This book is published in honour of the life-time achievements of Dr. Peter Stenberg. For twelve years the Head of the Department of Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Dr. Stenberg is the recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship (1979, 1980, 198485) and Swedish Institute Fellowships (197980, 1985, 1990) and has worked closely with scholars and writers on an international scale. His creative activities and scholarly interests extend over several countries: Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, the Baltic States, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, not to mention, of course, Canada and the United States. The wide spectrum of his writings and activities is reflected in the number of international writers and scholars who contributed to this Festschrift. It could be said that, in this Transatlantic Gathering, much of Peter Stenbergs life and the whole intricate web of Central European culture emerge into view.