Universität Wien

070201 AR Methods in cultural history (2016S)

3.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 7 - Geschichte
Continuous assessment of course work

The Cabinet Office was the main contact point between the Emperor and his government. There, submissions presented by ministries and other authorized institutions were registered, summarized and presented to the Emperor, whose decisions were then communicated. Overall, Emperor Franz Joseph has processed about 250,000 such files during his reign of nearly 70-years. He has read the written submissions intensively, which can be learned from the marginal notes and the stylistic as grammatical corrections. For his decisions the monarch sometimes took a long time. This can be learned from the protocol books, where the date of submission, the date of presentation, and the date of decision making was recorded. The Cabinet Office was the site where the files submitted to the decision of the monarch had been processed. This processing was not its only task, however. The employees of the Kabinettskanzlei, especially the Cabinet Director, were an important resource for the emperor who could draw on their expertise and their knowledge of individual crown lands.
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Tuesday 08.03. 17:45 - 19:15 Seminarraum Geschichte 3 Hauptgebäude, 2.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Tuesday 15.03. 17:45 - 19:15 Seminarraum Geschichte 3 Hauptgebäude, 2.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Tuesday 05.04. 17:45 - 19:15 Seminarraum Geschichte 3 Hauptgebäude, 2.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Tuesday 12.04. 17:45 - 19:15 Seminarraum Geschichte 3 Hauptgebäude, 2.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Tuesday 19.04. 17:45 - 19:15 Seminarraum Geschichte 3 Hauptgebäude, 2.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Tuesday 26.04. 17:45 - 19:15 Seminarraum Geschichte 3 Hauptgebäude, 2.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Tuesday 03.05. 17:45 - 19:15 Seminarraum Geschichte 3 Hauptgebäude, 2.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Tuesday 10.05. 17:45 - 19:15 Seminarraum Geschichte 3 Hauptgebäude, 2.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Tuesday 24.05. 17:45 - 19:15 Seminarraum Geschichte 3 Hauptgebäude, 2.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Tuesday 31.05. 17:45 - 19:15 Seminarraum Geschichte 3 Hauptgebäude, 2.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Tuesday 07.06. 17:45 - 19:15 Seminarraum Geschichte 3 Hauptgebäude, 2.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Tuesday 14.06. 17:45 - 19:15 Seminarraum Geschichte 3 Hauptgebäude, 2.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Tuesday 21.06. 17:45 - 19:15 Seminarraum Geschichte 3 Hauptgebäude, 2.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Tuesday 28.06. 17:45 - 19:15 Seminarraum Geschichte 3 Hauptgebäude, 2.Stock, Stiege 9

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

How can we analytically approach source materials as complex and comprehensive as the documents, index and protocols of the Kabinettskanzlei in order to gain new insights into the system of governance during the reign of Emperor Francis Joseph? In this workshop we will try out four approaches:

1) the statistical analysis of the indices: we will thereby make use of the indexing systems developed by the clerks of the Kabinettskanzlei as a starting point for a policy analysis;
2) quantitative analysis of the protocols will enable us to identify patterns of decision making processes of the emperor. Which cases have taken most time to process? Were decisions on death sentences taken more quickly than decisions on decorations and awards?
3) the analysis of individual submissions. Considering the vast amount of submissions, we will need to be highly selective and focus on a limited number of policy fields and a restricted period. The analysis of the submissions will look at the style of the presentation and at the issue discussed - ranging from the misconduct of a goldsmith to large infrastructure projects and individual awards. At the same time, we will look for traces of the processing of these files by the Emperor himself;
4) we will try to understand better the role played by the Kabinettskanzlei for the informal control of political processes. This question can be answered only with the use of additional sources such as the papers by members of this organization. In this workshop, we will evaluate the correspondence of Cabinet Director Brown.

The aim of the workshops is to introduce you to theories and methodological skills for handling a complex and extensive source material. At the same time, we will discuss conceptual and theoretical instruments for the analysis of government activities in the Habsburg Empire under Emperor Franz Joseph.

Assessment and permitted materials

Participation in discussions; presentation; seminar paper

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Moderated discussion of readings; peer group discussion of ongoing projects; presentation of the results of these projects

Examination topics

Reading list

see moodle platform

Association in the course directory

MA Geschichte 14: Methodenworkshop zu Neuzeit, Österreichischer Geschiche (3 ECTS) |

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:30