This volume includes 13 papers presented in the sections History and Sciences of the Humboldt-Kolleg 'World War I and Beyond: Human Tragedies, Social Challenges, Scientific and Cultural Responses' organised in Bucharest on September 17-19, 2018; a separate volume is dedicated to selected contributions focusing on literary and cultural studies (Ioana Craciun: 'Wenn die Waffen sprechen, schweigen die Musen nicht'). The papers are grouped in three sections - 'Intellectuals Facing the Challenges of World War I', 'Societies Dealing with War Traumas', and 'Nations and States Coping with War and Peace'. While having a clear focus on Central and Eastern Europe, the volume succeeds in bringing together multiple and complementary perspectives to the complexities of World War I and attempts to integrate the approaches and findings presented at the Bucharest conference in the broader discussions and analyses of this traumatic historical event which has shaped Europe and the world.