February 2020
How the World Changed in 1940: Nazi Expansion and the Global Crisis of World War II
A Distinguished Scholar Seminar featuring Gerhard L. Weinberg FEBRUARY 1 9:30 am–3:45 pm The European military campaigns of the Second World War began in Poland in September 1939, but the violence in Western Europe developed slowly enough to be called a “phony war.” This quietness on the western front ended abruptly in the spring of 1940, as German armies swept across every country from Denmark to France. These events changed the course of the war by launching Germany’s brutal occupation…
Find out more »The Great Cities of Eastern Europe: Prague and St. Petersburg
In collaboration with the Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies Since emerging from Communist control in 1990, Prague and St. Petersburg have regained much of their historic vitality. Although visitors now travel from all parts of the world to see these cities, they are often unaware of the social, cultural, and political forces that have reshaped each of these historic places over the past three decades. Why do these cities have so much influence on the cultural history…
Find out more »Great Journeys in World History and the Travelers Who Described Them
FEBRUARY 15 | 9:00 am–5:00 pm Human curiosity has always pushed people to set off on long journeys to learn about the wider world, to look for wealth and fame, or to find new knowledge about themselves. This seminar will examine notable travel experiences that changed the lives of travelers, contributed to new literary works, and also influenced others who made their own journeys in later times. We’ll look at famous journeys in pre-modern Europe and the expanding United States…
Find out more »The Private is Political: Understanding Privacy at the Margins
featuring Alice E. Marwick, Assistant Professor of Communication Technology, Society, and Culture In the modern world we cannot avoid technology, but we can try to understand its effects on our society and culture. Join us for this spring’s interdisciplinary series of talks that explore the many ways technology is changing our lives— from the music we play, to the cars we drive, to the people we vote for, and much more. Event description coming soon. All programs are held from…
Find out more »Archaeology and Ancient Societies: New Perspectives from Egypt and the Native American South
In collaboration with the Institute for the Study of the Americas Archaeological knowledge resembles historical knowledge in analyzing past societies that helped to shape later human cultures, but archaeological insights come from sources and analytical methods that often differ from the materials and methods that other humanists employ. This Dialogues seminar will bring together two UNC-Chapel Hill archaeologists whose work focuses on ancient Egyptian cultures and pre-modern Native American cultures. What have archaeologists learned about these complex societies and their…
Find out more »Heaven and Hell: Ancient Ideas about the Afterlife
A Distinguished Scholar Seminar featuring Bart D. Ehrman According to the most recent Pew Research Poll, 72 percent of all Americans believe in a literal heaven as a place of eternal blessing for departed souls, while 58 percent believe in a literal hell and its eternal torments. Although Christians have believed these ideas for centuries, they are not taught in the Old Testament or in the teachings of the historical Jesus. So where did they come from? Were they simply…
Find out more »March 2020
The Power and Allure of Dictators
In the face of populist pressures, many nations around the world are turning to authoritarian leaders whose attachment to the liberal values of democracy, transparency, and human rights is questionable at best or outright denied. What inspires people to prefer the rule of one person over sharing power among many? By what right do individuals assume they speak for everyone? Are there common factors that lead to dictatorships or characterize how they function? To answer these questions, we will review…
Find out more »April 2020
Places of My Past: Historical and Contemporary Stories of Rediscovering One’s Roots
James Baldwin famously said, “Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go.” This Dialogues seminar will feature speakers who will share stories of migration—both forced and voluntary—and then examine the ways that these families and communities built a home in their new land and also sought a reconnection with the place“from whence they came.” We will begin with the story of James Churchwill Vaughn (1828-93), who set…
Find out more »May 2020
Beethoven @ 250
In collaboration with the UNC Department of Music The year 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth. Perhaps more than any other composer, we hear Beethoven in his music, which continues to both delight and challenge us. But how and why? What is it that makes his music so distinctive? With the assistance of cellist Brent Wissick and pianist Andrew Willis, Mark Evan Bonds explores the ways in which Beethoven created some of his most celebrated works…
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