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This introduction serves to elaborate cultural, ecological, economic and political factors that underpin today's emerging knowledge of the multiple importance of the Chinese Empire and its history for East Asia and beyond. The selection of paradigmatic perspectives includes 1) "Script and culture in the Chinese world", 2) "Climate, geography, mentalities", 3) "central power and dazzling peripheries". A feeling for the original structure of the current value debates in East Asia and a sense of their historicity is developed, while at the same time "basic building blocks" of East Asian studies will be appropriated, such as the ability of historical periodization, the distinction of cultural and/or national identities and the critical assessment of changing balances of political autonomy and authority.

At the beginning of the lecture/exercise, a comprehensive insight into the various phases of "discoveries" of the Sinitic world (social, cultural, political and linguistic spaces within the sphere of influence of Chinese culture and language) in East Asia is offered from a European or Western perspective.

The written heritage that has been handed down historically reflects the world view and values of central state elites. At the same time, it was and is being restored to the present day in the sense of a cosmopolitanism that spans the linguistic and cultural diversity of national cultures. This historically very productive but nevertheless contradictory tension, which historians illustrate using the paradigm of an ambivalence between “centre” and “periphery” (Vogelsang 2012), will be selectively characterized against the background of more than three thousand years of history from the ideal precursors of Empire to present days.

A historical guideline and basic reading for the lecture/exercise is provided by Kai Vogelsang’s the two books: “Geschichte Chinas” (Reclam 2012) and “China und Japan. Zwei Reiche unter einem Himmel” (Kröner 2020). Additionally, chapters and main arguments from Mark Elvin's seminal essay, “The Retreat of the Elephants. An Environmental History of China” (2006) serve as stimuli to elaborate on the vital role of literary tradition and modernity in the renewal of cultural self-awareness and world-consciousness in China, East Asia and beyond. In addition, there will be many excursions into the joint reading and discussion of individual works (in translations) of various literary genres from classical and modern epochs.

To complete the course the students have to take part in learning groups and prepare several keynote speeches during the semester. At the end of the semester a short paper (circumference about 4.5 pages) has to be written. In addition, the active participation in the discussions will be part of the rating.

1. Elvin, Mark: The Retreat of the Elephants. An Environmental History of China. Yale University Press 2006 (In Auszügen)

2.Kraushaar, Frank: Die Song-Dynastie. Schönheit des Scheiterns. In: Vogelsang, Kraushaar u.a.: China. Das Reich der Mitte von den Anfängen bis heute. Darmstadt: WBG 2020, S. 53-62

3.Kraushaar, Frank: Fern von Geschichte und verheißungsvollen Tagen. Neoklassizistische Cyberlyrik im ChinaNetz und die Schreibweise des Lizilizilizi. Bochum/Freibug: Projektverlag 2022 (In Auszügen)

4.Spence, Jonathan: In Search of Modern ChinaNew York: Norton 1990 (in Auszügen)

5.Vogelsang, Kai: Geschichte Chinas. Stuttgart: Reclam 2012 (in Auszügen)

6. Vogelsang, Kai: China und Japan. Zwei Reiche unter einem Himmel. Stuttgart: Kröner 2020 (in Auszügen