Interpreting Culture (202-0-20)

Topic

Poland in the 20th Century

Instructors

Clare A Cavanagh
847/467-2360
1880 Campus Dr. (Kresge) Office 3222
Office Hours: Wednesdays 2-3pm

Meeting Info

University Hall 122: Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM

Overview of class

Poland in the 20th Century

Over the last century, Poland has undergone an extraordinary range of transformations and traumas: the end of partition among three empires (Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian) leading to the brief period of interwar independence; Nazi conquest, and the virtual elimination of Poland's Jewish population; Soviet subjugation; Solidarity and the revolt against Soviet rule; martial law; and in 1989, independence once again. Poland's shifting borders and the complex history and politics they represent provide a unique point of entry into modern European history. In this course, we will explore the distinctive ways in which history and culture combine in a colonized nation at Europe's heart by way of novels, films, essays, memoirs, journalism, and poetry. Authors to be read will include Nobel Laureates Czesław Miłosz, Wisława Szymborska, and Olga Tokarczuk.

Class Attributes

Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area