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AH 255 BERLIN MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL DILEMMA

ONE-CREDIT EXCURSION COURSE

2009 is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, one of the most important events in history. It came to symbolize the end of Communist power and ultimately led to the end of the Cold War and the re-unification of Germany – and Berlin – one year later. Berlin is now re-emerging as the cultural capital of Europe and its museums showcase that. Conflicting issues of a past of nationalism and imperialism and a present driven by historical conscience and revisionism will be the focus of our visit to these museums. This one credit course is run over a three-day weekend excursions.

Itinerary

Class I. Tuesday 31 March. AUR campus. Introduction to the course.

Class 2. Friday 3rd April (2pm-5pm) on site at Berlin Museum Island. Visiting Altes Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Bode Museum, Pergamon Museum. An exploration of the history of the collections and German imperialism.

Class 3. Saturday 4th April (9am-12 noon) on site at Berlin Kulturforum. Visit to Philharmonie Musical Instrument Museum, Neue Nationalgalerie, Gemaeldgalerie. We will investigate formal and iconographical analysis and modes of display.

Class 4. Saturday 4th April (2pm-5pm) on site at site of Berlin Wall. Visit to Sony Center Topografie des Terrors, Staasi Museum, Bernauer Strasse Museum of the Wall. Group discussion.

Class 5. Sunday 5th April (10am-1pm). Berlin Unter den Linden, Deutsches Historisches Museum, Jewish Museum, Memorial to Murdered Jews. Examination of historical issues and social analysis through visual material.

Travel, lodging and museum entrance costs are the responsibility of each individual participant. Students are advised that Tegel airport is close to the center of Berlin (approx. one hour away) but Schoenefeld is considerably further away and not advised for students who are flying out of Rome on Friday morning.

For further details contact Prof Valerie Higgins (v.higgins@aur.edu). To register for this course see your advisor or, if Study Abroad, register directly with Enrollment Services on 2^nd floor of Building A. Students registered full-time (either resident or Study-Abroad) do not have to pay for the additional academic credit.