New minor: Understanding the present through history

Professor Wessely, why do we need to look back to understand the present?

We live in a time of great political, economic, and social upheaval. Political, ecological, and economic crises—all these phenomena have a history. If we view them in isolation, they remain incomprehensible. The title is also deliberately not narrowed down to cultural, political, or social history, but kept open in order to appeal to students from different disciplines. All faculties at our university deal intensively with contemporary issues: sustainability and social change, the major transformations of our time. However, these highly topical issues can only be understood in all their complexity if one understands them in their historical context. This is exactly where the minor comes in.

What does the study program involve in terms of content?

We start the first semester with a broad overview lecture on the “History of Modernity.” We begin around 1800 because we are convinced that key ideas developed around this time—such as concepts of economic activity and coexistence, knowledge production, and understanding of nature—are still relevant today. 

Why 1800 in particular?

The new ideas mentioned above can be traced back to the fact that around 1800, “history” emerged as a specific form of knowledge about events. The experience of the French Revolution led to a divergence between the “space of experience” and the “horizon of expectation,” as historian Reinhardt Koselleck called it: Whereas until then, (European) people could be sure of leading the same life and having the same experiences as previous generations, the Revolution represented a break that opened up the idea of an “open future.” Humans no longer see themselves as at the mercy of events and nature—which, since Darwin at the latest, has also been recognized as historical—but understand themselves as active creators. Against this backdrop, previously held ideas about humans, the world, and knowledge were renegotiated.

What thematic specializations are available to students?

We consciously respond to the diversity of content and disciplines at Leuphana. One focus is the history of knowledge. Here, we deal with the history of ecological thinking, for example, and examine the history of concepts such as the environment, ecosystem, and Anthropocene. Courses on the history of economics and seminars on the history of technology are also available. All of these courses focus on understanding how knowledge is created, how it changes, and how it affects society. 

The “Media of History” module—another focus within the minor—offers courses ranging from the history of computers to the history of artificial intelligence. 

The study program concludes with archival work. Why do you place methodology at the end of the program? 

Working with sources is not just a technique, but requires historical knowledge and conceptual confidence. Without an understanding of the political, social, and cultural contexts, it is difficult to interpret sources meaningfully. 

Can historical knowledge help us make better decisions?

The idea of “learning from history” has a long history itself, so I wouldn't use it as the motto for the minor. But having historical expertise undoubtedly helps us to better understand the challenges of the present and, yes, perhaps also to make informed and reflective decisions. Beyond that, however, knowledge of history is also education in the classical sense: it allows us to recognize that our current knowledge, our convictions, and even our feelings are historical. I consider this insight to be extremely helpful, especially in view of the often heated debates of the present. 

Thank you very much for the interview!