Professor of History Daniel Schönpflug visited Bard College Berlin for a series of guest seminars as part of a new course on the French Revolution

Prof. Dr. Daniel Schönpflug, Professor of History at Freie Universität and Director of Research at Berlin's prestigious Wissenschaftskolleg, visited Bard College Berlin this semester for a series of seminars as part of a new interdisciplinary course on Interpreting the French Revolution taught by Professor of Politics Ewa Atanassow. 

Few events in the history of the modern world have inspired such intense admiration and equally intense horror beyond the time and place of their unfolding. The values associated with the French Revolution – equality, liberty, fraternity  - marked a radical departure from a political system based on hierarchy and absolutism, and were greeted with hope and enthusiasm by contemporaries and posterity alike. Yet within a few years from its outbreak, revolutionary change gave way to factional conflict, dictatorship, mass terror, and warfare on a planetary scale, whose meaning and ramifications are still passionately debated today. Often viewed as the birth date of political modernity, 1789 and its aftershocks were also the crucible in which modern political thinking was forged. Along with fashioning the values and vocabulary that inspired revolutionary struggles worldwide, the French Revolution catalyzed the emergence of ideological currents – liberalism, conservatism, socialism, feminism, anticolonialism – that continue to shape modern politics.
 
Bridging history, political, social and legal theory, and questions of historical hermeneutics, Interpreting the French Revolution is the first class of its kind taught at Bard College Berlin. One student, Davit Chankseliani '27, states, "Before this class, I had never studied the French Revolution. Therefore, I had only a general idea of what happened, based on the impressions acquired from the mainstream interpretation of the event. However, Prof. Schönpflug broadened my understanding of the revolution, showcasing its multifaceted nature... As a student of political science, I appreciated the opportunity to dive deep into the recount and analysis of such a foundational event."

Having advised on the syllabus, Prof. Schönpflug helped lead the proceedings for the first seven weeks. He introduced students to the core actors and events that charted the course of the French Revolution as well as to the main historiographical approaches and intellectual controversies surrounding its interpretation, from the eighteenth century till today. Professor Schönpflug’s presence was a unique opportunity for BCB students to engage with the frameworks and methods of modern history and to learn first hand from a distinguished scholar in the field. 
 

Post Date: 11-19-2025