Syllabus
21st of February - Introduction, program, presentations, and definitions 28th of February - The rise of racial societies in European settler colonies, the transatlantic slave trade 7th of March - How the Chinese became yellow - Early race theories 14th of March - Darwin and the emergence of Social Darwinism 21st of March - Anti Semitism in Europe in the late 19th and early 20th century 28th of March - Racism and colonialism 4th of April - Racial slavery in the USA and the era of reconstrution 11th of April - The four stages of eugenics 18th of April, no class because of a conference 25th of April - The realization of the racial utopia I - the twisted road to Auschwitz 2nd of May - no class because of an excursion 9th of May - The realization of the racial utopia II - the annihilation of the European Jews 16th of May - Racism after 1945 - the civil rights movement in the USA 23rd of May - additional meeting - Racism after 1945 in Europe and in Africa
Annotation
Among historians hardly any topic is still debated in such a controversial way as the history of racism. In the international field very many research controversies are dealing with the roots, the dimensions the consequences for different societies and about definitions.
This course will give an overview about the history of racism since the late 18th century by using selected examples. This early beginning is necessary, because several authors share the opinion that the European enlightenment also meant a starting point for the emergence of modern race theories.
Further topics are the development of social Darwinism in the 19th century and the so called biological revolution, World War I and the creation of new ethnic categories, the emergence of racial antisemitism since the late 19th century and the global history of eugenics. One more important topic is the rise of national socialism, the shoah, and racism after 1945.