Life in the 19th Century European City: The Grimness and the Glory

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Urban civilization as we know it was born in 19th century Europe. Rarely have the bright and dark sides of progress been so starkly juxtaposed as in the cities immortalized by writers such as Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, and Fyodor Dostoevsky, with their railroads, department stores, and other modern wonders, but also their slums, cholera, and ubiquitous coal smoke. Those cities were the first to confront the challenges that cities have faced ever since: How can a government unify the people, police the streets, and preserve a livable environment? How can society organize itself to build infrastructure, develop the economy, integrate immigrants, educate the young, and uplift the poor? How can everyday men and women enjoy the city's wealth and freedom without becoming trapped by its cruelty and alienation? In this course, through modern scholarship and through fiction, journalism, images, and other sources from the period, we will explore the grimness and the glory of the 19th century European city.