070046 UE Readings in the History of Historiography (2022S)

The course offers a rough overview of the history of historiography since antiquity, with a focus on the increasing critique of the "Great Men Theory" and the development of approaches of a "history from below" starting in the 19th century. Beginning with the questions "To what end does who write whose history?" our epistemological interest is situated in the relationship between history, power, and domination. We will examine how new approaches to historiography have attempted to question existing power relations or hegemonic discourses. The main topics will include, among others, the debates between historicism and historical materialism, the influence of the Annales School, of social- everyday- and micro-history, of post-colonial studies, and of women's and gender history....
Each week, the participants will write essays based on guiding questions about the assigned literature (German and English) , which will then be discussed in the course. In every session, a student will act as co-moderator, which means preparing a short input and then coordinating the discussion.