Main Content
Seminars and Field Trips
ISU seminars take place from from 14:15 pm – 15.45 pm following the German language class and are composed of nine sessions per seminar. Each course is made up of 18 in-class hours, plus time for study, homework, etc.
In order to receive the full 12 ECTS points for the program, you are required to participate in evening events and the weekend excursions.
Each participant will choose one seminar from four modules covering Culture, Society, History, and Politics per session (two total).Modules are taught by experts from the University of Marburg, our EUPeace Alliance as well as other partner universities.
Module Descriptions
Culture
The Culture module encompasses seminars on various aspects of European and German culture in the 20th Century and beyond. This can include various types of culture, spanning from the everyday, to politics, to art. Potential topics include German film and theatre, European languages and their everyday development, as well as aspects of Literature, protest cultures, and interactions between political cultures.
History
Post-1945 Europe takes the main stage of the History module. With a range of topics spanning German and broader European history, the courses may engage areas such as the roots and emergence of the European Union, the role of the EU and individual member countries as historical foreign and security actors, international law, or the significance of European memory culture.
Politics
Seminars in the Politics module will cover a range of topics related to the European Union. This may include courses on EU’s foreign-, security-, economic- or migration policies, the role of the EU in current global conflict, or internal integration policies within the EU.
Society
Courses in the Society module aim to explore contexts of European and non-European societies. This can, but is not limited to, seminars on topics of process and dynamics of inclusion and integration, issues of social justice, social conflicts and ways of dealing with them, as well as areas of health and populism.
Seminars 2024 (In progress)
Week 1&2
History
"A Warning from History? The Weimar Republic, 1918 - 1933"
Instructor: Dr. Alex BurkhardtCourse Description:
Is liberal democracy under attack? Do the electoral successes of figures and movements such as Donald Trump, Brexit, Marine le Pen, Viktor Orbán, and Alternative für Deutschland – to name but a few – indicate a gathering crisis of the liberal political consensus which, in the immediate aftermath of the Cold War, seemed unstoppably triumphant?
This two-week course confronts these questions through a close examination of a concrete historical example where, in fact, a Western liberal democracy did indeed succumb to dictatorship; the Weimar Republic. Founded in the wake of Germany’s defeat in the First World War, Weimar was Germany’s first democracy and, in 1918, one of the most progressive in Europe. However, it lasted only 15 years, before giving way to a Hitler chancellorship and, ultimately, a National Socialist dictatorship in 1933.
This course not only provides an overview of the history of the Weimar Republic; it also asks whether or not Western democracies are today experiencing a “Weimar moment”. Will the threats posed to liberal democracy today prove as powerful and as destructive as those which, almost a century ago, put an end to Germany’s first experiment with democracy – with catastrophic consequences for Europe and the world?
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the course, students should:
i. …possess a basic knowledge and understanding of the history of the Weimar Republic; how and why it was created in the wake of German defeat in the First World War, and the reasons for its demise, especially the rise of the Nazi movement.
ii. …have come to an informed viewpoint on whether or not the Weimar Republic represents an instructive analogue to contemporary political events in some Western countries. Is the West currently experiencing a ‘Weimar moment’, or does such an analogy exaggerate the extent of the current ‘crisis’?
Pre-Course Readings:
Chapters 2 and 3 in Fulbrook, M. (1990). A concise history of Germany. Cambridge University Press.
Levitsky, S., & Ziblatt, D. (2019). How Democracies Die. Crown.
Weitz, E. D. (2018). Weimar Germany: Promise and tragedy. Princeton University Press.
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE and Reading/ Assignments/ Additional Practice Materials
Description of class schedule as planned
1: Introduction: Germany before 1918
Chapter 2 of Fulbrook, M. (1990). A concise history of Germany. Cambridge University Press.
2: 1918: Eine deutsche Revolution
Mergel, T. (2011). “Dictatorship and Democracy, 1918-1939.” In H. W. Smith (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Modern German History (pp. 423–452). Oxford University Press.
3: 1919 – 1923: Crisis 1
Gerwarth, R. (2008). The Central European Counter-Revolution: Paramilitary Violence in Germany, Austria and Hungary after the Great War. Past & Present, 200(1), 175–209.
4: 1923 – 1929: Stabilisation
Chapter 2 of Weitz, E. D. (2018). Weimar Germany: Promise and tragedy. Princeton University Press.
5: 1929 – 1933: Crisis 2
Chapter 3 of Fulbrook, M. (1990). A concise history of Germany. Cambridge University Press.
6: The “Seizure of Power”
Hett, B. C. (2019). The Death of Democracy. Windmill Books.
7: How do democracies die?
Levitsky, S., & Ziblatt, D. (2019). How Democracies Die. Crown.
8: A Warning from History?
Kaplan, R. (2022). Weimar Forever: How the World of Today Resembles the Weimar Republic. Foreign Policy Research.Institute. https://www.fpri.org/article/2022/02/weimar-forever-how-the-world-of-today-resembles-the-weimar-republic/
Gerwarth, R. (2024, June 5). Weimar’s Lessons for Biden’s America.Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/02/06/weimars-lessons-for-bidens-america/
9: Introduction to the assignment
N/APolitics
The EU and its Institutions
Instructor: Dr. Guillermo ReyesCourse Description:
This course has the intention of exploring the EU as the current most important international political integration organisation. This has been the result of important and profound concatenated political changes in the European continent after the devastation of the Second World War. With the aim of overcoming deep feelings of distrust and enmity between the different parties and recover the life standards of all citizens beyond historical rivalries, the European states agreed to search for common grounds rather than focusing on the differences. What started as a regional pact to share basic raw materials between a reduced number of states, has resulted in one of the most attractive markets of the World and a geopolitical region where common rights belong to all European citizens regardless the state member in which they reside. By voluntarily ceding part of its sovereignty to commonly agreed supranational institutions, historically consolidated national states have given way to a new actor in the political arena that deserves our attention. This makes the EU one of the most appealing international actors that Politics and International Relations students can research.
To be able to properly understand this phenomenon, we will be scrutinising the EU from its genesis to the Treaty of Lisbon 2009 and the different political integration processes that it has experienced over the last 7 decades. This includes, amongst others, the examination of the key EU institutions and its main bodies; the Judicial system that creates the first supranational judicial organ that is capable of having direct influence in national courts; the European Human Rights protection system; the articulation of its legal personality; the executive and legislative processes; and the main challenges that are currently hindering its consolidation and expansion. These topics will allow us to have a deep comprehension of EU politics and how it has shaped the past of Europe and its future in an increasing multipolar world.
Learning Objectives:
Be familiar with and understand the main institutions and governmental structures of today's European Union.
Analyse and critically assess the origins and effects of these structures, by using the conceptual and theoretical tools of comparative politics, international relations and relevant sources.
Appreciate and explain the changing nature of the political process in the European Union and the role played by political parties, interest groups, social movements and public opinion.
Assess the role and influence of states on the political process of the EU.
Anterpret and critically evaluate the main issues in the contemporary political debate in the EU.Course Materials:
Core readings:
McCormick, J. 2020. European Union Politics. Palgrave Macmillan: London
2022. Understanding the Euroepan Union. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc: London
Nugent, N. 2017. The Government and Politics of the European Union. Eighth Edition. Palgrave: Basingstoke.
Olsen, J. 2022. The European Union. Politics and Policies. Routledge: London
Further Materials (to expand on the core readings):
Cini, M. and N. Perez-Solorzano Borragan. Eds. 2016. European Union Politics. Fifth Edition. Oxford University Press: Oxford.
Dinan, D., Nuget, N., and Paterson, W. The European Union in Crisis. Palgrave: Basingstoke.
Egan, M., N. Nugent and W.E. Paterson Eds. 2009. Research Agendas in EU Studies. Stalking the Elephant. Palgrave: Basingstoke.
Hix, S. and B Hoyland. 2018. The Political System of the European Union. Fourth Edition. Palgrave: Basingstoke.
Schimmelfenning, F., and Sedelemeier, U. 2009. The Politics of the European Union Enlargement. Routledge: London.
Zimmermann, H., and Zimmermann, A.D. 2016. Key Controversies in European Integration. Palgrave: Basingstoke.
Course Schedule (Sessions and Readings):
1. The genesis of the EU and the integration process
Reading: McCormick, J. 2011. European Union Politics. Palgrave Macmillan: London Chapter 4 and 5.2. The EU as an international actor
Reading:
Nugent, N. 2017. The Government and Politics of the European Union. Eighth Edition. Palgrave: Basingstoke. Chapter 24.
McCormick, J. 2022. Understanding the Euroepan Union. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc: London. Chapter 1.3. EU institutions and main bodies
Reading:
McCormick, J. 2022. Understanding the Euroepan Union. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc: London. Chapter 4.
Nugent, N. 2017. The Government and Politics of the European Union. Eighth Edition. Palgrave: Basingstoke. Chapter 9-12 and 14 (just a quick overview).4. EU policy making
Readings:
McCormick, J. 2022. Understanding the Euroepan Union. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc: London. Chapter 6.
Nugent, N. 2017. The Government and Politics of the European Union. Eighth Edition. Palgrave: Basingstoke. Chapter 18 and 19.5. The Judiciary and the European Human Rights protection system
Readings:
Olsen, J. 2022. The European Union. Politics and Policies. Routledge: London. Chapter 8.
Nugent, N. 2017. The Government and Politics of the European Union. Eighth Edition. Palgrave: Basingstoke. Chapter 13.6. The democratic legitimacy of the EU
Readings:
Dinan, D., Nuget, N., and Paterson, W. The European Union in Crisis. Palgrave: Basingstoke. Chapter 10.
Zimmermann, H., and Zimmermann, A.D. 2016. Key Controversies in European Integration. Palgrave: Basingstoke. Chapter 4.7. Main challenges: The EU enlargement, Brexit, and Covid pandemic
Readings:Dinan, D., Nuget, N., and Paterson, W. The European Union in Crisis. Palgrave: Basingstoke. Chapter 16.
Schimmelfenning, F., and Sedelemeier, U. 2009. The Politics of the European Union Enlargement. Routledge: London. Chapter 8 and 9.
8. Main challenges: The far-right
Readings:Dimitri Almeida, D. 2010. Europeanized Eurosceptics? Radical Right Parties and European Integration. Perspectives on European Politics and Society, 11:3, 237-253.
Down, I. And Han, K. J. 2021. Far right parties and ‘Europe’: societal polarization and the limits of EU issue contestation. Journal of European Integration, 43:1, 65-81.
Vasilopoulou, S. 2011. European Integration and the Radical Right: Three Patterns of Opposition. Government and Opposition, 46(2), 223-244.
9. The future of the EU
Readings:Dinan, D., Nuget, N., and Paterson, W. The European Union in Crisis. Palgrave: Basingstoke. Chapter 17.
Nugent, N. 2017. The Government and Politics of the European Union. Eighth Edition. Palgrave: Basingstoke. Chapter 26.
Zimmermann, H., and Zimmermann, A.D. 2016. Key Controversies in European Integration. Palgrave: Basingstoke. Chapter 8.ASSIGNMENTS
Prepare the recommended readings and be prepared to participate in the different group discussions and debates that each topic will lead to.
EXAMS
A short essay (1500 words) on any of the topics that will be explored and debate.
Society
Reproducing Europeanness: Selected Issues of East-West Migration
Instructor: Anastasiia Marsheva (JLU Gießen)Course Description:
The course aims to provide an overview of selected issues of East-West migration. The selection of topics reflects different economic, political and social perspectives. After a historical and political contextualization of East-West migration, the following topics will be discussed on the basis of theoretical and empirical articles: racialization within Europe, Eastern Europeanism, issues of different types of migration (e.g. labour migrants, refugees, resettlers), the problematic category of Eastern European women, migrant activism, the representation of East-West migration in the Western European media. The intersection of gender, ethnicity, and class will be addressed. The course takes into account the agency of migrants: on the one hand, it addresses the problem of discrimination against Eastern European migrants; on the other hand, it does not neglect their active participation in the reproduction of racial hierarchies, but also their resistance to these structures. The topics of the course have been chosen to demonstrate the heterogeneity of the region rather than to reproduce the idea of Eastern Europe as a homogeneous region. Students will be asked to read the course materials beforehand, as the seminar will be discussion-based except for the first introductory session. Sessions will begin with a ten-minute presentation of the assigned readings by one or more students (depending on the number of seminar participants). We will then discuss selected aspects of the material in more detail. For the final assignment, students are expected to write an essay (2-3 pages) on a topic related to one of our discussions.
Learning objectives:
By the end of the course, students will be able to explain current trends in the study of East-West migration and will be able to apply their knowledge of analytical concepts of migration studies to the analysis of specific examples.
Course Materials
- Halej, Julia Oktaiwa (2014): Other Whites, White Others: East European Migrants and the Boundaries of Whiteness [PhD Thesis]. University College London
- Krivonos, Daria (2023): Racial Capitalism and the Production of Difference in Helsinki and Warsaw, in: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 49 (6), pp. 1500–1516.
- Krivonos, Daria; Diatlova, Anastasia (2020): What to Wear for Whiteness? “Whore” Stigma and the East/West politics of Race, Sexuality and Gender, in: Intersections: East European Journal of Society and Politics 6 (3), pp. 116–132.
- Lewicki, Aleksandra (2023): East–west Inequalities and the Ambiguous Racialisation of ‘Eastern Europeans’, in: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 49 (6), pp. 1481–1499.
- Okamoto, Dina G. (2010): Organizing across Ethnic Boundaries in the Post-Civil Rights Era: Asian American Panethnic Coalitions, in: Van Dyke, Nella & McCammon, Holly J. (Ed.). Strategic Alliances. Coalition Building and Social Movements. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. pp. 143–169
- Pop-Kultur Berlin (2022): New Weird Postost – Alliances, Differences and the Decolonisation of the “East”. Youtube, uploaded on 05.12.2022, URL: https://youtu.be/z5YT4CrTAX8?feature=shared
- Stella, Francesca; Flynn, Moya; Gawlewicz, Anna (2018): Unpacking the Meanings of a ‘Normal Life’ Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Eastern European Migrants in Scotland, in: Central and Eastern European Migration Review 7(1), pp. 55–72.
- White, Anne (2022): Mobility, Transnational and Integration Continuums as Components of the Migrant Experience: An Intersectional Polish-Ukrainian Case Study, in: Central and Eastern European Migration Review 11 (2), pp. 17–32.
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE and Reading/ Assignments/ Additional Practice Materials :
1. Introduction: Historical and political contextualization of East-West migration; reflexivity in migration studies and area studies
2. Racialization within Europe
Reading: Lewicki, Aleksandra (2023): East–west Inequalities and the Ambiguous Racialisation of ‘Eastern Europeans’, in: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 49 (6), pp. 1481–1499.3. Immigration and Emigration
Reading: White, Anne (2022): Mobility, Transnational and Integration Continuums as Components of the Migrant Experience: An Intersectional Polish-Ukrainian Case Study, in: Central and Eastern European Migration Review 11 (2), pp. 17–32.4. Labour migration
Reading: Krivonos, Daria (2023): Racial Capitalism and the Production of Difference in Helsinki and Warsaw, in: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 49 (6), pp. 1500–1516.5. Queer Eastern European migrants
Reading: Stella, Francesca; Flynn, Moya; Gawlewicz, Anna (2018): Unpacking the Meanings of a ‘Normal Life’ Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Eastern European Migrants in Scotland, in: Central and Eastern European Migration Review 7(1), pp. 55–72.6. “Eastern European woman”
Reading: Krivonos, Daria; Diatlova, Anastasia (2020): What to Wear for Whiteness? “Whore” Stigma and the East/West politics of Race, Sexuality and Gender, in: Intersections: East European Journal of Society and Politics 6 (3), pp. 116–132.7. Representation of Eastern European migrants in the media
Reading:
Halej, Julia Oktaiwa (2014): Other Whites, White Others: East European Migrants and the Boundaries of Whiteness [PhD Thesis]. University College London
Chapter 4.1 “Valuable, Vulnerable and Villainous: Representations of East European Migrants in the British Media2 (pp. 84–113)8. Alliances among people with migration background from Eastern Europe
Reading:
Pop-Kultur Berlin (2022): New Weird Postost – Alliances, Differences and the Decolonisation of the “East”. Youtube, uploaded on 05.12.2022, URL: https://youtu.be/z5YT4CrTAX8?feature=shared
Okamoto, Dina G. (2010): Organizing across Ethnic Boundaries in the Post-Civil Rights Era: Asian American Panethnic Coalitions, in: Van Dyke, Nella & McCammon, Holly J. (Ed.). Strategic Alliances. Coalition Building and Social Movements. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. pp. 143–1699. Concluding discussion, final Q&A about seminar topics and final assignment
ASSIGNMENTS:
Students will be asked to read the course materials in advance and to participate in discussions in the class which will be based on course materials. In addition, students will be asked to prepare a ten-minute presentation on an assigned reading (individually or in pairs/groups, depending on the number of seminar participants). Presentations should include a brief summary, main arguments, students’ own reflections, and discussion questions.FINAL ASSIGMENT:
For the final assignment, students are expected to write an essay (1000-1500 words excluding bibliography) related to one of the topics that will be discussed in the seminar. Essays should consist of an introduction, a thesis statement, body paragraphs supporting the thesis statement, and a conclusion.Culture
Turbulent Times on the German Stage and Screen
Instructor: Dr. Keren Cohen (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)Course Description:
The course will focus on plays and films which deal with the upheavals and turbulences that shook Germany during the first half of the twentieth century. It will explore the ways in which the theatrical and cinematic works discussed both reflect and comment on the social, political and cultural environment they represent. In the short span of just over half a century covered by the course, Germany experienced two world wars and saw the fall of the German Empire, the emergence of the Weimar Republic and the Nazis’ rise to power. The conflicts and challenges characteristic of these turbulent times served as the backdrop to constant artistic innovation, which led to the creation of some of the most celebrated masterpieces in the history of theatre and cinema. The course will incorporate artistic, cultural and historical perspectives, and will introduce students to the diversity of theatrical and cinematic artistic styles which emerged in the period, from German Expressionism to Brecht’s Epic Theatre. We will conduct an in-depth analysis of representative, groundbreaking works, and will consider the ways in which these works could be relevant to the present day. The turbulent times of the first half of the twentieth century also served as the backdrop to plays and films produced in Germany in recent decades. We will discuss some examples of these artworks, created with the benefit of hindsight, and we will ask how and why works of art turn to past events for inspiration. We will also discuss the unique manner in which theatre and cinema – both public forums in which a community gathers to experience a work of art together – can communicate with their audiences and provoke them to think of their world in new ways.
Learning Objectives:
To gain familiarity with the main developments and artistic styles of modernist German theatre and cinema during the first half of the twentieth century.
To understand and practice the ways in which theatre and film can be approached as primary sources, which may be studied and analyzed as artistic objects, as well as historical documents reflecting and interacting with their social, political and cultural context.
To gain a basic understanding of aesthetic analysis of modernist and contemporary German theatre and film.
To understand the ways in which theatre and film can comment on society, as well as attempt to influence it.Class Schedule:
1: Introduction
2: The Traumas of WWI: Expressionism - Robert Wiene, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
3: The Golden Twenties? - Bertolt Brecht, The Threepenny Opera (1928)
4: A Different World Order at the Door - Leontine Sagan, Girls in Uniform (1931)
5: History in Hindsight - Tom Tykwer, Achim von Borries and Hendrik Handloegten, Babylon Berlin (2017-2022) – screening session
6: History in Hindsight – cntd. - Babylon Berlin (2017-2022) – discussion
7: War at Europe’s Doorstep - Bertolt Brecht, Mother Courage and Her Children (1939)
8: History Repeated as Farce - George Tabori, Mein Kampf (1987)
9: Conclusion
ASSIGNMENTS:
- Reading and viewing the course materials.
- Participation in class discussions.
- 5 short reading reports (150-200 words max.)
- A short essay (1000 words max.) or a short class presentation
Course Materials:
Reading List (in order of discussion):
- Bertolt Brecht, The Threepenny Opera (1928)
- Bertolt Brecht, Mother Courage and Her Children (1939)
- George Tabori, Mein Kampf (1987)Viewing list (in order of discussion):
Robert Wiene The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Leontine Sagan, Girls in Uniform (1931)
Tom Tykwer, Achim von Borries and Hendrik Handloegten, Babylon Berlin (2017-2022) [excerpts]
Oliver Hirschbiegel, The Downfall (2004)
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS (recommended reading for students who wish to expand on the topics discussed in the seminar):Plays:
Frank Wedekind, Spring Awakening (1891)
Gerhart Hauptmann, The Weavers (1892)
Ernst Toller, Transformation (1919)Films:
F. W. Murnau, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922)
Fritz Lang, Metropolis (1927)
Josef von Sternberg, The Blue Angel (1930)
Fritz Lang, M (1931)
Week 3&4
History
"The History of Flying in and out of Europe"
Instructors: Dr. Marie Huber (University of Marburg)Course Description:
This nine-session course explores the transformative history of aviation in Europe, tracing its profound impact on society, politics, and the environment from the early 20th century to the present. Students will embark on a thematic journey examining how aviation has compressed physical and temporal distances, shaped public and political ideologies, and influenced major geopolitical events.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this course, students will:
Understand the key historical developments in European aviation and their socio-political contexts.
Analyze the broader implications of aviation on global mobility, regional development, and environmental sustainability.
Engage critically with the material and historical impacts of aviation through discussions, presentations, and a final research project.
Understand the relevance of personal stories for historical understanding.
Be able to present their insights in a digital-based video format and how to translate reseach insights for social mediaTentative Class Schedule
1. Introduction
2. Compression of Space and Time through Aviation
Reading: Chapter “Speed” in: Chandra Bhimull (2017), Empire in the Air: Airline Travel and the African Diaspora. P. 45-64.3. Aviation during Fascism and War
Reading: Esposito, Fernando: Fascism, Aviation ,and Mythical Modernity. Introduction.4. Imperial Routes and Postcolonial Skies
Reading: Pearson, Jessica Lynne. 2023. ‘Decolonizing the Sky: Global Air Travel at the End of Empire’. Humanity: An International Journal of Human Rights, Humanitarianism, and Development 14 (1): 68–84. https://doi.org/10.1353/hum.2023.a9026315. Crossing the Iron Curtain
Reading: Scheuermann, Christoph: Hijacked to Capitalism. Unwitting East German Defectors Revisit Decision to Stay or Go.
https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/hijacked-to-capitalism-unwitting-east-german-defectors-revisit-decision-to-stay-or-go-a-695710.html
Svik, Peter: Civil Aviation and the Globalization of the Cold War. S. 1-136. Visa Regimes, Mobility Justice
Reading:
Czaika, Mathias; de Haas, Hein; Villares-Varela, Maria: The Global Evolution of Travel Visa Regimes. In: Population and Development Review. Volume 44, Issue 3. (S. 589-622): 589-601;
Scheller, Mimi: Mobility Justice. Introduction.7. Air Travel, Tourism, and Environmental Impact
Reading:
https://www.neste.com/news-and-insights/aviation/future-aviation-next-hundred-years
https://www.samwoolfe.com/2022/10/flying-and-sustainable-tourism.html8. Hands-On Session - Developing and researching the idea for the final video/slideshow; writing the draft/script; researching the material
9. Hands-On Session - Producing the video/slideshow
Assignments:
Portfolio Assignment: "Personal Narratives in Aviation History"
Tasks:
1. Flight Story Interview (or AI-generated historical interview)
- Conduct a 10-minute interview about a significant flight experience
- If using AI, imagine an interview with a historical figure
2. Historical Context Research
- Research the historical context of the flight story
- Investigate the relevance of the route/connection
- Identify the type of plane used
3. Contemporary Comparison
- Analyze if the trip would be possible today
- Compare the cost of the ticket in relation to the person's status and background
- Explore how the experience might differ in today's context
4. Creative Presentation
- Create an Instagram-style post with multiple images or video
- Include key facts, quotes, and insights from your research
- Use a mix of historical and contemporary visuals
Final Presentation:
Presentations will be uploaded on the final day of the course.
Combine all elements into a cohesive Instagram-style post, either 2 reels à 90 min or a video of max. 5 minutes or a post containing max. 6-10 slides with text and images/videos that tells a story about the flight experience, its historical context, and its relevance to today's world of aviation. Upload to instagram channel (@historylab.umr)
Politics
"Cases in International Human Rights and Transitional Justice: An Introduction"
Instructor: Dr. Selbi Durdiyeva (Philipps Marburg University/University of Oxford)Course Description:
This course aims to introduce students to the key debates in international human rights and transitional justice through case studies. The course starts with outlining the socio-cultural and historical backgrounds behind the establishment of the international human rights system as we know it today; moving into the introduction of what transitional justice is and how it reflects and diverges from its counterpart human rights law. Transitional justice is defined as a range of mechanisms and processes a society undertakes to reckon the legacies of large-scale abuses of human rights and humanitarian law in the past. This is an interdisciplinary course, while it focuses on political processes within societies, it also draws on history and questions of addressing ‘difficult’ pasts, the role of different groups within society beyond the state and state institutions, the role of incorporating gender-sensitive approaches in such processes, discussions on key aspects of memory and memorialization, and the role of arts and culture in these processes. After introductory classes on both concepts – human rights and transitional justice, we will examine case studies of South Africa, Colombia, and Cambodia to better understand how these processes take different shapes and prospects, depending on specific contexts. The course is introductory to both human rights and transitional justice, no prior knowledge is necessary.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this course, you will be able to discuss the historical background of the creation of the institutionalized international human rights system and transitional justice. You will be able to identify what transitional justice mechanisms are (accountability, truth, reparations, institutional reform and guarantee of non-repetition, and memorialization). You will have some background into the three case studies – South Africa, Colombia, and Cambodia and will be able to discuss the nature of atrocities that happened and how societies reckoned with them.
Additional readings:
· Azoulay, Ariella. "What Are Human Rights?" Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, vol. 35 no. 1, 2015, p. 8-20. Project MUSE muse.jhu.edu/article/581471.
· Textbooks (selected chapter will be emailed to students):
Michael Newman (2019) Transitional Justice: Contending with the Past, Polity Press
Olivera Simic (ed.) (2017) An Introduction to Transitional Justice, Routledge
· Podcast: Oxford Transitional Justice Research Seminar https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/series/oxford-transitional-justice-research-seminars
· Podcast: Transitional Justice Institute Public Lectures and Seminars
· International Center for Transitional Justice www.ictj.org
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE and Reading/ Assignments/ Additional Practice Materials
Description of class schedule as planned
1. Origins of International Human Rights Law and Transitional Justice and Key Concepts, Goals, Developments
- International Center for Transitional Justice, ‘What is Transitional Justice?’, available at https://www.ictj.org/about/transitional-justice
- UN Human Rights Council document ‘Human rights and transitional justice’, A/HRC/RES/21/15, (2012)
2. Justice and origins of post-1945 international criminal justice
- Opening and Closing statements to the Nuremberg Tribunal by Robert H. Jackson
- Opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJj6NcWHkDE (26 mins)
- Closing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meEE6Z8hxuE (6 mins)
- Podcast: Book Launch: 'East West Street: On the Origins of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity' Oxford Transitional Justice Research Seminars. 2017. https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/book-launch-east-west-street-origins-genocide-and-crimesagainst-humanity
3. Truth. Truth Commissions and other forms of truth-telling
- Short intro into Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission and film trailer: https://skylight.is/films/state-of-fear/
- South African TRC film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIsQMp4o5j0
4. Reparations and right to remedy
- Oxford Transitional Justice Research Seminar no 21 Reparation for Victims of Mass Atrocities: Reflections on Key Challenges https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/reparation-victims-mass-atrocities-reflections-key-challenges
5. Guarantee of Non-Repetition and Institutional Reform; Memorialization
- Book Launch 'Memory and Transitional Justice in Argentina and Uruguay: Against Impunity'
https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/book-launch-memory-and-transitional-justice-argentina-and-uruguay-against-impunity6. Working with case studies – South Africa, Cambodia, and Colombia
- Read or listen any podcast on one of the case studies
7. Working with case studies – South Africa, Cambodia, and Colombia
- Read or listen any podcast on one of the case studies
8. Student Presentations and Discussion
9. Student Presentations and Discussion
Assignments:
Each student will have a chance to choose one of the three contexts - South Africa, Colombia, or Cambodia we will study and one of the specific transitional justice mechanisms – accountability, truth, institutional reform, reparations, or memorialization and make a 20-minute presentation in class. It will be also possible to choose other contexts (with the approval of instructor). A sample presentation as a guide will be provided. The students will be asked to email their power point slides for assessment after presentations. The use of AI-generated text is not allowed.
Exams:
The course does not have any written or other types of examination – the presentation counts towards the final grade.
Society
"Strategic Resistance and Social Change"
Instructor: Dr. Dalilah Shemia-Goeke (University of Marburg)Course Description:
In this seminar we will approach strategic nonviolent conflict from historical, theoretical and empirical perspective. The organized and sustained use of nonviolent action by ordinary people in asymmetric conflicts is often referred to as 'civil resistance', 'nonviolent struggle' or 'people power'. The methods regularly involve people denying legitimacy and support to the opponent. Historically, the impact of civil resistance on challenging unjust relationships between governments and the population, between rulers and ruled, has been significant.
The technique of nonviolence has been used by Gandhi in the struggle for independence of India and in numerous cases of democratization of authoritarian regimes worldwide. Moreover, methods of nonviolent action have been used by citizens to promote racial equality (e.g. the civil rights movement in the U.S., led by Martin Luther King, Jr.), land reform (Landless Rural Workers Movement in Brazil), women's rights, worker's rights, indigenous people's rights, ecological and global justice. The question is, how, in what way does organized, strategic and mass mobilized popular resistance bring about change.Learning Objectives: By the end of the course, students will be able to understand what strategic nonviolent resistance is, will know some classical examples and key concepts underlying the theoretical framework. Participants will be able to apply their knowledge to social movements and campaigns, by being able to identify key dynamics between governments or corporations and protesters.
Course requirements:
1. Attendance and participation at discussions
2. Short Presentation of own research on topic
3. Readings (the readings per session will be added soon)CLASS SCHEDULE and Reading/ Assignments/ Additional Practice Materials
1: What is nonviolent action?
TED-talk: The secret to effective nonviolent resistance | Jamila Raqib
Reading: Engler & Engler (2016): This is an uprising: How nonviolent revolt is shaping the twenty-first century. Introduction & Chapter 1.2. History: Classical case studies
film sequence: “A force more powerful”
Readings:
Engler, Mark, and Paul Engler. 2016. This is an Uprising: How Nonviolent Revolt is Shaping the Twenty-First Century (Nation Books: New York). Ch. 5.
Young, Kevin, and Michael Schwartz. 2014. 'A neglected mechanism of social movement political influence: The role of anticorporate and anti-institutional protest in changing government policy', Mobilization: An International Quarterly, 19: 239-60.3. Theory: The understanding of power and social change
film sequence: “How to start a revolution”
Reading: Sharp, Gene. 1973. The Politics of Nonviolent Action (Porter Sargent: Boston). Ch. 1.4. Empirical Evidence: Why civil resistance works
TED-talk by Erica Chenoweth
Readings:
Stephan, Maria J., and Erica Chenoweth. 2008. 'Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict', International Security, 33: 7–44.
Karatnycky, Adrian; , Peter; Ackerman, and Mark; Rosenberg. 2005. How Freedom is Won: From Civic Resistance to Durable Democracy. New York: Freedom House.).5. The dynamics of nonviolent action: Political Jiu-Jitsu and Backfire
Readings:
Martin, Brian. 2007. Justice Ignited: The Dynamics of Backfire (Rowman & Littlefield: Plymouth, UK). Introduction.
Sharp, Gene. 1973. The Politics of Nonviolent Action (Porter Sargent: Boston). Ch. 12.6. Nonviolent Action and peace-building
Film sequence: “Pray the devil back to hell”
Reading:
Bloch, Nadine, and Lisa Schirch. 2019. SNAP: Synergizing Nonviolent Action and Peacebuilding - An Action Guide Washington, D.C.: United States Institute for Peace Press. https://www.usip.org/publications/2019/04/snap-synergizing-nonviolent-action-and-peacebuilding. (Accessed 06 February 2023). Chapters 1 and 2.7. Strategic Analysis: Pillars and Spectrum of Support
film sequence: “Bringing down a dictator”
Reading:
Helvey (2004): The Pillars of Support, p. 9 – 18.8. Application: Presentations & discussion I
9. Completion: Presentations & discussion II
Culture
"Europe and the Global South- Intersections of History and Political Culture"
Instructor: Arshita Nandan, Kent University
Course Description:
This course takes a multi-disciplinary approach to the interrelated history and political cultures of Europe and the Global South. Over the last centuries, the process of colonisation and de-colonisation connected the two geo-political regions. Europe in general and the EU specifically has been involved in the post-colonial development of the world. Policies of structural adjustment, conflict management and good governance have been and continue to be pursued in several former colonies. Simultaneously, the Global South has contributed to the development and perceived stability of European Nationstates. It is evident that the interconnections between the regions go beyond policy making and development as they also share cultures of violence, authoritarianism and resistance which have impacted contemporary societies.
However, the significance of this interconnectedness in European societies and cultures has been heavily debated. The course will focus itself around this debate in its pursuit to challenge the established narrative that the flow of knowledge is from the “west to the rest”. Furthermore, it will critically evaluate the long term implications of political and cultural engagement of Europe and the Global South. The goal is to help students gain perspective on different ways in which the cultures and politics of and/ in the Global South impact Europe and vice versa. For example; the course will be built around how the cultures of resistance that were developed during the anti-colonial movements, and inspired the spirit of resistance across Europe. We will evaluate different case studies (France, Germany, Italy, India, Algeria, East Timor) and trace the historical and contemporary mutual influences between the global south and Europe.
Required Readings will be uploaded to ILIAS
Course Outline and suggested readings:
Part 1: Theoretical concepts
Session 1 - Introduction to summer school and lesson plans
Orientalism
Said, Edward W. 1978. Orientalism. New York: Pantheon Books (Introduction Pg:1-28)Session 2 - Colonialism
Fanon, Frantz, and Haakon Chevalier. 1988. Towards the African revolution: political essays. New York: Grove Press. (Chapter II- Pg29-45)Session 3 - Race and Culture in the Colony
Molly McCullers; The “Truppenspieler Show”: Herero Masculinity and the German Colonial Military Aesthetic, (pp. 226-242)
Session 4 - Understanding Colonial History
Conrad S. Introduction. O’Hagan S, trans. In: German Colonialism: A Short History. Cambridge University Press; 2011:1-14Part 2: Contemporary Politics and Culture
Session 5 - Marburg Decolonial walk
The History of German Colonialism, by Ulrich van der HeydenSession 6 - German Foreign and Domestic Politics
Sa’ed Atshan And Katharina Galor (2020). The Moral Triangle, Germans, Israelis, Palestinians, chapter 3&4 (pg: 34-52)Session 7 - Memory and culture from the perspective of the immigrant
Dirk Göttsche. Recollection and Intervention: Memory of German Colonialism in Contemporary African Migrants’ Writing(pp. 245-258)Session 8 - Understanding contemporary relations; perspectives from the Global South
Lü Yixu. Germans and the Death-Throes of the Qing: Mo Yan’s The Sandalwood Torture(pp. 271-283)Session 9 - Assessment day/ Prep for Assignment
Supplement Course
The supplement course "German Politics and History" will provide additional insight into the topics discussed in the main seminars. The workload of the supplement course will count towards the total ECTS - the attendance of the supplement course is obligatory.
The course consists of 18 class room hours and takes place from 4:15 pm – 5:45 pm in week 1&2.
The objective of this course is to provide an overview of German culture, history and politics and thereby allowing the students to gain a better understanding of Germany today. Participants will learn to trace contemporary cultural and political phenomena in key historical moments as well as learn about basics like the political system. This will help them to understand current developments and debates in Germany and in Europe and provide further background regarding the main topic of the ISU.
Supplement Course
"Germany and Europe: The long and winding road to peace and cooperation"
Instructor: Dr. Julian Gieske (University of Bielefeld)Course Description:
With its central location and large population, Germany has played a crucial role in the history of Europe ever since Late Antiquity. For a long time, however, European history was dominated by warfare, and the various states and empires in the area which is now Germany regularly fought amongst themselves and against their neighbours. This long track record of violence eventually culminated in the horrors of two World Wars and the Holocaust. Yet, ideas for a mutual peace in Europe significantly predate the 1950s, and in the course, we will follow the developments that would ultimately lead to the establishment of the EU, the reunification of Germany and the peaceful coexistence and cooperation of Germany and its neighbours that we too often take for granted today.
Course Objectives:
To inform the participants about the history and culture of Germany and its historical role within Europe.
Course Materials: Mandatory readings and further texts will be uploaded to ILIAS.
Class Schedule:
Session 1: From lowly beginnings: The origins of the Germans, the coming of Rome and life in ancient Germania
Session 2: A Dark Age? Germany in the Middle Ages between Crusades, Canossa and Commerce (includes excursion to Elisabethkirche, Marburg)
Session 3: Neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire: The German states and their culture in the early modern period
Session 4: A place under the Sun: The German Kaiserreich from unification to the treaty of Versailles
Session 5: Nazi Germany: The rise of Hitler, World War II and the Holocaust
Session 6: A divided nation: Germany between Cold War, Wirtschaftswunder and the establishment of the EEC
Session 7: The winds of change: From the 1968 student protests to the reunification of Germany
Session 8: The motor of Europe: A unified Germany within an expanding EU
Session 9: From Covid to Climate Change: Germany, Europe and the challenges of the 21st century
Mandatory readings for week one:
Wilson, Peter H., The Thirty Years War. Europe's tragedy, Boston (MA) 2011, 827–845 (Session 3).
Stackelberg, Roderick/Winkle, Sally A. (eds.), The Nazi Germany Sourcebook. An Anthology of Texts, London/New York 2002, 30–32 (Session 4).
Stackelberg, Roderick/Winkle, Sally A. (eds.), The Nazi Germany Sourcebook. An Anthology of Texts, London/New York 2002, 2–4 & 11–16 (Session 5).Mandatory readings for week two:
Kowalczuk, Ilko-Sascha, The revolution in Germany. The end of the SED dictatorship, East German society, and reunification, in: Bozo, Frédéric/Rödder, Andreas/Sarotte, Mary Elise (eds.), German Reunification. A Multinational History, London 2016, 15–42 (Session 7).
Archik, Kristin/Mix, Derek E., The European Union's Reform Process: The Lisbon Treaty, in: Favero, Eugenio/De Filippis, Carmela (eds.), European Union. Economic and Political Developments, New York 2012, 17–26 (session 8).Recommended readings:
Philips, Jonathan, The Crusades, 1095–1204, London 2014, 17–34.
Fulbrook, Mary, A History of Germany 1918–2014: The Divided Nation, London 2014, 1–11.
Field Trips
The field trips are an important and exciting part of the program. They count towards your total ECTS credits (see above) while offering a great chance to get to experience everyday life in Germany.
There are a miniumum of two trips, one including overnight with accomodation in a hostel, organized each program. All costs for the trips (travel, accommodation including breakfast and city tour) are included in the program fee, personal expenses are not included.
2024 Fieldtrips:
27.07.24: Kassel (day-trip)
02.08.24-03.08.24: Weimar (Overnight)
11.08.2024: Wiesbaden
Field Trip Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is the capital of the federal state of Hesse in western Germany. The Kurhaus, a neoclassical building, houses ballrooms and the Wiesbaden casino. The Kurpark was laid out in 1852 in the style of an English landscape garden. Next to the red, neo-Gothic market church on Schlossplatz is the neoclassical city palace, seat of the Hessian state parliament.
Field Trip Kassel
Despite its size, Kassel is a city with both history and culture on offer. Home to both the Brother's Grimm and UNESCO World Heritage site "Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe", it is an exciting visit for a day trip from Marburg.
Field Trip Weimar
In Weimar students will learn about the large cultural heritage of the city and its importance in German history. A guided tour will show you as you wander the same streets as famous German writers and political figures. As part of the two-day visit, a a visit to the memorial site of Buchenwald is planned, which was one of the biggest concentration camps during the Nazi regime and now serves as a memorial site and therewith a place of historical understanding. A visit to a site like this is always a deeply moving experience, that does not only teach about the atrocities committed by the German Nazis, but also reminds us of the importance of values such as freedom, human dignity, tolerance and justice that by far are not self-evident and always must be defended.
We want these trips to be a pleasant experience for all the participants and the ISU team. Therefore, please come prepared and be on time.
*After you successfully completed your application you will receive a Philipps-Universität Marburg students account. With this account you will be able to log into the online learning platform Ilias in June. There you can access some of the readings for your seminar before you arrive.