Society, Politics, and Daily Life in Fin-de-Siècle Vienna

The course covers the period from the 1860s to 1918 in the capital of the Habsburg Monarchy Vienna and deals also partly with the interwar period.

In the first part, the social system (dynasty, nobility, ennobled bourgeoisie, bourgeoisie, workers and outsiders) is discussed intensively. Education and social behavior of each social group are discussed.

In the second part, the politics of the city of Vienna during this period is analyzed (city expansion and improvement of the infrastructure, the administration of the city, the parties and their programs, etc.).

The third part centers on education, medical care and its progress, the emancipation of minorities and especially women.

The fourth part examines some exemplary aspects of everyday life in its social differentiation, topics such as living, dressing, eating and drinking, as well as amusement and participation in social events and sports will be the focus.

Requirements and grading: The grading is based on participation during class (20%), a paper (30%) and the final exam (essay type) (50%). The paper can be written on a topic of the student's choice (in consultation with the lecturer) in the form of an essay (minimum 6,000 characters).