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This module will focus on the various ways in which the European past has been used, perceived and studied from around 1800 to our present day. The topic will be approached in chronological order.

For the 19th century the focus will be on two interconnected developments: the emergence of history as an academic discipline and the appearance of the historical novel. Both relate to the rise of nationalism – arguably the most powerful political force of the modern era – where the past played a key role in the formation of identities.

In the same period the past also became a key referent in relation to dominant intellectual and political trends such as imperialism, social Darwinism, and Marxist theory. These trends continued, of course, into the 20th century where they contributed to the cataclysmic upheavals of two World Wars. In the first half of the twentieth century, however, there appeared challenges to seeing the past as either leading inexorably to a better future or history offering unproblematic ‘biographies’ of nations.

The second half of the 20th century has been marked by what can be termed a fragmentation of historical memory, as well as by theoretical challenges to some of the fundaments of historical inquiry. These developments have found expression in various media. Again, the historical novel, theoretical writings, and the practice of historical inquiry will be used as the main points of reference.

The module will be conducted through both close reading of original sources and secondary contextual literature.