Senior Researcher, Institute of Sociology, Romanian Academy, e-mail address: irinastahl@yahoo.f

ABSTRACT

The article proposes an in-depth examination of the two collections published by Paul H. Stahl in Paris: Études et Documents Balkaniques et Méditerranéens (1979–2009, 32 vol., EDBM) and Sociétés Européennes (1986–2008, 38 vol., SE), with particular attention given to the first. While in the EDBM Stahl mainly published the studies of his students in Paris and his own works, and only publish texts in French and other foreign languages, SE also included works written in Romanian, by former members of the Romanian sociological school, including his father, or his uncle, and other colleagues. The reasons behind their publication, their content, appearance, and contribution to European sociology and ethnography are analyzed here. The discussion of Stahl’s approach to conducting academic research and his priority pursuit of academic freedom and integrity provides the necessary context for understanding these two collections. The motivation behind them are Stahl’s personal experiences with ideological censorship in communist Romania and, later, with editorial constraints in France. His declared goal was to publish studies of forgotten or unknown authors that would otherwise not have been accessible, despite their scientific value. In time, Stahl’s collections, especially the EDBM, have turned into scientific journals. They have become valued publications, listed and sought after by many academic and scientific communities, many libraries requesting copies to include them in their catalogs. This article addresses only a small part of the valuable contributions made to European sociology and ethnography by Paul H. Stahl.

Keywords: Paul H. Stahl, Études et Documents Balkaniques et Méditerranéens, Sociétés Européennes, European Ethnology, South-East European Ethnology. 

DOI: 10.59277/RJSoc.2025.5-6.02

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