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From the late eighteenth century onwards, life in Britain was shaken up by the Industrial Revolution. It changed the way people lived and worked, bringing wealth to some and destitution to others. It deeply affected daily routines material culture and the fabric of society at large. It also created an almost instant nostalgia for the pre-industrial world with its (supposedly) simple life and unspoiled nature. Therefore, the Industrial Revolution was one of the key impulses contributing to the advent of Romanticism.
Two centuries later, life and work in Britain once again began to go through a process of profound change – this time caused by the process of de-industrialisation, the breakdown of economic, material and social structures depending on industrial production. All of this must sound more than familiar to people living in the Ruhr valley which still faces the key problem of de-industrialisation: How can a region that has lost its former economic purpose find an economic future, and also a future in terms of identity?
This seminar will offer a survey not only of actual developments in the fields of economic and social history. It will look in equal measure at how literature bas been engaging with industrialisation and de-industrialisation, trying to make sense of the past, to digest the present and to explore possible futures. Because of the obvious local relevance of all of these topics, this course will also incorporate a hands-on comparative approach, looking not only at selected German texts, but also at post-industrial sites such as Zeche Zollverein.
A reader will be made available (to be obtained from the usual place, Reckhammerweg 4, in late September). Requirements: thorough preparation for each session, active participation, and written work according to your particular Studienordnung. As always: read, think, enjoy (!!), annotate (!) and look things up if necessary. |
