Divided Societies
Researchers show the historical dimension of divions
Societies have repeatedly experienced deep divisions throughout history: from the permanent civil wars in the ancient Greek world and the confessional differences in the early modern period, to the dictatorships and wars of the 20th century and the rise of the new right in the present day. Social, economic, religious and ethnic divisions have tested the foundations of social coexistence in all eras and regions of the world. Often, though, this has also led to these divisions developing in a positive way. The dossier “Divided Societies” shows the historical dimension of these divisions – from “hate speech” in antiquity, to the dark sides of the Peace of Westphalia in the early modern period, and to Catholic and Muslim parallel societies in the 19th century and today.
The issue of “Divided Societies” was the focus of the 52nd German Historians’ Day that was held at the University of Münster from 25 to 28 September 2018. The largest humanities conference in Europe saw around 3,500 academics from Germany and abroad discuss current research issues in more than 90 sections.