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Environmental History - Introduction and Overview
Umweltgeschichte - Einführung und ausgewählte Probleme
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:42:09
Abstract
Our society faces a serious ecological crisis. Of what historical dimension is this crisis? How have human societies already in earlier times changed their environment, and, consequently, perhaps also ours? What were the main ecological challenges for societies and how did they change over time? And how did societies adapt to changing environmental conditions?
Objective
Introduction into environmental history; survey of long-term development of human-nature-interrelations; discussion of selected problems. Improved ability to assess current problems from a historical perspective and to critically interrogate one's own standpoint.
Resources
Lecture Notes
Course material is provided in digital form.
Literature
McNeill, John R. 2000. Something new under the sun: An environmental history of the twentieth-century world, New York: Norton. Uekötter, Frank (Ed.) 2010. The turning points of environmental history, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. Winiwarter, Verena und Martin Knoll 2007. Umweltgeschichte: Eine Einführung, Köln: Böhlau.
General Information
- Language
- German
- Levels
- DS , DZ , BSC , SHE
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- end-of-semester examination
Registration & Places
- Max Places
- 100
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture | Umweltgeschichte - Einführung und ausgewählte Probleme |
|
2 h weekly |
Offered In
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GESS Science in Perspective (Only the courses listed below will be recognized as "GESS Science in Perspective" courses. Further below you will find courses under the category "Type B courses Reflections about subject specific methods and content" as well as the language courses. During the Bachelor’s degree Students should acquire at least 6 ECTS and during the Master’s degree 2 ECTS. Students who already took a course within their main study program are NOT allowed to take the course again.)
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Type A: Enhancement of Reflection Competence (Suitable for all students. Students who already took a course within their main study program are NOT allowed to take the course again.)
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Type B: Reflection About Subject-Specific Methods and Contents (Subject-specific courses: Recommended for bachelor students after their first-year examination and for all master- or doctoral students. Students who already took a course within their main study program are NOT allowed to take the same course again. All these courses are listed under the category “Typ A”, this means, every student can enroll in these courses.)
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Human-Environment Systems (There are no highly recommended courses for the Specialization in Human-Environment Systems.)
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Educational Science for Teaching Diploma and TC (These are the general course offerings of the programmes Teaching Diploma (TD) - categories Educational Science and Compulsory Elective Courses - and Teaching Certificate (TC) - category Educational Science.)