Critical Social Inquiry 0271 - History and Memory in Modern Europe

For scholars, "history" means both historical events and the writing of history. In recent years, they have increasingly turned to the relationship between "history and memory": the way the past shapes the present and the present shapes our views of the past. The twentieth century witnessed the fall of empires and the birth of nation-states, wars of colossal destruction, and the struggle between dictatorship and democracy. How did people recall, interpret, and appropriate this turbulent past: create national identities? confront the contrast between technological progress and moral regression? mourn the millions of war dead? deal with loss of home? seek justice in the wake of Nazism and communism? Ideal for current or prospective history concentrators but open to all. Keywords:history, memory, World Wars, Holocaust, communism

Time and Narrative Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time