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Seminars and Field Trips - UPDATE for 2026 TO FOLLOW!

ISU seminars take place from from 14:15 pm – 15.45 pm following the German language class and are composed of nine sessions per seminar. Each course is made up of 18 in-class hours, plus time for study, homework, etc.

In order to receive the full 12 ECTS points for the program, you are required to participate in evening events and the weekend excursions.

Each participant will choose one seminar from four modules covering Culture, Law, History, and Politics per session (two total). Modules are taught by experts from Marburg University, our EUPeace Alliance as well as other partner universities.

Module Descriptions

History

Post-1945 Europe takes the main stage of the History module. With a range of topics spanning German and broader European history, the courses may engage areas such as the roots and emergence of the European Union, the role of the EU and individual member countries as historical foreign and security actors, international law, or the significance of European memory culture.
Politics

Seminars in the Politics module will cover a range of topics related to the European Union. This may include courses on EU’s foreign-, security-, economic- or migration policies, the role of the EU in current global conflict, or internal integration policies within the EU.
Law

tba
Culture

The Culture module encompasses seminars on various aspects of European and German culture in the 20th Century and beyond. This can include various types of culture, spanning from the everyday, to politics, to art. Potential topics include German film and theatre, European languages and their everyday development, as well as aspects of Literature, protest cultures, and interactions between political cultures.

Week 1&2

History

The History of European Integration
Instructor: Prof. Harun Arikan (Cukurova University)

Course Description:

The main objective of this course is to provide students with a general understanding of the history of European integration with reference to political, security and economic motivations behind the creations of the EU. It provides theoretical framework for analysing EU integration process. Then it examines major developments and reforms process in EU policy making process and its institutional framework during the Cold War and post-Cold War periods. It also looks at the widening and deepening dilemma in European integrations with a special focus on some common policies of the EU, including the enlargement policy. Finally, this course discusses the transformation process of the EU and how it is likely to develop in foreseeable future.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this course, students should understand:

1- History of European integration

2- The present and future processes of European integration

3- Institutional framework of the European Union

4- Some key policies of the EU, including enlargement and Common Foreign and Security Policy

Course Materials:

1- ) Nugent, Neil (2017) The Government and Politics of the European Union. Palgrave

2-) The Treaty of Rome, The Treaty of Maastricht, The Treaty of Amsterdam, The Treaty of Nice, Treaty of Lisbon

3-) Moravcsik, Andrew and Milada Anna Vachudova (2002) "National Interests, State Power, and EU Enlargement". East European Politics & Societies 17 (1): 42-57

4-) jursen, Helene (2002) “Why Expand? The Question of Legitimacy and Justification in the EU’s Enlargement Policy”. Journal of Common Market Studies 40 (3): 491-513

5-) Dinan, D. (2017). “Crises in EU History” in Desmond Dinan, N. Nugent, and W. E. Paterson (eds.) The European Union in Crisis. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan: 16-32.

6-) Alcaro, R., & Dijkstra, H. (2024). Re-imagining EU Foreign and Security Policy in a Complex and Contested World. The International Spectator, 59(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2024.2304028

7) Alcaro, R., & Dijkstra, H. (2024). Re-imagining EU Foreign and Security Policy in a Complex and Contested World. The International Spectator, 59(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2024.2304028

TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE and Reading/ Assignments/ Additional Practice Materials

1. History of European Integration
Nugent, Neil (2017) The Government and Politics of the European Union. Palgrave

2. European Integration since the End of Cold War and the Reshaping of Europe
The Treaty of Maastricht, The Treaty of Amsterdam, The Treaty of Nice and Treaty of Lisbon

3. Institutional Framework of the EU and Policy Making process I
Helen Wallace at al (2022), Policy making in the European Union

4. Institutional Framework of the EU and Policy Making Process II
Helen Wallace at al (2022), Policy making in the European Union

5. Enlargement Policy of the EU
Harun Arıkan (2018), Turkey and the EU, Routledge

6. Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU
Alcaro, R., & Dijkstra, H. (2024). Re-imagining EU Foreign and Security Policy in a Complex and Contested World. The International Spectator, 59(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2024.2304028

7. EU’s Role in International Politics
Alcaro, R., & Dijkstra, H. (2024). Re-imagining EU Foreign and Security Policy in a Complex and Contested World. The International Spectator, 59(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2024.2304028

8. The EU and Russia -Ukraine War
Fiott, D. (2023). In every crisis an opportunity? European Union integration in defence and the War on Ukraine. Journal of European Integration, 45(3), 447–462. https://doi.org/10.1080/07036337.2023.2183395

9. Students presentations

ASSIGNMENTS

Class discussions and presentation (%50)

Essay on selected topics in European integration (%50)
Politics

Conflict, Dialogue, and Peace in Turbulent Times
Instructor: Dr. Guillermo Reyes (University of Kent)

Course Description:

Conflict is an inevitable aspect of human interaction. Whether expressed between individuals, within communities, or among states, conflict arises where values, interests, or goals are contested. This Conflict, Dialogue, and Peace in Turbulent Times module explores the complex dynamics of conflict and the diverse strategies for its transformation and resolution. It aims to strengthen students’ theoretical foundations while developing their practical skills for analysing, managing, and transforming conflicts in various social, political, and professional contexts. A distinctive feature of this module is its interdisciplinary orientation. Drawing insights from political science, psychology, sociology, law, and anthropology, it encourages students to appreciate how peacebuilding efforts must address both the psychological and structural dimensions of conflict. Discussions may explore how trauma, memory, and identity influence peace processes, and how governance structures and economic inequalities can perpetuate cycles of violence. This multidimensional approach provides a holistic understanding of conflict resolution as both a theoretical field and a practical vocation.

This module begins from the recognition that conflict is not inherently negative. It can serve as a catalyst for social change, innovation, and justice by focusing on both the destructive and transformative potential of conflict. Emphasis is placed on the interplay between structural conditions, human behaviour, and power relations that shape conflict across different scales, from interpersonal to global. Parallel to the basic theoretical inquiries, the module adopts a practical approach to understanding conflict. It explores analytical tools such as conflict mapping, stakeholder analysis, and power analysis to help students systematically examine the root causes, actors, and dynamics within a conflict setting. Case-based learning plays a central role, enabling the application of these tools to real-world examples drawn from diverse contexts, ranging from local community disputes and workplace conflicts to international peace processes in post-conflict societies. By bridging theory and practice, one can gain a deeper appreciation for the complexities of mediation, negotiation, and peacebuilding in conditions of uncertainty, inequality, and cultural diversity.

Alongside Conflict Resolution, Peacebuilding is also a core theme of the module, expands the discussion beyond immediate conflict management. It focuses on long-term strategies to rebuild relationships, institutions, and social fabrics following periods of violence or crisis. Students will explore how sustainable peace depends on trust, justice, and the inclusion of marginalised voices. The module also engages with critiques of the liberal peacebuilding paradigm, examining issues of power asymmetry, local agency, and the politics of external intervention in post-conflict reconstruction. Through this lens, we are invited to question who defines peace, whose interests are served, and how peacebuilding can be made more locally grounded and context-sensitive. The primary aim is to develop critical understanding of conflict as a multifaceted phenomenon, distinguishing between its destructive potential and transformative opportunities. Objectives include analysing root causes such as structural inequalities and power asymmetries; evaluating resolution approaches like negotiation, mediation, and restorative justice; and assessing long-term peacebuilding efforts focusing on reconciliation and institutional reform. By the end of the module, students will be in place to design ethical interventions tailored to specific conflict phases, from escalation prevention to post-conflict reconstruction.

Ultimately, this Conflict, Dialogue, and Peace in Turbulent Times module seeks to cultivate informed, ethical, and reflective practitioners who can contribute to a more peaceful and just world. It challenges students to move beyond simplistic notions of “solving” conflict and instead to engage with conflict as a dynamic process that can, through empathy, creativity, and critical thinking, be transformed into an opportunity for constructive change. By the conclusion of the module, students should possess both the analytical frameworks and the interpersonal capabilities required to navigate conflict constructively, whether in personal interactions, professional settings, or global peace initiatives.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion, students will:

Critique theories of conflict resolution and apply them to contemporary cases.
Design ethical, context-sensitive interventions tools and instruments.
Evaluate peacebuilding efficacy, considering power relations and cultural factors.
Demonstrate understanding in negotiation, facilitation, and reflective practice.
Communicate findings coherently for academic and practitioner audiences.

Course Materials:

Core readings:

Further Materials (to expand on the core readings):

Course Schedule (Sessions and Readings):

1. Introduction to Conflict and mapping the field: Main definitions, sources of conflict, levels of conflict, and conflict models/cycles.
Readings:

2. Theories and main Frameworks to Conflict: submerge students into the main explanations that are provided by the literature available, such as structural vs relational vs cultural perspectives; conflict transformation and social justice, or power, identity, and culture in conflict.
Readings:

3. Communication in Conflict: Communication, perception, and emotion management through communication models, misperception, attribution errors, and the role of emotion, alongside he main principles of effective communication.
Readings:

4. Negotiation Tactics and Strategies: Negotiation principles and practices, and distributive vs integrative negotiation vs interests vs positions, and finally negotiation and third parties involvement.
Readings:

5. Mediation: Stablish mediation as a different approach to conflict in comparison to negotiation, mediation models, processes and mechanisms.
Readings:

6. Peacebuilding: Conflict transformation, peace agreements, and transitional justice in macro‑level processes.
Readings:

7. Conflict Resolution in Practice: Practical case studies.
Readings:

8. Conflict Resolution in Practice: Practical case studies.
Readings:

9. Final Assessment Day.
Readings:

ASSIGNMENTS

The final mark will be awarded based on the completion of two tasks (each represent 50% of the final mark):

1) An in-class presentation of a case study (50%).

2) An executive summary of 1,000 words with the details of the case study (50%).

EXAMS

There is no exam for this module, only written assignment.
Law

Gender and Intersectional Approaches in International Criminal Justice
Instructor: Dr. Selena Vitti, LL.M. (Universität Münster)
Culture

Turbulent Times on the German Stage and Screen
Instructor: Dr. Keren Cohen (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

Course Description:

The course will focus on plays and films which deal with the upheavals and turbulences that shook Germany during the first half of the twentieth century. It will explore the ways in which the theatrical and cinematic works discussed both reflect and comment on the social, political and cultural environment they represent. In the short span of just over half a century covered by the course, Germany experienced two world wars and saw the fall of the German Empire, the emergence of the Weimar Republic and the Nazis’ rise to power. The conflicts and challenges characteristic of these turbulent times served as the backdrop to constant artistic innovation, which led to the creation of some of the most celebrated masterpieces in the history of theatre and cinema. The course will incorporate artistic, cultural and historical perspectives, and will introduce students to the diversity of theatrical and cinematic artistic styles which emerged in the period, from German Expressionism to Brecht’s Epic Theatre. We will conduct an in-depth analysis of representative, groundbreaking works, and will consider the ways in which these works could be relevant to the present day. The turbulent times of the first half of the twentieth century also served as the backdrop to plays and films produced in Germany in recent decades. We will discuss some examples of these artworks, created with the benefit of hindsight, and we will ask how and why works of art turn to past events for inspiration. We will also discuss the unique manner in which theatre and cinema – both public forums in which a community gathers to experience a work of art together – can communicate with their audiences and provoke them to think of their world in new ways.

Learning Objectives:

To gain familiarity with the main developments and artistic styles of modernist German theatre and cinema during the first half of the twentieth century.
To understand and practice the ways in which theatre and film can be approached as primary sources, which may be studied and analyzed as artistic objects, as well as historical documents reflecting and interacting with their social, political and cultural context.
To gain a basic understanding of aesthetic analysis of modernist and contemporary German theatre and film.
To understand the ways in which theatre and film can comment on society, as well as attempt to influence it.

Class Schedule:

1: Introduction

2: The Traumas of WWI: Expressionism - Robert Wiene, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

3: The Golden Twenties? - Bertolt Brecht, The Threepenny Opera (1928)

4: A Different World Order at the Door - Leontine Sagan, Girls in Uniform (1931)

5: History in Hindsight - Tom Tykwer, Achim von Borries and Hendrik Handloegten, Babylon Berlin (2017-2022) – screening session

6: History in Hindsight – cntd. - Babylon Berlin (2017-2022) – discussion

7: War at Europe’s Doorstep - Bertolt Brecht, Mother Courage and Her Children (1939)

8: History Repeated as Farce - George Tabori, Mein Kampf (1987)

9: Conclusion

ASSIGNMENTS:

- Reading and viewing the course materials.

- Participation in class discussions.

- 5 short reading reports (150-200 words max.)

- A short essay (1000 words max.) or a short class presentation

Course Materials:

Reading List (in order of discussion):

- Bertolt Brecht, The Threepenny Opera (1928)
- Bertolt Brecht, Mother Courage and Her Children (1939)
- George Tabori, Mein Kampf (1987)

Viewing list (in order of discussion):

Robert Wiene The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Leontine Sagan, Girls in Uniform (1931)
Tom Tykwer, Achim von Borries and Hendrik Handloegten, Babylon Berlin (2017-2022) [excerpts]
Oliver Hirschbiegel, The Downfall (2004)
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS (recommended reading for students who wish to expand on the topics discussed in the seminar):

Plays:

Frank Wedekind, Spring Awakening (1891)
Gerhart Hauptmann, The Weavers (1892)
Ernst Toller, Transformation (1919)

Films:

F. W. Murnau, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922)
Fritz Lang, Metropolis (1927)
Josef von Sternberg, The Blue Angel (1930)
Fritz Lang, M (1931)

Week 3&4

History

Ukraine in the Past and Present
Instructor: Prof. Alina Ivanenko (University of Mannheim)

Course Description:

This seminar offers an analytically structured introduction to Ukraine through the interconnected questions of historical narrative, statehood, power, and resilience. Rather than presenting Ukraine as a linear national story, the course examines how Ukraine has been shaped by competing imperial claims, repeated struggles over political authority, Soviet rule, difficult decisions of the post-1991 state, and the transformations triggered by protest and war.
Each seminar is structured around a key analytical concept (such as historical ownership, political agency, sovereignty, structural violence, rational choice, informal power, and resilience). These concepts serve as entry points into the historical material and as tools for interpretation rather than as abstract definitions.
The course is designed for an international classroom and assumes no prior specialist knowledge. Students will work with short, accessible materials in English — primary source excerpts, maps, testimonies, short analytical texts, and selected videos — and will learn to ask how different actors understood the same events differently. Particular attention is given to interpretation: who defines the past, how power actually functions, what choices are available under constraint, and how states and societies act under pressure.
Methodologically, the class is problem-based and discussion-driven. Most analytical work is done in class rather than at home. Students work in fixed groups of 4–5 throughout the course, with rotating roles and rotating speakers, so that each participant contributes orally during the seminar cycle. Some sessions are source-based; others are built as guided research seminars in which different groups investigate different dimensions of one historical problem and then combine their findings into a broader interpretation.
By the end of the course, students should not simply know more facts about Ukraine. They should be able to recognise competing narratives, distinguish between evidence and interpretation, analyse political decisions in context, and explain why Ukraine’s past and present cannot be reduced to a single story.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

1. identify major historical turning points in the formation of Ukraine and explain why they remain politically contested;
2. compare competing interpretations of the same historical event or period and evaluate their underlying assumptions;
3. analyse short primary sources and testimonies in relation to their political, social, and historical context;
4. explain how formal institutions, informal networks, social mobilisation, and external pressures shaped modern Ukraine;
5. formulate evidence-based arguments in oral discussion and collaborative group work;
6. assess how war, protest, repression, and state-building influenced Ukrainian society from the early modern period to the present;
7. develop and present a concise group-based interpretation of one course theme using selected English-language materials.

Course Material:

Kyivan Rus and historical claims: contrasting modern interpretations of the medieval past.

Cossacks and political strategy: short case materials on alliance, autonomy, and survival

Revolution, statehood, and the Soviet question: short texts on competing definitions of statehood and rule.

Soviet Ukraine: testimony, official rhetoric, and evidence related to famine, repression, war, and everyday life.

1991 and state-building: materials on independence, security choices, and institutional uncertainty.

2000–2014 and after 2014: concise analytical materials on oligarchic power, protest, media, leadership, state capacity, and resilience.

Tentative Class Schedule

Class	Topic	Reading/ Assignments/ Additional Practice Materials
1	Who owns the past? Kyiv, Rus’, and historical claims	Before class: 1 short introductory video or short background text. In class: concept warm-up (“historical ownership”); guided comparison of contrasting interpretations; group reconstruction of competing narratives using identical source material.
2	Survival or resistance? Cossacks, autonomy, and political strategy	Before class: short contextual material. In class: concept warm-up (“political agency”); case-based analysis of constraints and available options; group ranking of strategic choices.
3	Statehood, collapse, and Soviet transformation	In class: concept warm-up (“political agency”); case-based analysis of constraints and available options; group ranking of strategic choices.
4	Living inside violence: Soviet Ukraine	Before class: short video introducing Stalinism / Soviet rule. In class: concept warm-up (“structural violence”); source-based role reconstruction (different social positions); analysis of decision-making, risk, and moral constraint within a coercive system.
5	1991: independence and decisions under uncertainty	Before class: up to 10 pages or one short explainer. In class: concept warm-up (“rational choice”); policy analysis exercise under conditions of uncertainty; evaluation and revision of decisions after introduction of new information.
6	Ukraine 2000–2014: how does power actually work?	Before class: short video or concise briefing. In class: concept warm-up (“informal power”); guided group research on different dimensions of power; synthesis identifying explanatory strengths and limits.
7	Ukraine after 2014/2022: why did the state not collapse?	Before class: short video or concise briefing. In class: concept warm-up (“resilience”); group-based causal modelling; construction of ranked explanations and testing through removal of key variables.
8	Negotiating Ukraine’s Future: Strategy under Constraint	Preparation: light preparation for group presentation.

Assignments:

This course is designed around intensive in-class analytical work rather than traditional homework. Because sessions take place daily, preparation requirements remain light but consistent.
Students are expected to complete brief preparation before each class (typically one short video or up to 10 pages of reading) and to arrive ready to engage actively in structured group work.

There are three main forms of assessed work:
1. informed preparation and consistent participation in discussion;
2. collaborative in-class analytical work in fixed groups (4–5 students), producing short structured outputs (e.g. argument statements, concept definitions, causal explanations, policy assessments);
3. a final group-based simulation and presentation in the last session.

No long-written assignments are required. All substantial analytical work is completed during class time.

There is no formal written final exam.
The final assessed component takes place in Session 8 and consists of a structured group-based simulation and negotiation exercise.
Students work within assigned roles, develop strategic positions, present arguments, and engage critically with other groups. The session concludes with an attempt to formulate a shared analytical framework or policy-oriented outcome.
Assessment is based on clarity of argumentation, use of evidence, analytical consistency, and engagement with competing interpretations.

Instructions:

Students are expected to familiarize themselves with the broader historical context of Ukraine before the course begins.
"Serhii Plokhy, The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine"
Students are not required to read the book in full, but should complete selected chapters (approx. 80–120 pages) in order to gain a basic chronological framework.

Before the first seminar, students should prepare:

1. one key insight;
2. one open question;
3. one point they find unclear or controversial.

These notes will be used in the opening discussion of Session 1.

Politics

Borders and Population Movement in International Politics
Instructor: Prof. Asli Ilgit (Cukurova University)

Course Description:

An estimated 244 million people (3.3% of the world’s population) today reside in places that are not their countries of origin (UNPF, 2016). An even higher number of people, around 740 million, are internal migrants, i.e., people who have moved within the borders of their own country. This increased mobility of people within and across borders has begun to pose new issues and challenges in international politics. The aim of this course is to offer students the opportunity to familiarize and engage with the debates, theories and research on the political aspect of borders, different migratory movements, and post-migratory processes. For this, we examine several key issue areas under the broad umbrella of border and migration in international politics. The following questions will guide the class: Why do people move? How do migration and transnational politics inform or challenge our understandings of the state, national identity, citizenship, and state sovereignty? What is the relationship between international migration and foreign policy and international security? We will explore these issues through interdisciplinary readings and case studies, with a specific focus on Europe and Germany.

Learning Objectives:

Understand concepts related to borders, population movement and migration and be able to critically analyze them in international political context; Familiarize and engage with the debates, theories and research on the political aspect of borders, different migratory movements and post-migratory processes. Gain knowledge about migration and asylum movements in history and in the current period.

Course Material:

S. Castles, H. de Haas & M. Miller (2020) The Age of Migration: International Population Movements in the Modern World. 6th Edition.

A. C. Diener & Joshua Hagen (2012) Borders: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.

G. Orsini, A. Canessa, L. G. Martínez del Campo & J. Ballantine Pereira (2017): “Fixed Lines, Permanent Transitions. International Borders, Cross-Border Communities and the Transforming Experience of Otherness” Journal of Borderlands Studies.

K. Smets (2024) Visual methods for migration research: approaches, strategies, and challenges’. In Handbook of migration research methods (2nd edition) (edited by William L. Allen & Carlos Vargas-Silva), Edward Elgar Publishing.

J. Hollifield (2004) “The Emerging Migration State” International Migration Review 38 (3): 885-912.

U. Wikan (2000), “Citizenship on Trial: Nadia's Case,” Daedalus 129 (4): 55-76.

D. Mansour-Ille (et al). (2019) “Germany as an Immigration Country: From Denial to Integration.” Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership.

Z. Sahin-Mencutek & M. Erdoğan (2015) “The Implementation of Voting from Abroad: Evidence from the 2014 Turkish Presidential Election,” International Migration.

Tentative Class Schedule

1. Border: What is it? How have the borders rules changed over time? What are current issues & challenges?
Diener & Hagen: Borders: A Very Short Introduction
Orsini et al (2017) ““Fixed Lines, Permanent Transitions. International Borders, Cross-Border Communities and the Transforming Experience of Otherness”

2. The who, where, and why of population movement - How do we think about migration & immigrants?
Castles & Miller, Chs. 1, 2 &3
K. Smets (2024) “Visual methods for migration research:approaches, strategies, and challenges”

3. International Migration
Hollifield, J. (2004) “The Emerging Migration State” International Migration Review 38 (3): 885-912. Castles & Miller, Chapters 5 & 6

4. Rights, Citizenship & Sovereignty
Wikan, U. (2000), “Citizenship on Trial: Nadia's Case,” Daedalus 129 (4): 55-76. Castles & Miller, Ch. 4

5. Security
Castles & Miller, Ch. 10

6. Integration
Castles & Miller, Ch. 13
Mansour-Ille, D. et al. (2019) “Germany as an Immigration Country: From Denial to Integration.”
Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership.

7. Transnationalism & Transnational Politics
Castles & Miller, Ch. 14; Z. Sahin-Mencutek & M. Erdoğan (2015) “The Implementation of Voting from Abroad: Evidence from the 2014 Turkish Presidential Election,” International Migration.

8. Refugee Politics and Global Refugee Regime
Castles & Miller, Ch. 11

9. Student Presentations

Assignments:

- Daily presentation of news around the world and in Germany related to international migration and borders (10%)

- Visual Analysis & Reflection: Apply the concepts from the class readings and in particular Kevin Smet’s (2024) article “Visual methods for migration research: approaches, strategies, and challenges” by analyzing existing visual representations of migration (90%)

Instructions:

1. Select one visual piece related to migration (e.g., news photograph, documentary clip, art piece, or NGO campaign image).

2. Using Smet’s article’s key ideas, analyze the visual:

Content: What is being shown?
Perspective: Who created it, and for what purpose?
Audience: Who is it aimed at, and how might they interpret it?
Narrative: What story does it tell about migration?
Ethics: Were the subjects likely to have given informed consent?

3. Email me your assignment and prepare a short 5-10 minute presentation for the class, showing the image/video and summarizing your analysis on the last day of the class.

Law

German International Criminal Law
Instructor: Dr. Alexander Heinze, LL.M. (Universität Bremen)

Course Description:

This course explores how Germany investigates, prosecutes, and adjudicates International Core Crimes — genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression — and what this reveals about the promise and the limits of international criminal justice at the domestic level. The course uses landmark cases (perpetrators of Syrian state torture, Yazidi genocide, Gambian crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed by IS fighters returning to Germany) as windows onto broader questions: How does a domestic legal system handle crimes committed on the other side of the world? Who gets prosecuted — and who does not? What happens to victims and witnesses in a in a German courtroom that is foreign to them?

The course title, German International Criminal Law, reflects a dual ambition: it is both a category (the body of German law applicable to international crimes) and a programme (a claim that Germany's practice illuminates how domestic systems can — and should — engage with international criminal law). At its foundation lies the Code of Crimes Against International Law (Völkerstrafgesetzbuch, CCAIL, 2002), which transposed the Rome Statute into German law, based on the principle of universal jurisdiction for core crimes.

Each class addresses one or more landmark decisions of German courts — from the Bosnian genocide trials of the 1990s to the Syrian torture convictions and the 2023 Gambia trial in Celle — together with the evidentiary, procedural, and normative questions they raise. Judicial decisions are not treated as ends in themselves but as starting points for analysing recurring challenges: gathering evidence abroad, protecting witnesses across borders, ensuring access to justice for victims, and navigating the politics of prosecution. Earlier jurisprudence will be drawn upon where it informs key doctrinal questions under the CCAIL — most notably the aiding and abetting doctrine developed in the Nazi camp cases (Gröning, Demjanjuk, Irmgard F.), whose expansive approach to liability for systemic crimes has direct relevance for prosecutions under the CCAIL.

A central theme running through all sessions is the tension between German criminal procedure — designed for domestic cases — and the transnational reality of international crimes. Legislative reforms enacted in 2024 have begun to address some of these gaps, yet significant challenges remain, particularly regarding witness protection, language access, trial transparency, and the prosecution of sexual and reproductive violence.

The course closes where justice must begin: with the victims. Germany's mandate under universal jurisdiction is not only to punish perpetrators but also to give a voice to those most affected by International Core Crimes — regardless of where those crimes were committed.

Learning Objectives:

Knowledge & Understanding

• Explain the structure of Germany's Code of Crimes Against International Law (CCAIL) and its relationship to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)
• Describe how universal jurisdiction operates in Germany and how it differs from other bases of jurisdiction (nationality, territoriality)
• Identify the key institutional actors — Federal Public Prosecutor (Generalbundesanwalt), Higher Regional Courts (Oberlandesgerichte), Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) — and explain their roles
• Trace the historical development of international crimes prosecutions in Germany from the post-Yugoslav trials of the 1990s through the CCAIL’s entry into force (2002) to the most recent reforms (2024)

Analysis & Application

• Analyse landmark German judgments — including the Al-Khatib trial (Syria), the Bai L. trial (The Gambia), the Yazidi genocide cases, and IS returnee cases — and extract the broader legal and procedural lessons they illustrate
• Apply the normative, practical, and analytical perspectives of the course to evaluate how well domestic courts can deliver justice for international crimes
• Critically assess recurring challenges: evidence gathering across borders, witness protection in transnational proceedings, language and translation access, and victim participation rights
• Identify areas of tension between German domestic criminal procedure (StPO) and the specific demands of international crimes cases (e.g., selectivity of prosecutions, sexual and reproductive violence, corporate liability)

Transferable Skills

• Evaluate whether Germany's model of domestic ICL enforcement is transferable to other jurisdictions and identify what structural conditions enable or hinder it
• Present legal and factual arguments on a selected case or topic to a mixed (legal and non-legal) audience
• Engage critically with academic literature and NGO reports on German international criminal law

Course Materials:

A. ICL in general:

Ambos, Treatise on ICL

- Volume I: Foundations and General Part, 2nd edition, OUP 2021

- Volume II: The Crimes and Sentencing, 2nd edition, OUP 2022

- Volume III: International Criminal Procedure, 2nd edition, OUP 2025

B. German Criminal Law System in General:
Weigend, Germany, in Elgar Encyclopedia of Crime and Criminal Justice, 530 ff.

C. Most Relevant Cases

I. Nikola Jorgić (Bosnia/Yugoslavia)

OLG Düsseldorf, Judgment of 26 September 1997 (IV 26/96)
BGH, Judgment of 30 April 1999 (3 StR 215/98), BGHSt 45, 64
BVerfG, Decision of 12 December 2000 (2 BvR 1290/99)
ECHR, Judgment of 12 July 2007 (Application No. 74613/01, Jorgić v. Germany)
Case Information Sheet: https://www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org/Case/1088/Jorgić/
Comment: Jeßberger, JICJ 21 (2023), 779 ff.

II. Ignace Murwanashyaka und Straton Musoni (FDLR)

Higher Regional Court (OLG) of Stuttgart, Judgment of 28.09.2015 (AK 5–3 StE 6/10)
Federal Court of Justice (BGH), Judgment from 20.12.2018 (AK 3 StR 236/17)
Case Information Sheet: https://vstgb-datenbank.de/media/pdfs/CIS_Mustervorlage_DrIgnaceMurwanashyaka_englisch_FH_KB.pdf

III. Onesphore Rwabukombe

Higher Regional Court (OLG) Frankfurt, Judgment of 18.2.2014 (5 – 3 StE 4/10 – 4 – 3/10)
Federal Court of Justice (BGH), Immediate appeal of 13.12.2023 (StB 70/23)
Case Information Sheet: https://vstgb-datenbank.de/media/pdfs/CIS_Mustervorlage_OnesphoreRwabukombe_englisch_AG.pdf
Comments:
Ambos, JICJ, 14 (2016), 1221 ff.
Bülte/Grzywotz/Römer/Wolckenhaar, GLJ 16 (2015), 285 ff., https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/german-law-journal/article/monitoring-the-trial-of-onesphore-r-before-the-oberlandesgericht-frankfurt/B614E31760D41C13F5D99D1A9DDE53D3)

IV. Aria L.

Higher Regional Court (OLG) Frankfurt am Main, Judgment of 12.7.2016 (5-3 StE 2/16-4-1/16)
Federal Court of Justice (BGH), Appeal Judgment of 27.7.2017 (3 StR 57/17)
Case Information Sheet: https://vstgb-datenbank.de/media/pdfs/CIS_AriaL_englisch.pdf
Comment: Bergmann/Blenk/Cojger, GLJ 22 (2021), https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/german-law-journal/article/desecration-of-corpses-in-relation-to-81-no-9-german-code-of-crimes-against-international-law-vstgb-the-judgment-of-the-german-federal-court-of-justice-bundesgerichtshof-of-july-27-20173-str-5717/349CFE2C54A647131596D3703440DD30)
=> case extended and confirmed: Kammergericht Berlin, Judgment of 1.3.2017 (2 A 172 OJs 26/16-3/16)

V. Baboucar Bai Lowe

Higher Regional Court (OLG) Celle, Judgment of 30.11.2023 (5 StS 1/22)
Federal Court of Justice (BGH), Appeal Decision of 12.11.2024 (3 StR 238/24)
Case Information Sheet: https://vstgb-datenbank.de/media/pdfs/CIS_Mustervorlage_BabourcarBaiL_englisch_FH_KB.pdf
Comment: Aboueldahab/Freixo/González, JICJ 23 (2025), 353 ff

VI. Syria / Al-Khatib Trial

1. Anwar Raslan

OLG Koblenz, Judgment of 13 January 2022 (1 StE 9/19)
Federal Court of Justice (BGH), Appeal judgment of 20.3.2024 (3 StR 454/22)
Case Information Sheet: https://vstgb-datenbank.de/media/pdfs/CIS_Mustervorlage_AnwarRaslan_englisch_FH_KB.pdf
Comments:
Han, Ethics and International Affairs 36 (2022), 37 ff.
Bock, JICJ 2023, 793 (802 ff.)
Jeßberger, JICJ 2023, 779 (789)

2. Eyad Al-Gharib

Higher Regional Court (OLG) Koblenz, Judgment of 24.2.2021 (1 StE 3/21)
Federal Court of Justice (BGH), Appeal Judgment of 20.4.2022 (3 StR 367/21)
Case Information Sheets:
https://vstgb-datenbank.de/media/pdfs/CIS_Mustervorlage_EyadA_englisch_FH_6Zry42C.pdf
https://www.ecchr.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/ECCHR_AL-KHATIB_second_edition.pdf
Comment: Aboueldahab/Langmack, Minnesota JIL 2022, 1 ff.

VI. Female IS returnees

1. Selected Yazidi Cases

a) Taha Al-J. (Genocide)

Higher Regional Court (OLG) Frankfurt, Judgment of 30.11.2021 (5 – 3 StE 1/20 – 4 – 1/20)
Federal Court of Justice (BGH), Judgment of 30.11.2022 (3 StR 230/22)
Case Information Sheet: https://vstgb-datenbank.de/media/pdfs/CIS_Mustervorlage_TahaAlJ_englisch_KB.pdf

b) Jennifer W., wife of Taha Al‑J. (Crimes against Humanity, aiding and abetting)

Higher Regional Court (OLG) Munich, Judgment of 25.10.2021 (file no. not publicly standardised; terrorism chamber of OLG Munich)
Federal Court of Justice (BGH), Judgment of 20.01.2022 (on the prosecution’s and defence’s appeals; details reported via press and commentary)
Case Information Sheet:
https://vstgb-datenbank.de/media/pdfs/CIS_Mustervorlage_JenniferW_deutsch_KB.pdf
(German)

c) Nadine K. (Crimes against Humanity, Aiding and Abetting genocide)

Higher Regional Court (OLG) Koblenz, first‑instance Judgment of 21.06.2023 (2 StE 9/22)
Federal Court of Justice (BGH), Judgment of 10.07.2025 (3 StR 496/23)
Case Information Sheet:
https://vstgb-datenbank.de/media/pdfs/CIS_Mustervorlage_NadineK_englisch_KB_nGZESzf.pdf

General Comment: Schramm, TLJ 2024, 58 ff., https://www.rewi.uni-jena.de/rewimedia/45474/the-genocide-against-the-yazidis.pdf?nonactive=1&suffix=pdf

2. Female IS returnees – Property crimes

a) Sarah O. (Crimes against Humanity as principal and aider and abettor)

Higher Regional Court (OLG) Düsseldorf, Judgment of 16.06.2021 (7 StS 3/19)
Case Information Sheet:
https://vstgb-datenbank.de/media/pdfs/CIS_Mustervorlage_SarahO_englisch_KB.pdf

b) Jalda A. (Crimes against Humanity, co-perpetrator, aider and abettor)

Hanseatic Higher Regional Court (Hanseatisches OLG), Judgment
of 27.7.2022 (3 St 2/22)
Case Information Sheet:
https://vstgb-datenbank.de/media/pdfs/CIS_Mustervorlage_JaldaA_AR_KB.pdf

3. Female IS returnees – Child Soldier Recruitment
Ursula G.

Higher Regional Court (OLG) Düsseldorf, Judgment of 29.4.2020 (7 StS 4/19)
Case Information Sheet: https://www.eurojust.europa.eu/sites/default/files/Documents/pdf/20.04.29._germany_regional_court_anonymised.pdf

4. Further female IS returnees convicted for war crimes against property (§ 9 CCAIL) and terrorism offences (§§ 129a, 129b CC):

Higher Regional Court (OLG) Düsseldorf, Judgments of 4.12.2019 (2 StE 2/19), 17.12.2019 (5 StS 2/19) and 1.7.2021 (7 StS 3/20);
Higher Regional Court (OLG) Frankfurt, Judgments of 28.5.2021 (5–2 OJs 24/19 – 4/20) and 29.10.2021 (5–2 OJs 29/20 – 1/21);
Higher Regional Court (OLG) Munich, Judgment of 29.4.2020 (7 St 9/19);
Higher Regional Court (OLG) Hamburg, Judgment of 27.7.2022 (3 St 2/22);
Higher Regional Court (OLG) Celle, Judgment of 1.9.2023 (5 St 1/23)

General Comment: Sayatz, JICJ 22 (2024), 445 ff.

VII. Afghan Soldier Case (Functional Immunity)

OLG München, Judgment of 26 July 2019 (8 St 5/19)
Federal Court of Justice, Judgment of 28.1.2021 (3 StR 564/19)
English Translation: https://www.eurojust.europa.eu/sites/default/files/assets/21.01.28._de_federal_court_decision.pdf

Comment:
Epik, JICJ 19 (2021), 1263 ff.
Kreß, Just Security, 31.3.2021, https://www.justsecurity.org/75596/on-functional-immunity-of-foreign-officials-and-crimes-under-international-law/
Ambos, EJIL Talk, 4.1.2024, https://www.ejiltalk.org/international-criminal-law-in-germany-an-overdue-but-incomplete-reform/

Tentative Class Schedule

Class	Topic	Reading/ Assignments/ Additional Practice Materials
1	Introduction and Concepts	Greco, Crime and Criminal Law (Theories on), in Elgar Encyclopedia of Crime and Criminal Justice, 504 ff. Ambos, Treatise on ICL I, 2nd ed., Chapter II A. and B.
2	History and Context	Bock, JICJ 21 (2023), 793 ff. Burghardt, in Jeßberger/Meloni/Crippa, Domesticating ICL (2023), 90 ff. Kaleck/Schüller, JICJ 2023, 857 ff. Elfgen, German Yearbook of International Law 67 (2024), 405 ff.
3	Jurisdiction and Institutions	ICL in general: Ambos, Treatise on ICL III, 2nd ed., Chapter III A. German ICL: Safferling/Petrossian, EuCLR 2021, 243 ff. Boe, JICJ 2025, Mehta/Imani/Melchior, JICJ 22 (2024), 631 ff. Pelliconi/Sironi De Gregorio, EJIL Talk, 7.3.2023, https://www.ejiltalk.org/new-universal-jurisdiction-case-filed-in-germany-for-crimes-committed-in-myanmar-before-and-after-the-coup-on-complementarity-effectiveness-and-new-hopes-for-old-crimes/
4	German ICL General Part I	ICL in general: Ambos, Treatise on ICL I, 2nd ed., Chapters III-V Ambos, Modes of Criminal Responsibility, MPEPIL German ICL: Nerlich, in Jeßberger/Meloni/Crippa, Domesticating ICL (2023), 208 ff.
5	German ICL General Part II	ICL in general: Ambos, Treatise on ICL I, 2nd ed., Chapters VII and VIII German ICL: Ambos, ICLR 21 (2021), 181 ff.
6	German ICL Special Part I	ICL in general: Ambos, Treatise on ICL II, 2nd ed., Chapters I and II Ambos, Crimes under International Law, in Elgar Encyclopedia of Crime and Criminal Justice, 543 ff. German ICL: Epik/Steinl, JICJ 2023, 815 ff.
7	German ICL Special Part II	ICL in general: Ambos, Treatise on ICL II, 2nd ed., Chapters III and IV German ICL: Benschu, ICLR 25 (2025), 112 ff. Geneuss, JICJ 21 (2023), 839 ff. Epik, in Jeßberger/Meloni/Crippa, Domesticating ICL (2023), 218 ff. Studzinsky/Kather, GLJ 22 (2021), 894 ff.
8	Procedure and Evidence	ICL in general: Ambos, Treatise on ICL III, 2nd ed., Chapter IV B. I and Chapter V. German ICL: Aksamitowska, JICJ 19 (2021), 189 ff. Heinze, EJIL Talk, 26.3.2019, https://www.ejiltalk.org/private-investigators-helped-germany-arrest-two-former-syrian-secret-service-officers/ Heinze, in Bergsmo/Dittrich (eds), Integrity in International Justice, 2020, 615 ff. Beck/Ritscher, JICJ 13 (2015), 229 ff.
9	Victims and Outreach	ICL in general: Ambos, Treatise on ICL III, 2nd ed., Chapters II E., III B. and VII A. German ICL and domestic ICL in general: ILA, Report of the Committee on Complementarity in International Criminal Law for Lisbon Conference, 2022, https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/vqvrwy/

Assignments:

Exams:

Oral presentations of 15 minutes on a selected topic and/or case, followed by a short class discussion.

Culture

Cinematic Visions of Human Rights
Instructor: Prof. İlke Şanlıer (Cukurova University)

Course Description:

This course delves into the dynamic intersection of cinema and human rights, exploring how films are powerful tools to document, critique, and advocate for human rights across diverse cultural and historical contexts. Through film analysis, theoretical discussions, and interactive workshops, students will examine topics such as migration, gender equality, environmental justice, freedom of expression, and post-conflict reconciliation as depicted in cinematic narratives. By studying a variety of genres, including feature films, documentaries, and experimental cinema, the course aims to foster critical thinking and a deeper understanding of the ethical, political, and social dimensions of visual storytelling. Participants will also gain insight into how cinema can inspire advocacy, amplify marginalized voices, and drive societal change. Designed for undergraduate and graduate students, the course is ideal for those interested in the transformative potential of cinema in advancing human rights.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, students will:

1. Understand the relationship between cinema and human rights.
2. Gain knowledge on key human rights issues, such as migration, gender equality, environmental justice, and freedom of expression, as represented in cinematic works.
3. Critically evaluate cinematic narratives.
4. Analyze how films reflect, critique, and influence human rights discourses across different cultural and historical contexts.
5. Analyze representation and advocacy in film.
6. Engage in creative discussions to collaboratively explore how films can inspire action and promote human rights in local and global contexts.

Reading Materials:

. “I Am Not Your Negro: A Discussion Guide.” Influence Film Club, pp. 1–2. Retrieved from https://learn.kera.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/I-Am-Not-Your-Negro-DG-Film-Club.pdf, on 26 Dec 2024.

· Amnesty International. (n.d.). What are human rights? Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/human-rights-education/

· Behlil, Melis. “The Act of Killing: An Interview with Joshua Oppenheimer.” Cineaste, vol. 38, no. 3, 2013, pp. 26–31.

· Borum Chattoo, C., & Feldman, L. (2017). Storytelling for social change: Leveraging documentary and comedy for public engagement in global poverty. Journal of Communication, 67(5), 678-701.

· Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241–1299. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039

· Guest, Haden. “Ad Astra per Aspera: An Interview with Patricio Guzmán.” Cineaste, vol. 36, no. 3, 2011, pp. 20–25.

· Khalid, M. (2015). Gender, orientalism, and representations of the 'Other' in the narrative of Malala Yousafzai. Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, 35(3), 539-550.

· Mulvey, L. (1975). Visual pleasure and narrative cinema. Screen, 16(3), 6–18. https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/16.3.6

· Sontag, S. (2003). Regarding the pain of others. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

· Stevens, Isabel. “Every Minute Was Important.” [Interview with Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts.] Sight and Sound, vol. 29, no. 10, 2019, pp. 35–37.

· The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/udhrbook/pdf/udhr_booklet_en_web.pdf, on 30 December 2024.

· UNHCR. (2023). Global trends: Forced displacement in 2022 (Executive summary). Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/global-trends

· Whyte, K. (2017). Indigenous climate justice and settler colonialism. In M. Dietz & H. Garrelts (Eds.), Routledge handbook of climate justice (pp. 74–85). London: Routledge.

Films:

· The Act of Killing. Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, co-dir. Christine Cynn, and Anonymous, 2012.

· I Am Not Your Negro. Directed by Raoul Peck, 2016.

· For Sama. Directed by (pseud.) Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts, 2019.

· Nostalgia for the Light. Directed by Patricio Guzmán, 2010.

· Human Flow. Directed by Ai Weiwei, 2017.

· The Day I Became a Woman. Directed by Marzieh Meshkini, 2000.

· Honeyland. Directed by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov, 2019.

· Persepolis. Directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, 2007.

· He Named Me Malala. Directed by Davis Guggenheim, 2015.

Tentative Class Schedule

Class	Topic	Reading/ Assignments/ Additional Practice Materials
1	Overview of human rights frameworks and cinema as a medium for storytelling and activism	Amnesty International. (n.d.). What are human rights? Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/human-rights-education/ The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/udhrbook/pdf/udhr_booklet_en_web.pdf, on 30 December 2024. Behlil, Melis. “The Act of Killing: An Interview with Joshua Oppenheimer.” Cineaste, vol. 38, no. 3, 2013, pp. 26–31. The Act of Killing. Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, co-dir. Christine Cynn, and Anonymous, 2012.
2	The role of cinema in exposing racism and its historical roots	“I Am Not Your Negro: A Discussion Guide.” Influence Film Club, pp. 1–2. Retrieved from https://learn.kera.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/I-Am-Not-Your-Negro-DG-Film-Club.pdf, on 26 Dec 2024. I Am Not Your Negro. Directed by Raoul Peck, 2016.
3	Impact of war on human rights and justice; resilience and survival during wartime through personal narratives	Stevens, Isabel. “Every Minute Was Important.” [Interview with Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts.] Sight and Sound, vol. 29, no. 10, 2019, pp. 35–37. For Sama. Directed by (pseud.) Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts, 2019.
4	How cinema addresses memory, trauma, and reconciliation in post-conflict societies	Guest, Haden. “Ad Astra per Aspera: An Interview with Patricio Guzmán.” Cineaste, vol. 36, no. 3, 2011, pp. 20–25. Nostalgia for the Light. Directed by Patricio Guzmán, 2010.
5	The cinematic depictions of migration, refugees, and displacement	UNHCR. (2023). Global trends: Forced displacement in 2022 (Executive summary). Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/global-trends Human Flow. Directed by Ai Weiwei, 2017.
6	How cinema advocates for gender equality and addresses intersectional challenges.	Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241–1299. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039 Mulvey, L. (1975). Visual pleasure and narrative cinema. Screen, 16(3), 6–18. https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/16.3.6 The Day I Became a Woman. Directed by Marzieh Meshkini, 2000.
7	The connections between environmental justice, Indigenous rights, and human rights cinema.	Whyte, K. (2017). Indigenous climate justice and settler colonialism. In M. Dietz & H. Garrelts (Eds.), Routledge handbook of climate justice (pp. 74–85). London: Routledge. Honeyland. Directed by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov, 2019.
8	The challenges of censorship and artistic freedom in human rights cinema.	Sontag, S. (2003). Regarding the pain of others. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Persepolis. Directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, 2007.
9	Transformative potential of cinema in inspiring advocacy and social change.	Khalid, M. (2015). Gender, orientalism, and representations of the 'Other' in the narrative of Malala Yousafzai. Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, 35(3), 539-550. Borum Chattoo, C., & Feldman, L. (2017). Storytelling for social change: Leveraging documentary and comedy for public engagement in global poverty. Journal of Communication, 67(5), 678-701. He Named Me Malala. Directed by Davis Guggenheim, 2015.

Assignments:

1. Relexive Written Memos

- Two relexive memos during the course

- Each memo should be 500-700 words

2. Group Presenation or Pair Essay

Option A: 20-slide group presentation on a short film

Option B: 1,500-word pair Essay

(You will recieve more information about the assignments during the course)

Supplement Course

The supplement course 'German History, from Antiquity to the Present' will provide additional insight into the topics discussed in the main seminars. The workload of the supplement course will count towards the total ECTS - the attendance of the supplement course is obligatory.

The course consists of 18 class room hours and takes place from 4:15 pm – 5:45 pm in week 1&2.

The objective of this course is to provide an overview of German culture, history and politics and thereby allowing the students to gain a better understanding of Germany today. Participants will learn to trace contemporary cultural and political phenomena in key historical moments as well as learn about basics like the political system. This will help them to understand current developments and debates in Germany and in Europe and provide further background regarding the main topic of the ISU.

Supplement Course

German History, from Antiquity to the Present
Instructor: Dr. Alex Burkhardt (Marburg)

Course Description:

This supplementary course provides a brief overview of German history, from the relationship of early Germanic tribes with the Roman Empire to the role of a united Germany in the European Union.

Course Objectives:

To provide participants with a broad overview of the course of German history from antiquity to the present.

Course Materials:

Mary Fulbrook, A Concise History of Germany (2nd ed., 2004)

Class Schedule:

1. Meet and Greet
Mary Fulbrook, A Concise History of Germany (2nd ed., 2004)

2. 0 – 500 AD: The Germans and Rome
Peter S. Wells, The Battle That Stopped Rome: Emperor Augustus, Arminius, and the Slaughter of the Legions in the Teutoburg Forest (2003)

3. 500 – 1800: The Holy Roman Empire
Joachim Whaley, Germany and the Holy Roman Empire, 1493–1806 (2012)

4. 1800 – 1914:German Unification
David Blackbourn, History of Germany 1780–1918: The Long Nineteenth Century (1997)

5. 1914 – 1933: The First World War and the Weimar Republic
Alexander Watson, Ring of Steel: Germany and Austria-Hungary in World War I (2014)

6. 1933 – 1945: The Third Reich
Richard J. Evans, The Third Reich at War 1939–1945 (2008)

7. 1945 – 1989: A Divided Germany
Paul Betts, Ruin and Renewal: Civilizing Europe after World War II (2020)

8. 1989 – 2005: German Unification
Jana Hensel, After the Wall: Confessions from an East German Childhood and the Life that Came Next (2004)

9. 2005 – now: Germany and Europe
Paul Lever, Berlin Rules: Europe and the German Way (2017)

ASSIGNMENTS

Group work and presentations

Field Trips

The field trips are an important and exciting part of the program. They count towards your total ECTS credits (see above) while offering a great chance to get to experience everyday life in Germany.

There are a miniumum of two trips, one including overnight with accomodation in a hostel, organized each program. All costs for the trips (travel, accommodation including breakfast and city tour) are included in the program fee, personal expenses are not included.

Dates and destinations 2026:
July 25 or 26: tba
July 31 - August 2: Weimar (overnight)
August 9: Kassel (day-trip)

tba
Field Trip Weimar

In Weimar students will learn about the large cultural heritage of the city and its importance in German history. A guided tour will show you as you wander the same streets as famous German writers and political figures. As part of the two-day visit, a a visit to the memorial site of Buchenwald is planned, which was one of the biggest concentration camps during the Nazi regime and now serves as a memorial site and therewith a place of historical understanding. A visit to a site like this is always a deeply moving experience, that does not only teach about the atrocities committed by the German Nazis, but also reminds us of the importance of values such as freedom, human dignity, tolerance and justice that by far are not self-evident and always must be defended.
Field Trip Kassel

We want these trips to be a pleasant experience for all the participants and the ISU team. Therefore, please come prepared and be on time.

*After you successfully completed your application you will receive a Marburg University students account. With this account you will be able to log into the online learning platform ILIAS in June. There you can access some of the readings for your seminar before you arrive.