New UGP publication: Cities as Cultural Crossroads

The book Cities as Cultural Crossroads is now available online and as open access from University of Groningen Press (UGP).

The book is edited by Karène Sanchez Summerer (ed) University of Groningen, Mayada Madbouly (ed) University of Groningen, Sara Vermeulen (ed)  University of Groningen

About the book’s content

Cities serve as dynamic archives of culture, migration, and history, captured vividly in their landscapes, monuments, street names, architecture, and diverse neighbourhoods. Such urban landscapes are not merely historical markers but living spaces, where the politics and dynamics of the present continuously reshape identity and belonging.  

Focusing on two prominent European cities—Berlin and Paris—this volume critically analyzes their entanglements with colonial histories, migrations from the Middle East and North Africa, and the creation of new spaces of belonging. 

By examining gendered, religious, national, and cultural identities, alongside heritage preservation and cultural representation, the book reconsiders cities as pivotal sites of intercultural exchange between MENA, the Arab World and Europe.