Subject Area: European Studies

Charting the multiple origins and genealogies of the idea of Europe, its fluctuating character and boundaries, the course focuses on key periods, events, and developments that have informed the notion of Europe. It looks at precursors and models for the idea of a unified Europe such as the Holy Roman Empire; at pan-European conflicts like the Thirty-Year War; at scientific innovations and political upheavals, from the Renaissance to the French Revolution, but also at Europe’s relationship to its presumed “others,” whether within or outside of its borders. The legacy of Europe is thus assessed in terms of its ideals and ideologies, both past and current, and in terms of the realities of strife and crisis that have marked its history.