Peace. From Antiquity to the Present Day

How people have sought to establish and maintain peace since antiquity

People have always longed for peace, but they have never been able to maintain it in the long term. Drawing on many examples from European history, researchers at the Cluster of Excellence present the strategies, behavioural patterns and methods that people have used to establish and maintain peace from antiquity to the present day. For example, they focus in the multimedia dossier “Peace: From antiquity to the present day” on trust as a prerequisite for peace from the Middle Ages to the Cold War, on the oldest peace treaty in the world, on a philosophical critique of the current use of combat drones, and on the role of religious music in war and peace.

Many years of research at the Cluster of Excellence on the subject of peace gave rise to the idea and underlying concept behind the exhibition “Peace. From antiquity to the present day”, which presented a variety of exhibits at five locations in Münster, the city of the Peace of Westphalia, from 28 April to 2 September 2018. Internationally recognised researchers addressed the subject of peace in 21 presentations at the Cluster of Excellence’s public conference in Münster, “Peace: Theories, images and strategies from antiquity to the present day”, from 22 to 25 May 2018.

“Peace has only recently become the most important goal in politics”

According to historians, the political goal of peace has never been as important as it is today. “Whoever deemed peace to be the most important political goal in 1913 was in a minority”, says contemporary historian Prof. Dr. Hans-Ulrich Thamer from the Cluster of Excellence. The positive view of peace only became a majority view with the peace movement of the 1980s.

Prof. Dr. Hans-Ulrich Thamer in a short video and with a press release about the peace movement then and now

“Love displaces violence”

According to researchers, artists from antiquity to the present day have repeatedly used the same symbols and metaphors to represent peace. “Dove or rainbow, kiss or embrace, peace banquet, the horror of war, or the victory of love over violence – artistic representations of peace have a long tradition”, says art historian Prof. Dr. Eva-Bettina Krems from the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics”.

Prof. Dr. Eva-Bettina Krems in a short video and with a press release on recurring images of peace in art from antiquity to the present day

What the oldest peace treaty in the world teaches us

According to archaeologists, the oldest surviving peace treaty in the world refutes the widespread notion that the ancient world achieved peace not through negotiation, but always by humiliating the losers. “More than 3,200 years ago, Egyptians and Hittites pledged mutual support in the treaty; neither triumphed. This must have been preceded by many negotiations”, says Dr. Helge Nieswandt from the University of Münster’s Archaeological Museum.

Dr. Helge Nieswandt in a short video and with a press release on peace and prosperity in antiquity

“Peace treaties have always only succeeded when there is genuine trust”

Gifts, peace banquets and rituals of reconciliation: according to historians, peace treaties throughout history have been particularly successful when trust could be established between the parties. “Cross-epochal studies show that, while not a panacea, measures to build trust do increase the chances of peace”, says medieval historian Prof. Dr. Gerd Althoff.

Prof. Dr. Gerd Althoff in a short video and with a press release on trust-building measures in peace processes

Philosopher warns against “drifting into state terrorism”

State warfare must not drift into state terrorism, says philosopher Michael Quante. He calls for a social debate on the ethically and legally justifiable options of warfare and insists on honesty in the choice of words when it comes to war and peace.

Prof. Dr. Michael Quante in a short video and with a press release on ethical questions regarding war and peace

“Da pacem, Domine”

A conference of the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” addresses peace in religious music. “Music has always been a central medium of the artistic engagement with the subject of ‘peace’,” explains musicologist Dr Dominik Höink, who invites to the conference “Religiöse Friedensmusik von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart” (Religious Peace Music from Antiquity to the Present Day) from 28 to 30 June. “Whether as a sung prayer for peace as part of religious ceremonies or as part of celebrations after a peace agreement – there are countless examples from the most diverse cultural contexts and times that could be given.”

To the press release

“Peace is exhausting and demanding” [DE]

Throughout history, peace treaties have been achieved primarily through demonstrative measures to build trust. “As can be seen from numerous examples of successful peace treaties, these measures have included personal affection and friendship, sharing a meal and joking together, and gifts”, says historian Prof. Dr. Gerd Althoff.

Prof. Dr. Gerd Althoff in a short video and with a press release on the conditions of successful peace treaties (in german)