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506501-HS2025-0-For whom do the bells toll? Sources from the Archives of Contemporary History on the history of Switzerland during the long zero hour at the end of the Second World War from the perspective of private actors





Root number 506501
Semester HS2025
Type of course Exercise
Allocation to subject History
Type of exam not defined
Title For whom do the bells toll? Sources from the Archives of Contemporary History on the history of Switzerland during the long zero hour at the end of the Second World War from the perspective of private actors
Description 80 years ago, bells announced the end of the Second World War. Today this fact opens up opportunities to review the transition from “war“ to “peace“ using concepts such as a “long zero hour” or of ‘sortie(s) de guerre’. This course introduces students to archival work by means of theoretical and methodological reflection as well as thematic considerations on the «long zero hour» or the concept of «sorties de guerre». Based on the great variety of source holdings at the Archives of Contemporary History in Zurich it focuses on the previously neglected perspective of private actors. Students will have the opportunity to work with a variety of source types and collections and thus practice working in the archive. The course is practice-oriented and gives students the opportunity to develop their own small project within the main topic, to create a small source dossier and to present an exemplary source in the form of a scientific poster.

The course is combined with the seminar “For whom do the bells toll? Switzerland in the long zero hour of 1945 from the perspective of private actors” [Stammnummer: 506500]. Crediting is only possible either as an auxiliary scientific exercise (HW-Übung) in archival studies or as a seminar in History after 1800 / NNG / CH+. The assessments therefore differ accordingly.


References:

· Eckhardt G. Franz / Thomas Lux: Einführung in die Archivkunde, 9. Auflage, Darmstadt 2018.

· Georg Kreis: Viel Zukunft – erodierende Gemeinsamkeit: Die Entwicklung nach 1943, in: Die Geschichte der Schweiz, hrsg. von Georg Kreis, Basel 2014, S. 548–605.
· Christian Rohr: Historische Hilfswissenschaften: Eine Einführung, Wien 2015.
· Gregor Spuhler: 50 Jahre Archiv für Zeitgeschichte: Vom studentischen Projekt zum Spezialarchiv, in: Traverse: Zeitschrift für Geschichte 23, 3, 2016, S. 117–124.
· Sacha Zala: Krisen, Konfrontation, Konsens (1914-1949), in: Die Geschichte der Schweiz, hrsg. von Georg Kreis, Basel 2014, S. 491-535.
ILIAS-Link (Learning resource for course) Registrations are transmitted from CTS to ILIAS (no admission in ILIAS possible). ILIAS
Link to another web site
Lecturers PD Dr. Daniel Marc Segesser, Institute of History ✉
ECTS 5
Recognition as optional course possible Yes
Grading 1 to 6
 
Dates Thursday 10:15-12:00 Weekly
 
Rooms
 
Students please consult the detailed view for complete information on dates, rooms and planned podcasts.