Spanish History and Historical Memory

Catalog description

Spain’s history is long, rich, and very much alive. The meanings of that history are multiple, contested, and politically divisive. This course will explore both Spanish history and Spanish historical memory. After doing some brief introductory readings about the concept of historical memory, students will proceed through a chronological survey of Spanish history. Each unit will include an excursion to a relevant Spanish historical site. Students will prepare for each visit by studying the site’s history. Afterwards, students will reflect about the ways in which the site portrayed the past. Throughout the semester, the course will chew on the following observation from Spanish writer Reyes Mate: “Although memory sharpens the sense of justice, the process of remembering is a long haul, for the painful past that we slowly uncover together surely holds many surprises.” Students in this course should have taken three semesters of college-level Spanish or the equivalent. Satisfies History major and minor requirement. Satisfies Historical Thought requirement.