Seminarankündigung für das Sommersemester 2024

Chair for Public Law and Public International Law                      Prof. Dr. Thilo Marauhn, M.Phil.

The Disasters of War

– Francisco Goya’s prints in light of past and present laws of war –

Seminar – pre-announcement

Francisco Goya (1746-1828) was a famous Spanish painter and printmaker. Against the background of (what might be called today) “armed conflict” in Spain, occurring between 1808 and 1814, he created a series of prints titled “Los desastres de la guerra” (the disasters of war). Historic events entail the conflicts between Napoleon’s French Empire and Spain, particularly the 1808 Dos de Mayo Uprising, the Peninsular War of 1808–1814 and the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in 1814 with its consequences. Art historians have interpreted the 82 prints which Goya made between 1810 and 1820 as a kind of protest against the atrocities occurring in the context of these conflicts, even though the prints were only published in 1863, long after Goya’s death.

In the seminar, we will take a look at the historic events between 1808 and 1814, we will look at the then existing laws of war, we will confront ourselves with Goya’s prints, and we will analyze and discuss pertinent provisions of today’s law of armed conflict, in particular of international humanitarian law. The seminar will be part of „Schwerpunktbereich 6: Europarecht und Völkerrecht“. But it will obviously go beyond a narrowly-tailored legal analysis. The seminar will also be part of our research network “Transformations of Political Violence” (TraCe, see https://www.trace-center.de).

Students aiming at a „Seminarschein“ may prepare a written paper and give a presentation. In order to facilitate student decision-making on whether or not to participate, I will offer an introductory session on

09 February 2024 at 11 hrs. room no. 031
(lecture hall building, Licher Straße 68)

The seminar will be held in English; seminar papers may, however, also be wriden in German. It will be open to par5cipa5on of non-law students. Students will receive educa5onal support in the prepara5on of seminar papers throughout the summer semester. The seminar itself will be held en bloc from 19 to 21 June 2024.