Ringvorlesung: Europavorstellungen von der frühen Neuzeit bis in die Gegenwart
The Europe we know today is essentially shaped by post-imperialist Europe since 1945, culminating in the founding of the EU. In the 19th century, European states were mostly empires that had colonies; the so-called “nation states” were at war with each other. What was Europe like in the early modern period (1400–1800)? The lecture is based on the thesis of the global dimension of Europe in the early modern period and its anchoring in the geopolitical space of the “historical West”. Based on the reception of Ptolemy's Geography in the Renaissance, global Europe is presented in broad strokes and through appropriate episodes. Cosmographies, world maps, books, natural materials, art objects and people are used as examples to show how before 1800 the relations between Orient and Occident were fluid and plural and how East and West were in dialogue through lively intercultural exchange. An attempt is made to grasp concepts such as Eurocentrism, barbarism, civilization, bio- and cultural diversity and criticism of religion in their specific meaning.