German 797A - ST-Viennese Modrnism

At the turn of the century (1890-1914) Vienna was home to some of the most innovative and exciting European thinkers and artists. Pioneers of Modernism in art and architecture, music, and literature emerged from this time and place, and they were joined by scientists and philosophers who would forever change understandings of the human mind and the world we occupy. Alongside the explosion of creativity and innovation in the worlds of art, philosophy, and science, strong currents of conservativism, nationalism, anti-feminism and anti-Semitism carried Vienna and all of Europe toward one of the most destructive periods in world history. This interdisciplinary graduate seminar will examine developments in art, music, literature, science, philosophy and culture, exploring the concurrent and competing veins of thought that made fin-de-siecle Vienna such a fascinating and contradictory time and place.