OLEC 2009
“Leipzig: Crucible of Revolutions”
Leipzig stands at the crossroads of Europe, and has been the crucible of geo-political, cultural, social, religious and economic revolutions for centuries. Located on the major central European trade route, Leipziger Messe transformed the European economy more than 800 years ago. Regionally available natural resources and the Saxon landscape strongly shaped the agriculture. These and further influences from surrounding European countries and Asia fostered the evolution of a diverse cuisine with endemic specialties and international elements. Leipzig also was the site of major historical and cultural turning points: the Protestant Reformation began near Leipzig; Bach wrote his greatest music in Leipzig; Napoleon was defeated there; and Goethe studied at the university. For centuries, Leipzig was the center of the German book trade; and the Bauhaus was based near Leipzig.
Changes in the last 75 years are particularly noteworthy. The turmoil and instability of the Weimar Republic paved the way for National Socialism and the atrocities of the Second World War. During the Cold War, Leipzig was a liminal space bordering East and West, with years of occupation and division into the pro-West, capitalist Federal Republic and the Soviet-aligned, communist Democratic Republic. Perestroika and glasnost reforms dissolved the former East Bloc, enabling the reunification of the two German states after forty years of separation. In 2009, Germany celebrates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall, as separation was brought to a euphoric end in 1989, beginning in Leipzig. Berlin, just up the road from Leipzig, is united, once again a major European capital. The radical reconstruction of the “new” eastern states continues at breakneck speed, just decades after unification.
In 2009 we celebrate the 600th anniversary of our partner university, the University of Leipzig. To mark this astonishing milestone, the Ohio-Leipzig European Center (OLEC) will celebrate its own 10th anniversary with a special study program in Leipzig for Honors students. This program will be jointly taught by Ohio University professors who have won awards for teaching excellence and who have each taught in Leipzig at least twice before. This intensive program is designed to challenge students to examine “Leipzig: Crucible of Revolutions” through lenses of various disciplines, including the arts, biology, natural resources, history, geography, and journalism, with richly intertwined insights into the ever-changing European landscape. Each student will work with professors on an individual, interdisciplinary research project of his or her choice, and will investigate numerous aspects of the arts, cultures and natural resources of Europe.
Students and faculty will investigate monuments centered in and around Leipzig that embody these events that have changed the course of modern life, including:
· Leipziger Messe, the trade fair that established Leipzig as a central European trading site in medieval times, and kept the city at the crossroads of East and West during the Cold War
· The doors near Leipzig where Martin Luther nailed his Theses that began the Protestant Reformation
· Thomaskirche, where Bach’s greatest music was written and first performed
· The Battle of Nations (1814), where Napoleon was defeated, commemorated by the gargantuan Volkerschlachtdenkmal and the Russian church
· Auerbachs Keller, a traditional tavern which appears in Goethe’s Faust, recalling his student days
· The Bauhaus, which provided the design basis for our homes and housewares near Leipzig
· Second World War sites, including the Buchenwald concentration camp, the synagogue memorial in Leipzig, the bombed and restored monuments of Dresden, and the point near Leipzig where Soviet and American troops converged in 1945
· Nikolaikirche, where candlelight vigils began that led to the revolution of 1989 and the reunification of Germany
· Schrebergärten, the small garden colonies that brought nature into the evolving industrial cities and provided workers with a source for agricultural subsistence
· Foodstands, markets, and restaurants that serve regional produce and cuisines
Faculty will include:
· Timothy Anderson, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Geography, received the Dean’s Outstanding Teacher Award from the College of Arts and Sciences, a Fulbright Fellowship, and was honored by the Phi Beta Delta International Scholars Honor Society and by the North American Geographer Award for most original contribution to The North American Geographer.
· Harvey Ballard, Jr., Associate Professor of Environmental and Plant Biology, received the Dean’s Outstanding Teacher Award from the College of Arts and Sciences, Jeanette G. Grasselli Brown Faculty Teaching Award, was nominated for the Presidential Teacher Award, and was a finalist for the University Professor Award.
· William Condee, Professor of Theater, has received teaching awards including the J. Richard Hamilton/Baker & Hostetler Professor of Humanities, Presidential Teacher, HTC Outstanding Tutor, College of Fine Arts Senior Teacher, Excellence in Education Award from Ohio Magazine, and the Class of 1950 Faculty Excellence Award.
· Miriam Shadis, Assistant Professor of History, has been recognized for teaching excellence as the Junior Faculty Fellow in the Ping Institute for the Humanities, and was selected to participate in an National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute.
· Bob Stewart, Professor of Journalism, has been honored by HTC as Outstanding Tutor, received a Fulbright Award, nominated for the Presidential Teacher Award, and was the finalist for the Ernest L. Boyer International Award for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Technology.
Living Arrangements
Participants will live in a residence hall in single rooms with jointly shared kitchen and bathroom facilities.
Courses and Credits
Participants will enroll in the following courses:
Leipzig: Crucible of Revolution 4 credits
Viewing Performances 2 credits
German at appropriate level 8 credits
Field Studies in Germany 2-4 credits
Cost Estimate
Billed by Ohio University
Tuition and fees full load, resident/nonresident as appropriate
Program Fee $4175
Administrative Fee $150
Out-of-Pocket Expenses
Passport and photos $110
International airfare $1200
Board $1000
Local registration/bus pass $350
Textbooks and supplies $250
Tickets to cultural events $150
Incidental/Personal Expenses $900
Tuition and Program Fee include study abroad health insurance, housing (single occupancy), one-day excursions, welcome and farewell dinners, and administrative and instructional costs.
Participants may be eligible for the Arts and Sciences Study Abroad Grant. Financial Aid and scholarships may be applied to program costs; further information available from the Office of Education Abroad and the Office of Student Financial Aid. Cost is subject to change.
Application
November 7, 2008 for priority consideration
Contact Information
Office of Education Abroad
185 Lindley Hall
740.593.4583
www.ohio.edu/educationabroad
