Any discourse on the cultural identity of Europe is based on a number of infrastructural, medial, and literary preconditions that first emerged during the Renaissance. The arising news media of the 16th century construct Europe as a communication space for current events. Cartography and pictorial art personify the continent and give it a physical shape. And the emerging novel tells of its history and culture in the light of other cultures. The talk outlines the medialization of Europe in the early modern period and argues that a 'European identity' is not a fixed historical quantity, but is highly dependent on specific genres, media and historical conventions of representation.
Email: nicolas.detering(at)unibe.ch