Climate, Culture and Catastrophes. Environmental history in preindustrial Europe

Course content

In this course students will explore how Europeans in preindustrial times exploited and altered their natural environment, what and how they perceived and portrayed nature, and how they related to the forces of nature that influenced their lives. The course aims at providing a general introduction to the developments of interactions between people/societies and nature before 1750. An important aim is to give students a good understanding of the methodology and in the research status of environmental history in preindustrial times. Pivotal themes are perception and presentation of nature, use of resources and adaptation to ecosystems. Particular focus will be placed on dramatic natural phenomena such natural catastrophes, epidemies and extensive climatic changes. How were these understood and dealt with? What were the political, economic, social and cultural consequences? Themes are chosen from different countries and periods. Examples of possible topics:

• Perceptions and conceptions of nature.
• Exploitation and consumption of natural resources in rural and urban environments.
• Oceans, forest and mountains as ecosystems and resources.
• Energy in a thousand-year perspective.
• Nature and political legitimization.
• Relationship to natural disasters, epidemies and climatic crisis.

The course also provides an introduction to theoretical and methodological issues in relation to the different topics and themes analysed in the lectures.

The course is mainly source and activity-based, with individual and digital assignments

Learning outcome:

A candidate who passes this course is expected to have the following learning outcome according to the course curriculum, defined as knowledge and skills:

Knowledge

The candidate

• has an overview over central stages of developments in the relationship between nature and culture before 1750-
• is familiar with different aspects of this relationship when it comes to environment, types of resources and their use (economic, political and cultural).
• has knowledge about natural crisis and their consequences on societies before 1750.
• has knowledge about the historiography, the theories and methodology within the field of environmental history in preindustrial times.

Skills

The candidate is able to

• use his knowledge to analyse and reason on the themes and topics discussed in the course.
• use case-studies and the source material to discuss different themes and processes within environmental history.
• Develop different presentation technics (digital/oral/written) in order to discuss different themes within the field.

Lectures and/or seminars