Admission requirements
At least 15 ECTS of the minor ‘Cultural Memory of War and Conflict’ have to be completed.
Description
Monuments, memorial sites and other lieux de memoire can not be studied on paper only. Their meaning is produced in rituals and in performances of cultural and collective memory. In order to fully understand these functions we will go on an excurion to one of these sites of remembrance (or forgetting) as an optional part of the minor program.
After a preparatory reading list and two introductory classes, we will visit one of the war-sites of Europe, where the students analyse the site in question and give individual presentations on both the past and the present of the site.
In the coming years we will visit (always at the end of June/ beginning of July) Sarajevo, Auschwitz, Dresden and Spain. In June 2016, we will travel to Berlin, as the nexus of both the memory of WW II and of the division of Germany in the 20th century.
More information as of January with the course coordinator and on the course BB-site.
Course objectives
This course aims to
give students a critical understanding of the ways memory is been represented, contested and constructed in spaces and buildings: local and national monuments and in in contemporary museum exhibits and other forms of memorialization, with a basic understanding of their historical and cultural contexts.
to give students a critical understanding of relevant theoretical concepts from memory and ritual studies.
help students develop their skills to conduct independent research.
help students develop presentation skills.
Timetable
The timetable will be available by June 1st on the
website
Mode of instruction
Excursion and reading list.
Course Load
5 ec = 140 hours
- Preparatory Seminars: 2 hours x 2 weeks = 4 hours – Excursion: 3 × 12 hours= 36 hours – Preparatory reading and writing paper: 70 hours – Preparing oral presentation = 30 hours
Assessment method
Reading list and paper (50%)
Oral presentation (50%)
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used to provide students with specific information about (components of) the course, such as course syllabus, some of the assigned readings, weekly discussion questions, and essay topics.
Reading list
Provisional reading list
Registration
Students are required to register for this course via uSis, the course registration system of Leiden University. General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch.
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Registration Studeren à la carte
Registration Contractonderwijs
Contact
Course coordinator is Prof.dr. Yra van Dijk
Remarks
The costs for the excursion will be an estimated 300 euro.