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.
ISU 2025 seminar descriptions will be published soon. You can find a list of seminars offered in 2024 here.
Week 1&2
History
The History of European Integration
Instructor: Prof. Harun Arikan (Cukurova University)Course Description:
The main objective of this course is to provide students with a general understanding of the history of European integration with reference to political, security and economic motivations behind the creations of the EU. It provides theoretical framework for analysing EU integration process. Then it examines major developments and reforms process in EU policy making process and its institutional framework during the Cold War and post-Cold War periods. It also looks at the widening and deepening dilemma in European integrations with a special focus on some common policies of the EU, including the enlargement policy. Finally, this course discusses the transformation process of the EU and how it is likely to develop in foreseeable future.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this course, students should understand:
1- History of European integration
2- The present and future processes of European integration
3- Institutional framework of the European Union
4- Some key policies of the EU, including enlargement and Common Foreign and Security Policy
Course Materials:
1- ) Nugent, Neil (2017) The Government and Politics of the European Union. Palgrave
2-) The Treaty of Rome, The Treaty of Maastricht, The Treaty of Amsterdam, The Treaty of Nice, Treaty of Lisbon
3-) Moravcsik, Andrew and Milada Anna Vachudova (2002) "National Interests, State Power, and EU Enlargement". East European Politics & Societies 17 (1): 42-57
4-) jursen, Helene (2002) “Why Expand? The Question of Legitimacy and Justification in the EU’s Enlargement Policy”. Journal of Common Market Studies 40 (3): 491-513
5-) Dinan, D. (2017). “Crises in EU History” in Desmond Dinan, N. Nugent, and W. E. Paterson (eds.) The European Union in Crisis. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan: 16-32.
6-) Alcaro, R., & Dijkstra, H. (2024). Re-imagining EU Foreign and Security Policy in a Complex and Contested World. The International Spectator, 59(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2024.2304028
7) Alcaro, R., & Dijkstra, H. (2024). Re-imagining EU Foreign and Security Policy in a Complex and Contested World. The International Spectator, 59(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2024.2304028
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE and Reading/ Assignments/ Additional Practice Materials
1. History of European Integration
Nugent, Neil (2017) The Government and Politics of the European Union. Palgrave2. European Integration since the End of Cold War and the Reshaping of Europe
The Treaty of Maastricht, The Treaty of Amsterdam, The Treaty of Nice and Treaty of Lisbon3. Institutional Framework of the EU and Policy Making process I
Helen Wallace at al (2022), Policy making in the European Union4. Institutional Framework of the EU and Policy Making Process II
Helen Wallace at al (2022), Policy making in the European Union5. Enlargement Policy of the EU
Harun Arıkan (2018), Turkey and the EU, Routledge6. Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU
Alcaro, R., & Dijkstra, H. (2024). Re-imagining EU Foreign and Security Policy in a Complex and Contested World. The International Spectator, 59(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2024.23040287. EU’s Role in International Politics
Alcaro, R., & Dijkstra, H. (2024). Re-imagining EU Foreign and Security Policy in a Complex and Contested World. The International Spectator, 59(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2024.23040288. The EU and Russia -Ukraine War
Fiott, D. (2023). In every crisis an opportunity? European Union integration in defence and the War on Ukraine. Journal of European Integration, 45(3), 447–462. https://doi.org/10.1080/07036337.2023.21833959. Students presentations
ASSIGNMENTS
Class discussions and presentation (%50)
Essay on selected topics in European integration (%50)
Politics
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
TBA
Instructor: Dr. Carmen Letz (University of Limoges)Course Description:
Learning objectives:
Course Materials
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE and Reading/ Assignments/ Additional Practice Materials :
ASSIGNMENTS:
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
Democracies in the ancient and modern worlds: Differences, ideas, practices
Instructor: Dr. Julian Gieseke (University of Bielefeld)Course Description:
In this course, we will compare the first democracies in history, those in ancient Greece and especially Athens, and modern democracies. How did the first democratic order in classical Athens originate? What were the ideas behind it, and how and through which practices did it work? We will then compare this to contemporary politics: How different are our democracies today from the ancient role model? Which ideas shape democratic societies nowadays, and which practices keep them together? We will therefore discuss and analyse the historical development of democracy as well as the aspects of inclusion, voting behaviour and Europeanisation. Particular focus will be paid to the ancient example of Athens and the modern example of Germany.
Learning Objectives:
The participants of the class will learn about the historical background of how the first democracies came into being and how they functioned. When these are compared with modern democracies, the students will be taught similarities and differences and the basic practices of modern democracy across the world. While there is an emphasis on ancient Athens and modern to contemporary Germany, other examples will be discussed in order to gain a broader understanding of the diversity of democracies and of the attraction of democratic values for neighbouring countries and societies.COURSE MATERIAL
Anderson, Margaret Lavinia, Practicing Democracy. Elections and Political Culture in Imperial Germany, Princeton (NJ) 2000, 399-419.
Athenaios, Deipnosophistai (The Dinner of the Scholars), VI, pp. 253A-F. Updated Loeb translation.
Diodoros of Agyrion, The Library of History, book 11, 72–73; book 12, 30; book 13, 92–96. Updated Loeb translation.
Father Gerald Moloney, ‘I don’t care what they call it, I’m in favour of marriage equality’, Irish Times, 18/03/2015.
Hansen, Mogens Herman, How did the Athenian Ecclesia vote?, in: Rhodes, P. J. (ed.), Athenian Democracy, Edinburgh 2004, 40-61.
Historical Association Reference Document: Parliament and the suffrage movement, https://www.suffrageresources.org.uk/ 2018, 1-8.
Lane, Melissa, Professor of Rhetoric at Gresham College and Professor of Politics at Princeton, Presentation 14 March 2024, available online: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/sites/default/files/transcript/2024-03-14-1800_Lane-T.pdf.
Meier, Christian, The Greeks: The Political Revolution in World History, in: Rhodes, P. J. (ed.), Athenian Democracy, Edinburgh 2004, 328-348 (optional reading).
Piattoni, Simona, The European Union: Legitimating Values, Democratic Principles, and Institutional Architectures, in: id. (ed.), The European Union: Democratic Principles and Institutional Architecture in Times of Crisis, Oxford 2015, 3-26.
Sealey, Raphael, The Athenian Republic, University Park (PA) 1987, 91-106.
Thomsen, Christian A., The politics of association in Hellenistic Rhodes, Edinburgh 2020, 18-26.
.
Tentative Class Schedule
1. A radical idea and the birth of democracy: Ancient Athens from Solon to the Greco-Persian Wars
2. The oligarchy strikes back: Athenian democracy during and after the Peloponnesian War
Sealey 1987; Hansen 2004.3. Democracy exported: The examples of Rhodes and the Italic Greeks
Thomsen 2020, Diodoros.4. The mortal remains: Democracy under the Macedonian and Roman empires
Athenaios,5. Democracy reborn: From the US Declaration of Independence to the first democratization of Germany
Anderson 2000.6. How inclusive is democracy? From the suffragettes to same-sex marriage
Historical Association 2018, Father Moloney 2015.7. A European dream: How democratic is the European Union?
Piattoni 20158. German democracy in the 21st century: Ideas, practices, problems
9. Comparison through the ages: How ancient and modern democracies are alike – and how they are not
Lane 2024.Assignments:
As part of the course, each student will give a short presentation (5-10 minutes) on a topic that can be chosen from a list prepared by the teacher. During the course, the students will take part in the discussion of primary sources, academic texts and short films. For class participation see below.
EXAMS:
At the end of the course, each participant will write a research paper of about 5-7 pages on a topic chosen in coordination with the teacher. This will have to be submitted until 2 weeks after the end of the class (4 September) and will be graded until the end of September
Politics
Borders and Population Movement in International Politics
Instructor: Dr. Asli Ilgit (Cukurova University)Course Description:
An estimated 244 million people (3.3% of the world’s population) today reside in places that are not their countries of origin (UNPF, 2016). An even higher number of people, around 740 million, are internal migrants, i.e., people who have moved within the borders of their own country. This increased mobility of people within and across borders has begun to pose new issues and challenges in international politics. The aim of this course is to offer students the opportunity to familiarize and engage with the debates, theories and research on the political aspect of borders, different migratory movements and post-migratory processes. For this, we examine a number of key issue areas under the broad umbrella of border and migration in international politics. The following questions will guide the class: Why do people move? How do migration and transnational politics inform or challenge our understandings of the state, national identity, citizenship, and state sovereignty? What is the relationship between international migration and foreign policy and international security? We will explore these issues through interdisciplinary readings and case studies, with a specific focus on the Europe and Germany.
Learning Objectives:
Understand concepts related to borders, population movement and migration and be able to critically analyze them in international political context; Familiarize and engage with the debates, theories and research on the political aspect of borders, different migratory movements and post-migratory processes. Gain knowledge about migration and asylum movements in history and in the current period.
Course Material:
S. Castles, H. de Haas & M. Miller (2020) The Age of Migration: International Population Movements in the Modern World. 6th Edition.
A. C. Diener & Joshua Hagen (2012) Borders: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
G. Orsini, A. Canessa, L. G. Martínez del Campo & J. Ballantine Pereira (2017): “Fixed Lines, Permanent Transitions. International Borders, Cross-Border Communities and the Transforming Experience of Otherness” Journal of Borderlands Studies.
K. Smets (2024) Visual methods for migration research: approaches, strategies, and challenges’. In Handbook of migration research methods (2nd edition) (edited by William L. Allen & Carlos Vargas-Silva), Edward Elgar Publishing.
J. Hollifield (2004) “The Emerging Migration State” International Migration Review 38(3):885-912.
U. Wikan (2000), “Citizenship on Trial: Nadia's Case,” Daedalus 129 (4): 55-76.
D. Mansour-Ille (et al). (2019) “Germany as an Immigration Country: From Denial to Integration.” Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership.
Z. Sahin-Mencutek & M. Erdoğan (2015) “The Implementation of Voting from Abroad: Evidence from the 2014 Turkish Presidential Election,” International Migration.
Tentative Class Schedule
1. Border: What is it? How have the borders rules changed over time? What are current issues & challenges?
Diener & Hagen: Borders: A Very Short Introduction; Orsini et al (2017) ““Fixed Lines, Permanent Transitions. International Borders, Cross-Border Communities and the Transforming Experience of Otherness”2. The who, where, and why of population movement - How do we think about migration &immigrants?
Castles & Miller, Chs. 1, 2 &3; K. Smets (2024) “Visual methods for migration research:approaches, strategies, and challenges”3. International Migration
Hollifield, J. (2004) “The Emerging Migration State” International Migration Review 38(3):885-912. Castles & Miller, Chapters 5 & 64. Rights, Citizenship & Sovereignty
Wikan, U. (2000), “Citizenship on Trial: Nadia's Case,” Daedalus 129 (4): 55-76. Castles & Miller, Ch.45. Security
Castles & Miller, Ch. 106. Integration
Castles and Miller, Ch. 13; Mansour-Ille, D. et al. (2019) “Germany as an Immigration Country: From Denial to Integration.”; Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership.7. Transnationalism & Transnational Politics
Castles & Miller, Ch. 14; Z. Sahin-Mencutek & M. Erdoğan (2015) “The Implementation of Voting from Abroad: Evidence from the 2014 Turkish Presidential Election,” International Migration.8. Refugee Politics and Global Refugee Regime
Castles & Miller, Ch. 119. Student Presentations
Assignments:
- Daily presentation of news around the world and in Germany related to international migration and borders (10%)
- Portfolio on media representation of refugees in Europe (45%)
Essay: How does migration figure in electoral campaigns of political parties? (45%)
Society
Germany and its neighbours: German foreign policy towards the countries of Central-East Europe
Instructor: Dr. Simona Nicolosi (University of Calabria)Course Description:
The main objective of this course is to provide students with a general understanding of the German foreign policy towards the countries of Central-Eastern Europe. It will analyse key historical events of the XX century up to early XXI century and will introduce a theoretical framework for understanding how German diplomacy operates within the European scenario. Additionally, it will examine the role of German minorities in the Danube region.
Furthermore, this course will focus on two case studies: the projects for a Danube confederation and the agreement among the so-called Visegrád countries. Finally, it will explore the tendency of German foreign policy in the next future.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
1) Critically consider key historical events
2) Identify and analyse the general tendency of German foreign policy
3) Appreciate the peculiarity of the Danube region
4) Critically assess the practice and principles of diplomacy
5) Gain familiarity with issues related to international affairs
Tentative Class Schedule
Class Topic Reading 1 Introduction 2 Between two World Wars Leithner, Anika. 2009. Shaping German Foreign Policy: History, Memory, and National Interest. Boulder and London: First forum press.
Romsics, Ignác-Királyi K., Béla (eds.). 1998. Geopolitics in the Danube region.
3 A step towards WWII Leithner, Anika. 2009. Shaping German Foreign Policy: History, Memory, and National Interest. Boulder and London: First forum press.
Romsics, Ignác-Királyi K., Béla (eds.). 1998. Geopolitics in the Danube region.
4 Case study: Danube (con)federation https://doi.org/10.1515/9789633864616-016 5 Cold War time Haftendorn, Helga. 2001. Coming of Age: German Foreign Policy since 1945. Lanham. 6 New challenges after 1989 Haftendorn, Helga. 2001. Coming of Age: German Foreign Policy since 1945. Lanham. 7 Case study: Visegrád countries DOI:10.1556/112.2021.00071 8 New perspectives in XXI century Erb, Scott. 2003. German Foreign Policy: Navigating a New Era. London. 9 It’s up to you! Short class presentations / Evaluation / Conclusion Course Materials:
Canbolat S., Ibrahim. 2018. Historical and Contemporary Conditions of German Expansion towards Central and Eastern Europe. https://www.acarindex.com/pdfs/1167248
Erb, Scott. 2003. German Foreign Policy: Navigating a New Era. London. https://books.google.hu/books?id=yb2vMKlTnGEC&printsec=copyright&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
Haftendorn, Helga. 2001. Coming of Age: German Foreign Policy since 1945. Lanham. https://books.google.hu/books?id=ftTTiC86aMC&printsec=copyright&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
Leithner, Anika. 2009. Shaping German Foreign Policy: History, Memory, and National Interest. Boulder and London: First forum press.
Romsics, Ignác-Királyi K., Béla (eds.). 1998. Geopolitics in the Danube region. https://doi.org/10.1515/9789633864616
Hanák, Péter. 1998. Why did the Danubian federation plans fail? https://doi.org/10.1515/9789633864616-016
Kocsis, Károlyi-Karacsony Dávid. 2022. Geographical Location and Geopolitical Situation of the V4 Countries. DOI: 10.1556/112.2021.00071
Culture
Cinematic Visions of Human Rights
Instructor: Prof. İlke Şanlıer (Cukurova University)
Course Description:
Required Readings will be uploaded to ILIAS
Course Outline and suggested readings:
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
German History, from Antiquity to the Present
Instructor: Dr. Alex BurkhardtCourse Description:
This supplementary course provides a brief overview of German history, from the relationship of early Germanic tribes with the Roman Empire to the role of a united Germany in the European Union.
Course Objectives:
To provide participants with a broad overview of the course of German history from antiquity to the present.
Course Materials:
Mary Fulbrook, A Concise History of Germany (2nd ed., 2004)
Class Schedule:
1. Meet and Greet
Mary Fulbrook, A Concise History of Germany (2nd ed., 2004)2. 0 – 500 AD: The Germans and Rome
Peter S. Wells, The Battle That Stopped Rome: Emperor Augustus, Arminius, and the Slaughter of the Legions in the Teutoburg Forest (2003)3. 500 – 1800: The Holy Roman Empire
Joachim Whaley, Germany and the Holy Roman Empire, 1493–1806 (2012)4. 1800 – 1914:German Unification
David Blackbourn, History of Germany 1780–1918: The Long Nineteenth Century (1997)5. 1914 – 1933: The First World War and the Weimar Republic
Alexander Watson, Ring of Steel: Germany and Austria-Hungary in World War I (2014)6. 1933 – 1945: The Third Reich
Richard J. Evans, The Third Reich at War 1939–1945 (2008)7. 1945 – 1989: A Divided Germany
Paul Betts, Ruin and Renewal: Civilizing Europe after World War II (2020)8. 1989 – 2005: German Unification
Jana Hensel, After the Wall: Confessions from an East German Childhood and the Life that Came Next (2004)9. 2005 – now: Germany and Europe
Paul Lever, Berlin Rules: Europe and the German Way (2017)ASSIGNMENTS
Group work and presentations
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.
2025 Fieldtrips:
02.08.25: Frankfurt (day-trip)
08.08.24-09.08.25: Weimar (Overnight)
16.08.25: Wiesbaden (day-trip)
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 Frankfurt
Despite its size, Frankfurt is a city with both history and culture on offer. A city at the very hearth of Europe, 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.