History of the Low Countries

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The emphasis in this course is on the emotions which people experience with respect to their country, its history and culture. The complex history of the Low Countries, with its di¿erent nations, its many links to the wider European world and beyond, and its traditions of economic success and cultural excellence, provides a good example of the range of issues on which human emotions focus and in this way shape history. From the civic pride in the medieval cities, over the ri¿s caused by the Dutch revolt, to the issue of regional identities in a unifying Europe, the course of Low Countries history is followed chronologically. Special attention is given to the history prior to the twentieth century and the many ways in which this history has shaped contemporary society and has left numerous traces in the country and the minds of the people. For the recent history emphasis is on the constantly shifting meanings of people's historical memories under the influence of such issues as nationalism and regionalism, wartime experiences, migrations in the modern world etc.