1968 as a Global Event - Detailseite

What is 1968 – a youth rebellion, a civil uprising, a cultural revolution, a communication event, a global lieu de mémoire, or the climax of social long-term transformations? What happened during that year in different cities, regions, and countries? How were political events and movements interconnected? Did something like a shared identity exist around the globe? In this course (taught in English), we try to find answers to these questions and study a variety of sources like photos, posters, pamphlets, or cartoons. We will discuss events in different parts of the world and ask about their interconnections and long-term causes. In light of the 50^th anniversary, we will also include current debates and controversies about 1968 among witnesses and historians. Students are expected to prepare short presentations in class and read from a collection of primary and secondary texts for each session.

Mark Kurlansky: 1968. The Year that Rocked the World, London 2004; Arthur Marwick: The Sixities. Social and Cultural Transformation in Britain, France, Italy, and the United States, c. 1958-c. 1974, Oxford 1999; Jeremi Suri (ed.): The Global Revolutions of 1968. A Norton Casebook in History, New York 2007.