As part of our semester activities, GESI students visited Dresden, the capital of Saxony.
Albertinum Modern Art Museum:
The first excursion took our MA students to the Albertinum Modern Art Museum. Students from the seminar “Global East – Global South: Transregional Connections from the Endings of Empires to Cold War Encounters” explored the Revolutionary Romances art exhibition. This exposition showcases the cultural objects and art pieces that emerged from the relationships between the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) and countries of the Global South.
Museum of Military History:
The second excursion was to one of Europe’s most important history museums: the Museum of Military History. Here, our students, primarily from our joint MA and PhD programme with an emphasis on Peace and Security in Africa, engaged with an extensive permanent exhibition about the causes and consequences of war and violence. Through diverse historical artefacts, this exhibition offered a unique perspective on war’s global, cultural and technological dimensions and its impact on politics and society.
Our students were given a guided tour of the special exhibition ‘Overkill’. This exhibition provided a deep understanding of the complex history of military-technical progress during the Second World War and, more specifically, the Cold War and how these technical advancements were intertwined with cultural and military developments. After this, the students had the chance to get to know the city of Dresden. They visited the iconic Semper Opera House, the historic Dresden Zwinger, and the Frauenkirche.