Communism distorted the Central European humanistic culture in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary, as particularly expressed in the education system, by nationalizing, bureaucratizing, indoctrinating, and aligning it with a planned economy. The influence of the West, which became dominant after the upheaval of 1989 and especially since these countries joined the European Union in 2004, has brought about a change in values under the banner of globalization, but has not yet resolved the cultural crisis. A cultural renewal based on the educational tradition of these countries is increasingly proving to be a necessary task for the future. The anthology contains 17 predominantly political analyses on this issue, focusing on East Central Europe, especially during the period from 1989 to 2005. The contributions are based on an international conference held in St. Pölten.