International Blended Seminar ‘War in European Memory’

The international MA seminar with participants from Lucerne, Paris, Cologne, Berlin, Nijmegen and Warsaw focuses on the analysis of practices and narratives of memory in Europe with regard to war. The construction, public usage – politics of history – contestation and transformation of memory of wars over time will be approached by fusing concepts of memory studies and public history, focusing on different agents in the public sphere, especially museums, comme-moration sites, monuments, art, and the media (including social media) will be approached systematically. Against the background of approaches of memory studies (practices, narratives, affects of memory), the seminar aims at an in-depth analytical perspective on past and present constructions of European memories of war and their complex relation to national (and regional) memories. In this perspective, a focus on the present war in Ukraine will be integrated with an eye on how memory is used and produced in this war in Europe.

This international seminar presents a unique opportunity for the collaboration of students from a variety of European countries. Apart from online and live sessions, the exchange of ideas, reflection on texts and analysis of primary sources in small international groups are key elements of the seminar. Working in small groups, students will produce short projects (for example collaboratively elaborated papers, blog posts, online live presentations, videos, podcasts, etc.).

The seminar will consist of weekly online sessions between October 17 and December 19, 2022 and an on-site workshop in Gdańsk from 24 to 26 April 2023 (focusing on the Museum of the Second World War).

• English is the main language of communication.
• Participants are in principle MA students in the study programmes of the six partner Universities.
• Modes of teaching and communication:
  • collaborative work in groups with outputs in various possible formats (papers, videos, podcasts)
  • group discussions in live online seminars
  • two-day workshop in Gdańsk, 24–26 April 2023 (trip and accommodation financed)
• OSL students will acquire 7 ECTS through active participation and completing all the course-related assignments, including a final paper (approx. 4000 words) on a topic to be negotiated with the instructors.
• Semester dates: October 17–December 19, 2022.

Flyer International Blended Learning Seminar