HIST 089-001 (First Year Seminar in History)

Women’s Voices: European History In Female Memory

Karen Hagemann

The course examines nineteenth and twentieth century European history through the lenses of women’s autobiographical writings. It explores women’s voices from different generational, social and national backgrounds and asks what formed their memories. We will read autobiographical texts by eight women who tried to make a difference in society, politics or culture: ADELHEID POPP (1869-1939), an Austrian working class woman and social democratic activist; ALICE SALOMON (1872-1948), a liberal Jewish-German social reformer who advocated women's rights and social justice; EMMELINE PANKHURST (1858-1928), the leader of the radical wing of the suffragist movement; VERA BRITTAIN (1893-1970), a British student who volunteered in World War I as a nurse and later became a peace activist; TONI SENDER (1888-1964), one of the first female parliamentarians in Weimar Germany; RUTH KLÜGER (1931-), an Austrian-Jewish Student who survived Ausschwitz and later became a professor for German literature in the United States; GENEVIEVE DE GAULLE-ANTHONIOZ (1920-2002), a member of the French resistance against Nazi occupation and a survivor of the women’s concentration camp Ravensbrueck; and JELLA LEPMAN (1891-1870), a German-Jewish writer, who migrated with her family 1936 to Britain, returned with the American occupation troops after 1945 to Germany and worked for the Re-education program.

Overarching themes of our exploration of the experiences and memories of these women will include their upbringing in the family, their education and workforce experiences, their struggles for equal economic, social and political rights, their experiences of the two World Wars, and the Holocaust. By the close reading and intensive discussion of these eight autobiographical accounts and related background readings the course offers a unique perspective on Modern European history and introduces student into historical research. The major questions of the course are what we can learn from the experiences and the memories of these female voices and who can we present them to a broader audience? The planned result is a small exhibition of posters in which each student presents one women.

Format of the course

Active learning will play a crucial role in the course. Classes will center on the discussions of the assigned readings, therefore you should complete the reading assignment for all classes and note at least three questions for the discussion of the reading for each class. The course has no midterm and final examination. Instead, you will have to choose one autobiographical account listed at the end of the syllabus and present the live and work of this woman at the end of the term to the other students with a 10-minute presentation and a poster. This poster should present the bio of the author and her autobiography with short texts and selected images and make the argument why this person is still important today. For preparation you will be asked to write a 10-page essay (including cover page and bibliography) about the live and work of this woman and her autobiography, which should – like the oral presentation – focus on the following five questions:

1)    Why did you choose this autobiography? Why do the experiences and memories of the author resonate with you today?

2)    What is for you most important in her live and work?

3)    Why was this woman important in her time?

4)    How is this woman a reflection of her historical period?

5)    What is the major theme in her autobiography? What formed her memories and writing?

Support by the UNC Graduate Research Consultant Program
In this course, you will be working with a Graduate Research Consultant who will assist you in the research project. The GRC Program is sponsored by the Office for Undergraduate Research (www.unc.edu/depts/our). I encourage you to visit this website to see other ways that you might engage in research, scholarship and creative performance while you are at Carolina.