Nineteenth Century Panel Sessions on Germans in Europe, and Beyond

We seek to explore the place and role of Germany, Austria, and Germans generally—their presence, culture, commodities, and/or ideas--in Europe and beyond Europe throughout the nineteenth century. Recent studies and debates on colonialism and trans-nationalism have indicated a broad interest in connecting German experiences to the larger world. These sessions seek to embrace a range of topics that consider German history in a series of ever more expansive contexts. We envision panels that address the reconfiguration of Mitteleuropa in the wake of the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire (a theme highlighted in the early modern sessions), panels that consider the various relations and links among the German and Austrian Empires and other European countries, and panels that revisit recent work on German colonial and commercial activities in the global context.

In order to encourage discussions in fresh directions we suggest a range of themes listed below and will feature a special session on re-exploring the Austrian Ausgleich. We welcome papers from scholars working in all disciplines: art history, music, literature, architecture, geography, political science, urban and environmental studies, history, etc. Our goal is to develop panels that will reach across disciplines and traditional frameworks. In addition to the suggested themes below (which are by no means written in stone), we welcome suggestions and new ideas. If you are interested in giving a paper or commenting or chairing a session, please contact Katherine Aaslestad (Katherine.Aaslestad@mail.wvu.edu). As the final deadline for the completed sessions in February 15, please indicate your interest and/or suggestions prior to January 30 so that we have time to structure the panels for submission.

Ideas for panels:
German Central Europe after 1806
Europeanizing German History
Business across Borders
Comparing the 1848 Revolutionary Experience
Germans Look East
The Role of Comparative Politics
Enduring Monarchies and their Relations
Redefining the Habsburgs after 1867
Germans and Islam
Colonialism Revisited
German-Ottoman Relations
German Communities Abroad
Migration and Immigration in and out of German Central Europe
Transporting Culture Abroad
Germans and the Orient
The Case for Comparative Case Studies
Germans and the Nordic Community
Heimat Abroad
Letters and Literature within and beyond Central Europe
The Practice of Germanness Far from Home
Language and Education in and out of German Central Europe
The Geography and Politics of Border Crossing
Locating and Defining German Cities