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CS92PROD
The Social Question and the Rise of the Welfare State in Germany, 1780 - 1914
HIST 347
Fall 2007 not offered

This seminar analyzes the history of the social question and the rise of the welfare state in 19th-century Germany, focusing mainly on Prussia. Drawing on a wealth of primary and secondary sources, the course begins by investigating the poor relief and agricultural reform policies of the German ancien regime, the Stein-Hardenberg reforms in Prussia, and the problem of pauperism before and during the 1848 Revolution. Most of the seminar analyzes the transformation of the social question between 1850 and 1900 through rapid agricultural change, industrial growth, and urbanization, exploring the impact of these processes on workers, the middle classes, public opinion, political parties, academia, and government officials. We will focus especially on the passage of Bismarck's social insurance legislation in the 1880s, allowing a critical assessment of the conditions, opinions, and interests that enabled the creation of the German welfare state. Finally, we will assess the social question and welfare state as they are relevant to the question of the special path of German history by drawing the Bismarckian welfare state into comparative perspective.

Essential Capabilities: None
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS HIST
Course Format: SeminarGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: (HIST-MN)(HIST)

Last Updated on MAR-30-2024
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