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Workshop - Risiken und Risikobewältigung im 20. Jahrhundert. Gefahren als Gegenstand der Geschichtswissenschaft

When Jul 18, 2014
from 11:00 AM to 08:00 PM
Where FRIAS, Albertstr. 19, large seminar room
Contact Name
Contact Phone +49 (0)761 203-97362
Attendees Anmeldung erforderlich / Registration required
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Risks, accidents and disasters are nearly always present in our daily life, and they can change and influence our life abruptly and often more intensely than political or economic crises or even wars.

 

In the 20th century, these threats have repeatedly caused attempts to mitigate and reduce them or – alternatively – to make their presence acceptable, and the ensuing regulations have significantly influenced modern societies. At the same time the assessment of risks has changed, and what was seen at the beginning of the 20th century as an ultimately acceptable practice could already – only a few decades later – be regarded as irresponsible behaviour. What was considered a risk or risky behaviour was thus transformed in the 20th century time and again and has been the subject of intense scientific, political and cultural debates. At the same time, the different perceptions of risks as well as the actual presence of hazards and dangers and their implications influenced social conduct, economic processes and legal systems.

 

These are the phenomena the workshop on ‘Risks in the 20th century’ is mainly interested in. It will look at historical discussions and receptions of industrial hazards as well as at environmental catastrophes, car accidents and modern plagues like HIV. The workshop will discuss how these risks in different social, political and cultural spheres challenged established practices and brought about discussions about how much security a modern society needs. It will also reflect upon the importance of the history of risks and catastrophes for the understanding of the 20th century in general.

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