Category Archives: Museums and Historical Memory

Celebrations of Victory in Europe Day

Today, Europeans are celebrating the anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe and the collapse of the Nazi regime in Germany. The surrender of Nazi Germany on 8 May 1945 prompted spontaneous celebrations by Allied troops … Continue reading

Posted in Civilians and Refugees in War, European History, European Union, French History, Museums and Historical Memory, Paris History, Political Culture, War and Society, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

The Politics of Commemorating Napoleon

Commemorations of the Bicentennial of the death of Napoléon Bonaparte this year have become the latest battleground in France’s ongoing “culture wars.” The figure of Napoléon remains powerful in French popular culture through television series, documentaries, films, and video games. … Continue reading

Posted in Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, European History, French History, French Revolution and Napoleon, History of Violence, Museums and Historical Memory, Strategy and International Politics, War and Society, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

New Research at Cahokia Mounds Site in Illinois

New archaeological excavations at Cahokia, Illinois, have been investigating evidence of deforestation and flooding at the site of a major indigenous urban center. The New York Times reports that “A thousand years ago, a city rose on the banks of … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural History, Environmental History, Illinois History and Society, Material Culture, Medieval History, Museums and Historical Memory, United States History and Society, Urban History, World History | Leave a comment

500th Anniversary of the Diet of Worms of 1521

Five hundred years ago this month, a monk and radical religious reformer confronted the powerful Holy Roman Emperor at the Imperial Diet held in the city of Worms in April 1521. Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk and professor at the … Continue reading

Posted in Civil Conflict, Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, European Wars of Religion, History in the Media, History of the Book, Intellectual History, Museums and Historical Memory, Reformation History, Religious History, Religious Politics, Renaissance Art and History | Leave a comment

Rescuing Sacred Music of the Renaissance

Renaissance music is being studied in new ways at the Medici Archive Project in Florence, Italy. A news magazine piece on “Rescuing Sacred Music of the Renaissance” from CBS Sunday Morning features Music and the Medici, a research program of … Continue reading

Posted in Archival Research, Art History, Court Studies, Cultural History, Current Research, Digital Humanities, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, History in the Media, History of the Book, Italian History, Manuscript Studies, Material Culture, Mediterranean World, Museums and Historical Memory, Music History, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, World History | Leave a comment

“Lost Golden City” Discovered in Egypt

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of an important ancient Egyptian city near the modern city of Luxor. The archaeological excavations began in September 2020 and seem to be revealing the “lost golden city” of Akhenaten. National Geographic reports: “Three thousand … Continue reading

Posted in Ancient History, Empires and Imperialism, History in the Media, History of the Western World, Material Culture, Museums and Historical Memory, Urban History, World History | Leave a comment

Depicting an Early Modern Emperor

Early modern empires continue to have echoes in the contemporary world. A recent New York Times online feature focuses on Shah Jahan, a seventeenth-century Mughal Emperor who is known today for commissioning the Taj Mahal. The interactive webpage examines a … Continue reading

Posted in Art History, Court Studies, Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, History in the Media, Manuscript Studies, Museums and Historical Memory, Noble Culture and History of Elites, Renaissance Art and History, Warfare in the Early Modern World, World History | Leave a comment

Renaissance Teaching Award for High School Teachers

The Renaissance Society of America is offering a new award for innovative teaching of Renaissance studies during the Covid-19 pandemic. The award aims to recognize high school teachers and educators who teach Renaissance studies to high school students. History teachers … Continue reading

Posted in Art History, Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, Graduate Work in History, Humanities Education, Museums and Historical Memory, Northern Illinois University, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, The Past Alive: Teaching History | Leave a comment

2021: The Year of Napoleon

This year is being billed as the “Year of Napoleon” by the French government and the Réunion des Musées Nationaux. Major museum exhibitions and commemorations are planned across France. Professor Marlene L. Daut (University of Virginia) writes: “After a year … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic World, Civil Conflict, Comparative Revolutions, Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, European History, French History, French Revolution and Napoleon, Globalization, History of Race and Racism, History of Violence, Museums and Historical Memory, Political Culture, Revolts and Revolutions, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | 1 Comment

A New World Map Innovates

A new world map may transform the way we look at the earth. This map is a two-dimensional double-sided disk centered on the earth’s poles. Major innovations in the history of cartography are difficult to achieve, despite new digital tools … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic World, Cartographic History, Digital Humanities, Early Modern World, History in the Media, History of the Western World, Maritime History, Museums and Historical Memory, Renaissance Art and History, World History | Leave a comment