HIST 359 - Special Topics in European History

THE TITLE OF THIS SEMINAR FOR SPRING 2023 IS: VIENNA, 1890-1938: CAPITAL OF TRADITION, INNOVATION, PROMISE, AND PERIL.  From the latter nineteenth century through the 1930s, Vienna was a cauldron of crucial developments. It was a space of dynamic achievements in music, modern art, architecture, urban planning, psychoanalysis, and popular culture, as well as a vital cultural crossroad for migrants and refugees, in particular Jews, from Eastern and Central Europe. Vienna was also an important site for the evolution of political movements of the right and the left, leading ultimately to the Nazi disaster starting in 1938.  This interdisciplinary seminar will explore the interactions of art, culture and the politics that emerged in Vienna from the turn-of-the-century through 1938. We will bring various critical lens to bear on these issues and also consider how these developments continue to impact our contemporary world in a various, sometimes surprising ways Guest speakers will visit our seminar (virtually) during the semester. As a culmination of the semester, our guest speakers and additional scholars share and discuss their research as part of a scholarly symposium on campus. The students in the seminar will have the opportunity to participate in this conference and bring their ideas and perspectives to the discussion.

 

Anticipated Terms Offered: Every other year