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Description
This course examines the history of major cities in the Habsburg monarchy and its successor states during the period of classical modernity. It will focus on the emergence of a particularly modern urban culture in Central Europe around the turn of the century, and study some of its proponents in detail.
Taking turn-of-the-century Vienna as a starting point, the seminar will discuss the emergence of leading modernist movements and ideas in the 鈥榖ackward鈥� Habsburg empire. We will look at aspects of Vienna鈥檚, Prague鈥檚, and Budapest鈥檚 urban landscape and culture, and study these in a comparative way where possible.
We will examine the development of capital cities as centres for the arts and popular culture, science and technology, industry and commerce; and analyse their architecture as well as features of every-day urban life.
We will study some of the main ideas that constituted 鈥榤odernity鈥�, and look at intellectual circles and networks of avant-garde artists that promoted these ideas. The different forms of nationalism and antisemitism that emerged within Central European cities will be another focus of the seminar.
The course will make you familiar both with urban history and cultural/intellectual history. To this end, a wide range of sources will be used, from specialised academic literature to diaries, memoirs, and novels; from maps and photographs to reproductions of modernist art and architecture.
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 8th April 2024.
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