History: Vienna and Berlin 1814-1914

This six week online course is suitable to all learners who have a general interest in history and culture, and no prior knowledge is expected. We will explore the history of both cities.

Topics will include for VIENNA – how its importance was solidified by the Congress of Vienna in 1814-15; the development of the Ringstrasse, the massive migration to the city as a result of large-scale industrialisation. Also covered are the Mayerling incident and what it meant for the monarchy; the Viennese waltz and the personality of the composer Johann Strauss the younger; the ideas and activities of Sigmund Freud, Theodor Herzl, Adolf Hitler and Leon Trotsky; and how music and art changed over this period.

Topics will include for BERLIN – the history of the city from the end of the Napoleonic Wars to the First World War. We will also look at how Berlin grew in importance over preceding centuries; the major changes in the layout of the city and the growth of the railways which allowed industrial expansion, and how the city was “modernised” in other ways, with many new building projects leading it to be compared to an American city at the end of the century; cultural developments; political events, including the revolution in 1848 which briefly saw the creation of a German empire for all German-speaking states – something that finally happened, in a different form, in 1871; and some of the personalities based in the city during this period.