Professur für Transregionale Wissenskulturen

This course explores the historical trajectories of major pan-ideological movements, such as Pan-Slavism, Pan-Islamism, and Pan-Turkism that emerged in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries against the backdrop of the political, cultural, and intellectual landscape of Eurasia’s empires. These movements were reimaginations of identity, sovereignty, and civilization, articulated both as forms of liberation from imperial rule, particularly that of the Russian and Ottoman Empires, and as alternatives to the diverse geopolitical formations of Eurasia. They sought to transcend nation-state boundaries and cultivate transnational solidarities along linguistic, religious, or racial lines, even though they often lacked clear institutional structures to achieve that aim. They were not just reactions to imperialism, but often appropriated imperial strategies themselves.

Centering these movements in their own right, this course aims to answer the following questions: In what ways did pan-movements in Eurasia both draw from and contribute to the global pan-ideologies of their time, and through what means did local actors connect with these transnational networks? How did they grapple with internal diversities and hierarchies shaped by ethnic, religious, linguistic, and regional differences? How did these movements navigate the tension between participating in global anti-colonial struggles and advancing ambitions that could be seen as proto-imperial? At the end of this course, students will gain a nuanced understanding of the forms and discourses through which these pan-movements have contested modern states in Eurasia, including Turkey, Iran, Russia, and the states of Central Asia and the Caucasus, and how they continue to shape contemporary debates on identity, empire, and resistance.

All readings will be in English, and the course will be conducted in English. Students are encouraged to bring relevant linguistic and regional expertise into class discussions. 

This course offers an exploration of the history of Russia’s imperial borderlands, beginning with Russian territorial expansion in the sixteenth century and continuing through to the early Soviet period. It traces the formation, development, and evolution of Russian strategies toward its ever-expanding, and therefore increasingly diverse and contested, frontier territories. The course illuminates how the Russian Empire managed the complexities that arose from encounters with a range of ethno-religious groups, including Turko-Mongolic peoples, Cossacks, Old Believers, Ukrainians and other Slavic populations, Kazakhs, Bashkirs, Jews, among others. By examining selected groups from both eastern and western borderlands, the course offers a comparative analysis of Russian colonial policies and investigates how these communities, in turn, helped shape those policies. Special attention will be given to cross-border connections and trans-imperial networks that influenced decision-making and governance.

The course culminates in a study of how nationalist ideologies and new models of state formation penetrated Russia’s imperial borderlands throughout the long nineteenth century, and how various ethno-religious groups in these regions responded to critical moments, such as uprisings, revolutions, and wars, all of which were marked by cross-border entanglements. This provides valuable historical context for understanding how these borderlands transitioned into the Soviet regime and invites reflection on a broader question: How did dynamic and evolving imperial legacies in Eurasia shape, and at times challenge, this transformation? By exploring patterns of territorial expansion, socio-cultural interaction, and shifting power dynamics over several centuries, the course sheds light on the deep-rooted complexities underlying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

All readings will be in English, and the course will be conducted in English. Students are encouraged to bring relevant linguistic and regional expertise into class discussions.

In dieser Lehrveranstaltung werden Studierende sich mit digitalen Archiven und der Erstellung wissenschaftlicher Kurzvideos befassen. Unsere ersten Sitzungen werden Studierenden die Chance bieten, sich in Arbeitsgruppen aufzuteilen und anhand der digitalisierten Archive des Völkerbunds ein Forschungsprojekt zur Geschichte des Internationalismus zu entwickeln. Anschließend werden sie ein Drehbuch für ein wissenschaftliches Kurzvideo zu ihrem Thema erarbeiten und dieses in dem Produktionsstudio der UR drehen. Zuletzt werden sie lernen, ihre Aufnahmen mit DaVinci Resolve in Videos zu schneiden. Nach Abschluss des Lehrprojekts werden Studierende mehr über internationale Organisationen wissen, digitale Archive nutzen können und über die Chancen des Formats Video kritisch reflektieren können.

This seminar examines the history of modern Afghanistan from the beginning of the nineteenth century to today, exploring themes such as British and Russian imperialism; pan-Islamism and anti-colonialism; the Cold War and Soviet interventions; and American foreign policy and the “war on terror.” Challenging notions of Afghanistan as the “graveyard of empires,” the seminar explores themes beyond war and religion and examines Afghanistan as a laboratory for global trends and currents. Students will work with primary sources in translation that explore the perspectives of Afghans as well as the foreign powers (British Empire, Soviet Union, United States) that have aspired to transform Afghanistan throughout history.

This seminar is paired with the lecture "Transregional Eurasia, 1850s-Present" (33150a). For details take a look at the comment of the lecture.

This course examines the history of modern Eurasia from the middle of the nineteenth century to the present, focusing on interconnections between empires and polities in the post-Mongol space (Russia, China, the Ottoman lands; Central Asia, Iran; India, and Northeast Asia). Lectures take up questions of colonialism and conquest empires; inter-imperial competition; borderlands and minorities; wars and imperial dissolution; and the transformation of governance and institutions after revolutions. Intended to serve as a gateway for students interested in trans-regional area studies and history, this course is paired with an Übung (33150b) that emphasizes work with primary sources in translation.