“If the past has been an obstacle and a burden, knowledge of the past
is the safest and the surest emancipation” Lord Acton (1834-1902)
The Department of History and Civilization (HEC) offers a distinctive programme of transnational and comparative European history. Transcending nation-state paradigms, our programme studies the construction of Europe's boundaries and the diversity and complexity of experiences within them.
Our central concerns are the interlinking of European societies since the Renaissance and the complex cultural legacies that have shaped contemporary Europe. The HEC community is also committed to exploring the place of Europe in the world through the study of empires, global processes and institutions.
The rich variety of research approaches and themes, as well as the broad background of its professors, enable the Department to recruit high-quality Ph.D. candidates and to host outstanding research fellows, thereby forming a vibrant and international academic community.
New Appointments in the Department
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Stéphane Van Damme, Sciences Po Paris, will take up the Chair in History of Science in September 2013
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Alexander Etkind, Cambridge University, will take up the Mikhail M. Bakhtin Chair in Russia-Europe Relations in September 2013
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Regina Grafe, Northwestern University, will take up the Chair in Early Modern History of Europe in September 2013
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Pieter M. Judson, Swarthmore College Pennsylvania, will take up the Chair in 19th and 20th Century History in January 2014