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Post- and Decolonial Studies

Knowledge

No specific knowledge is necessary.

Description

Only slowly, first pushed by the Allied occupation and then pursued by the younger generations over the course of the 1960s through 1990s, German society became aware of the dimensions of the Shoah. Only slowly, helped by the belated acceptance of post- and de-colonial theory and debates around the restitution of human remains and the Benin Bronzes, German society is now becoming aware of the dimensions of German colonialism. Unfortunately, this new awareness has not always helped the debate; it has also created an antagonism that has become utterly heated over the current Gaza war. This tension was palpable already before October 7th, 2023. Achille Mbembé’s article Politiques de l'inimitié (politics of enmity) unintentionally jumpstarted a German debate around the relations between Nazism and colonialism – a debate that can only be understood against the background of the “Historikerstreit” (historians’ dispute), which focuses on the singularity of the Shoah; this debate exploded after Mbembé was invited and then disinvited to the 2020 “Ruhrtriennale”. Another example is the revelation of antisemitic motifs in a de-colonial exhibition the art fair Documenta XV (2022). These and similar debates, however, were relatively limited to an intellectual sphere in Germany. This has changed in the last year, influenced by and as part of the globally heated debates over Gaza, and has been fraught for Germany, whose history is especially entangled with the current situation. The course will address these entanglements. Its premise is that German antisemitism and German colonialism will both be misunderstood if either is viewed separately, or even as simply synchronous. Their German specificity will also be misunderstood if either seen just within the European context, or in omission of the European context. German Antisemitism and German Colonialism will thus be scrutinized as interwoven in terms of structure, thought, emotions (and from other angles of view) that, rather than constituting a historical continuity, follow the path of cultural consistencies and “family resemblances”.

Learning objectives

The goals of the course include: • Gaining familiarity with German colonialism and German antisemitism • Understanding the particularities of German racism • Exploring antisemitic and colonialist thought in a variety of sources and from a variety of methodological approaches • Gaining familiarity with contemporary debates • Gaining insights in German history (mostly 19th century to the present).

E-learning

Texts will be provided online.

Preparation

Regular attendance, close preparation using course material, and participation in discussion are required.

Next events

1/12 Lecture Tu, 04.02.2025 16:30 Uhr 19:00 Uhr 1.08 | Aquarium
2/12 Lecture Tu, 11.02.2025 16:30 Uhr 19:00 Uhr 1.08 | Aquarium
3/12 Lecture Tu, 18.02.2025 16:30 Uhr 19:00 Uhr 1.08 | Aquarium
4/12 Lecture Tu, 25.02.2025 16:30 Uhr 19:00 Uhr 1.08 | Aquarium
5/12 Lecture Tu, 04.03.2025 16:30 Uhr 19:00 Uhr 1.08 | Aquarium
6/12 Lecture Tu, 11.03.2025 16:30 Uhr 19:00 Uhr 1.08 | Aquarium
7/12 Lecture Tu, 18.03.2025 16:30 Uhr 19:00 Uhr 1.08 | Aquarium
8/12 Lecture Tu, 25.03.2025 16:30 Uhr 19:00 Uhr 1.08 | Aquarium
9/12 Lecture Tu, 01.04.2025 16:30 Uhr 19:00 Uhr 1.08 | Aquarium
10/12 Lecture Tu, 08.04.2025 16:30 Uhr 19:00 Uhr 1.08 | Aquarium
11/12 Lecture Tu, 29.04.2025 16:30 Uhr 19:00 Uhr 1.08 | Aquarium
12/12 Lecture Tu, 06.05.2025 16:30 Uhr 19:00 Uhr 1.08 | Aquarium
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Course details

Offer code 121600
Version 1 Erstversion_FS24
Credits / ECTS 6
WSH 3
Frequence Every Springsemester

Lecturers

lecturer image
Prof. Dr. Jan Söffner
Lecturer