Berlin in the Tumultuous 20th Century

Catalog description

The tumultuous but short twentieth century began and ended with a united Germany, with Berlin as its capital. But in between, Berlin, and Berliners, experienced the extremes of the economic, technological, and cultural progress that the century brought, and the devastation, violence, division, and uncertainty that it also brought. This course introduces students to the German tumult of the twentieth century. We will read about historical events and developments. We will address persistent questions, such as why and how did Hitler come to power; what was life like behind the Berlin Wall; how does one come to grips with a history like Germany's in the twentieth century; and what has life been like for ordinary Berliner/innen. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course. Counts as a Moral & Ethical Reasoning course. Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course.