Contention over moments of ‘continuity’ and ‘rupture’ have fundamentally shaped scholarly debates not only in German Studies but also in a range of other national historiographies and fields of inquiry. Establishing narratives of developments have made these concepts indispensable to scholarly analysis. In history, for example, both terms have proven essential given the need for periodization. At the same time, they have also often proved problematic in capturing both complex interactions of ‘strands’ of continuity and rupture and processes of more evolutionary change. This workshop seeks to advance critical reflection on these concepts, their usefulness and potential limits as narrative devices in a broad array of disciplines that intersect with German Studies, including Anthropology, Art History, Film Studies, Gender Studies, History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Sociology. Examples of suitable topics include, but are by no means limited to work that reflect on:
- Questions of periodization
- Themes of continuity and rupture in literature and literary movements
- Questions of continuity and rupture of pre- and post-war histories with the period of the Third Reich
- Use of continuity and rupture as narrative devices/nuanced uses of the term
- Continuity and rupture in political and social movements, both within Germany and comparatively
- Continuity and rupture in the structuring of national and international institutions
FORMAT: The event serves as a forum for Berlin Program fellows and alumni, but invites participation of all other scholars. During the workshop, scholars will present for ten minutes on papers that participants will have read prior to the beginning of the workshop. A substantial period of time will be reserved at the end of the panels for discussion of the papers.
APPLICATION & DEADLINE: Please submit a 250-word abstract and a two-page CV by February 15, 2017 to bprogram@zedat.fu-berlin.de
REQUIREMENTS: Presenters are required to submit a 25-page paper or an existing publication of similar length and a one-page bio for circulation to workshop participants by (deadline). All workshop participants are asked to read these submissions prior to the workshop. A selection of two or three optional background readings may also be circulated.
SUGGESTIONS FOR BACKGROUND READINGS: Presenters will be invited to suggest one text (max. 25 pages) for the optional background reading list.