Dana 21. siječnja 2015. godine doc. dr. Michaele Schäuble sa Sveučilišta u Bernu, Švicarska održala je radionicu pod naslovom  „Of War Heroes, Martyrs and Invalids: Representations of branitelji in Public Discourse and Pop Culture“ .

Kratki opis radionice: In this workshop we will take a look at discourses (and images) on the role of  Croatian soldiers during the „Homeland War“ and its aftermath. Exploring the relationship between nationalism, masculinity and militarization, the aim is to analyze the current challenges that this correlation poses to long-lasting stability and democratization in the region.  The rebuilding of the Croatian nation-state since the end of the war went hand in hand with an evocation of the potency of Croatian nationhood and references to the heroic deeds of Croatian soldiers. The self- perception of many branitelji however, is often diametrically opposed to these representations of strength and integrity. Many ex-soldiers feel victimized, not only by the war itself, but also by the political and economic measures taken to reconstruct Croatia, which, as they argue, penalizes and excludes war veterans. We will take a look at gendered narratives and images of individual soldiers and the nation state – including gendered notions of Europe/the EU – as well as the differences between women’s and men’s remembrances of wartime experiences. On a more general level, the workshop will also pose the question whether there are alternatives to „militarized masculinities“ in Croatia and what they possibly look like.