European History Field Studies

On completion of this module students will/should be able to demonstrate the importance of how first-hand field explorations can enhance one’s knowledge and understanding of the public history and heritage of a major European city (e.g. Berlin).

1. Gain a better knowledge of Europe, from medieval times to the present, by familiarising themselves with the history and heritage of a destination (e.g. Berlin), including: its streetscape, historic sites, buildings, museums, memorials, and tourism products;

2. Produce an original heritage trail for the destination, including: a synopsis of key attractions (e.g. historic sites, buildings, museums, and memorials), a map of the route of a tour, photographs, and travel directions;

3. Furnish a comparative study of how the histories of the destination are exhibited and retold (e.g. at the Deutsches Historisches Museum [the German Historical Museum] and Märkische Museum [one of five museums belonging to the Stadtmuseum Berlin Foundation]);

4. Offer an informed analysis of the public history, memory and heritage of a key event (e.g. the Holocaust in Berlin), through a combination of field evidence and perspectives gleaned from academic literature;

5. Enhance their understanding of the European history through fieldwork and an appreciation of scholarship in heritage studies, public history, memory studies, and museology;

6. Demonstrate accomplished communication, discussion, interpretation, presentation, and writing skills;

7. Demonstrate an ability to utilise a broad range of primary and secondary sources (e.g. blogs, books, book chapters, dissertations, field evidence, films, journal articles, magazine articles, manuscripts, maps, newspaper articles, podcasts, theses, websites, and videos);

8. Draw on the past to comprehend the present and grasp the importance of securing the future, thus linking to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).