During the 15th and 16th centuries, Nuremberg was not only the second biggest city in Germany but also the main centre of the German Renaissance and of state-of-the-art industrial technologies at the crossroads of Central European trade, making it one of the richest cities in the German empire. As an imperial city, it was also a political centre with a close relation to the king and keep of the royal insignia. Moreover, it was the home of illustrious scholars and artists like Albrecht Dürer, Hartmann Schedel, or Maria Sybillia Merian. Such figures shaped Nuremberg as a main hub of humanism, where new knowledge about the world, gathered during the European expansion, has been eagerly received and dispersed. Until today, we can still discover the influence of the Renaissance in many parts of the city.
During this course, we are going to explore the remains of Renaissance Nuremberg and learn about how humanism and new knowledge about the world has shaped the city as well as European ways of life overall. We are going to unveil how art, technology, and world knowledge developed during this period and informed the beginnings of modernity and globalisation. Thus, we are also going to develop some insights into the history of Germany during the Renaissance.
- Teacher: Anil Paralkar