What is Germany? Who is German? Who defines und who decides – politicians, academics, collective groups, or anyone for oneself? How does it “feel” to be German emotionally? What makes one a German and who might think to be more German than others? What is Germany, and where is Germany? Since when does Germany exist? How many Germanys are there? And, finally, what do others think about Germany?
These questions will be discussed in a course that is covering the still ongoing and ever-changing German discourses on the search for “German-ness”, that is, a national identity rooted in common historical experiences. We will look at how these processes of national “identity-building” have unfolded in German history since 1800. How have history, philosophy, politics, and culture been intertwined in Germany in the past, and what is “German” today – as seen by Germans and others? Throughout the course’s chronology, we will investigate to what extent, if at all, the historical debates we analyze still play into present-day understandings of being German.

• Download Syllabus
• To get a first impression of Dr. Funck, watch his free lecture for our sister program FUBiS on their YouTube channel.