The late Croatian erudite Viktor Žmegač wrote in his book Europski duh (The spirit of Europe): In a dynamic view, the world is a European cultural and civilization creation. In order to avoid one-sided idealization, it should be remembered that Europe was not only a gift basket, but it also exported sophisticated forms of cruelty, the Inquisition, and world wars. This is exactly what needs to be emphasized if we want to know what a united Europe, regardless of crisis situations, has achieved as a lasting civilizational reach.
The purpose of this newsletter and blog is an exploration. At its center are the topics about the history and culture of Europe - “its lasting civilizational reach”. Geographically, it will cover mostly central and southeast Europe - regions the Danube flows through. It also won’t shy away from the issues and problems this gift basket created along the way.