Ellinor Morack explains to Jonathan Conlin how she unpicked the tangled process of expropriation and re-allocation by which early Republican Turkey sought to create a “national economy”.
Ellinor is Lecturer in Turkish Studies at the University of Bamberg.
Ellinor Morack’s first book, The Dowry of the State? The Politics of Abandoned Property and the Population Exchange in Turkey, 1921-1945 investigated how both Armenian and Greek properties were expropriated and re-allocated in the early years of Republican Turkey. Focusing on Izmir and its region, her study laid bare the rivalries between different ministries of central government as well as between central government and local notables. In this conversation, recorded on 10 May 2022, Ellinor describes her approach to identifying sources, the meaning of “nation” and the role the expropriated “other” played in the formation of a Turkish identity. Jon also asked her about her ongoing public history work, including plans for a podcast and other initiatives intended to engage German-speaking audiences. The Dowry of the State is free to download by following this link. Ellinor has since developed her research with a case study of İzmir’s Kültürpark, published in the European Review of History.
Episode 15 – Dowry of the State
Podcasts are published by TLP for the purpose of encouraging informed debate on the legacies of the events surrounding the Lausanne Conference. The views expressed by participants do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of TLP, its partners, convenors or members.
MAIN IMAGE: DETAIL OF CHARLES E. GOAD, PLAN D’ASSURANCE DE SMYRNE (1905). UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON, HARTLEY LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
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