Berlin: Its History and Art
HIST 217A / 317A, 3 credits

Excursion Highlights

  • Berlin in 1750: the Architectural Center
  • Unter den Linden, Berlin's most famous Boulevard
  • The Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate
  • Checkpoint Charlie
  • The Kudamm
  • Museum Island
  • The Museum of Jewish History

Course Itinerary

11-18 August 2012
Berlin, Germany


"Berlin ist mehr ein Weltteil als eine Stadt" ("Berlin is rather a part of the world than a city")
-Jean Paul, writer, 1800

A European center of cultural dynamism and political power, Berlin is much more than the commonly held image of Third Reich bombast and Cold War tensions. Established on the banks of the Spree River, Berlin has seen architectural splendor, theater, and art, along with philosophical, literary, and scientific dynamism - all evolving side-by-side with the erratic legacy of the ambitious Hohenzollern royal dynasty, the cataclysmic Nazi Third Reich, and the wintery years of East and West Cold War divisions. Berlin is a city that enthralls the observer today with its cultural contributions while simultaneously producing a sense of bafflement at the raw ambitions and ideals of the city's driven political leaders during the last 300 years.

Topics include:

  • Berlin and the rise of Prussia: A center of Hohenzollern dynastic power and glory
  • The years of Napoleon and the aftermath: Invasion, preservation, and cultural growth
  • Bismarck and the unification of Germany: A Hohenzollern triumph
  • Berlin and the disaster of World War I
  • The Weimar Republic: Cultural splendor and political catastrophe
  • The Nazis come to Berlin: A city at the heart of the Third Reich
  • Cold War divisions and the final reunification: Berlin rises from the ashes

Faculty member: Bruce Hull, e-mail bhull@faculty.ed.umuc.edu

Accommodation and transportation

For your convenience, UMUC coordinates the hotel and excursion arrangements for a flat fee of $550 per student, in addition to the course tuition cost. This fee will be charged to your student account and covers seven nights of lodging (double occupancy room), as well as local transportation costs and entry to all excursions. Single rooms are available upon request for an additional fee of $200.

The $550 fee does not include travel to and from the city where the course is held. Students must make their own travel arrangements to the course.

Textbooks and course materials

Textbooks can be ordered through webText Europe - a secure, online textbook service designed to make your textbook ordering quick and simple. You can also receive on-site assistance from your local field representative. For a detailed listing of required textbooks and early reading assignments, please see the current course syllabus found in the schedule.

Registration details

You may register for the 3 credit field study course with your local field representative or online at MyUMUC. Tuition assistance or financial aid can be applied toward tuition costs. For more information, contact the UMUC Field Study Office at DSN 314-370-6762, CIV +49-(0)6221-3780, or e-mail fieldstudies@europe.umuc.edu.

Registration deadline: 22 July 2012

Important! Before completing your travel plans, please verify with your local field representative or the Field Study Office in Heidelberg that the course will be held as scheduled. Students who drop/withdraw from a field study course after the registration deadline will be charged a fee of $100.

Last updated: 8 November 2011