German History and Politics of the 20th Century, Incl. Field Trips (in English)

Seminar Description:
The idea of this seminar is to combine theoretical class work with field trips which are directly related to the seminar contents.

The course is aimed to describe and explain Germany’s way from the “Third Reich” to a well-integrated member of the NATO and the European Union. Why and how did Germany become an authentic representative democracy after terror, war and the Holocaust during 1933-1945? When the cold war and German division ended in 1989 the Western World wondered about Germany’s role in Europe again. Would it strive to be a hegemonial power on the continent again? How did Germany’s role in Europe change after the unification in 1990? To discuss this topic we will focus on the history of the revolution in 1989 and the unification process. In a third step we focus on the process of European Integration to understand the continental process of integration in which Germany is embedded. Crucial points to discuss are the European institutional framework, the policies of the European Union and the enlargement from six to 27 member states.

Possible topics:

• Germany’s integration into the West after World War II
• European Integration after World War II
• The German reunification in 1989
• Germany’s role within the new Europe

Field trips will take the students to a memorial and museum at the former border between East and West Germany and to several sites in and around Kassel.

Lecturer:

• Dr. Detlef Sack

Methods:

• Lectures, seminar discussions, group work, field trips

Requirements and Assessment:

• Participants are expected to attend class regularly, and to actively engage in discussions. A written exam will take place at the end of the seminar. The tasks you work on during the meetings or at home shall be added to the portfolio.