The first “Unmodern” Nation: Germany and Poland's imperial exclusion from modernity

This article explores how internal exclusion within European empires shaped the development of modern social theory. While critical theory has traditionally examined the colonial foundations of modern social sciences, this study highlights the marginalization of certain regions and groups within Europe itself. Empirically, it focuses on nineteenth-century Germany and its exclusion of Poles and Poland. By examining cultural and academic discourses, particularly Max Weber's theories, in historical context, it shows how the Polish population of the German empire was practically and symbolically excluded as inherently unmodern due to the perceived lack of the capitalist bourgeoisie. This article challenges dominant colonial frameworks by integrating an imperial lens, demonstrating how economic concerns in the geographical and cultural proximity of Empire molded the ideas of modernity with contemporary consequences.