Christopher Clark: Revolutionary Spring
In the history of Europe, there is hardly a moment that was more exciting, but also none that was more frightening than the spring of 1848. Seemingly out of nowhere, huge crowds gathered in countless cities from Berlin to Paris and Palermo, sometimes peacefully, often violently. The political order collapsed.
In his new book “Springtime of the Revolution”, Christopher Clark places the events in the context of pan-European history and shows how they continue to have an impact today. In conversation, he traces how the ideas of 1848 spread around the world and changed conditions for the better, but sometimes also for far worse. A new and very different Europe rose from the ruins.
In the second part of the evening, Susanne Kitschun (Cemetery of the March Fallen) and Hartmut Dorgerloh (Humboldt Forum), together with Christopher Clark, will look at the present and show what foundations people laid 175 years ago for our coexistence today.
For everywhere in Europe new political ideas, beliefs and expectations were developing. It was about the role of women in society, the end of slavery, the right to work, national independence and Jewish emancipation. All of a sudden, these were central life issues for an infinite number of people – and they were fought hard for.
Christopher Clark, born in 1960, is a lecturer in Modern European History at St. Catharine’s College in Cambridge. His research focuses on the history of Prussia. He wrote a biography on Kaiser Wilhelm II, Germany’s last emperor. For his book “Iron Kingdom” he received the prestigious Wolfson History Prize in 2007, and in 2010 he was the first non-German-speaking historian to receive the Prize of the College of History. His groundbreaking work on the First World War, “The Sleepwalkers” (2013), remained at the top of the non-fiction bestselling list for several weeks and became an international success. In 2018, his renowned bestseller “Time and Power” was published, followed in 2020 by “Prisoners of Time” to great critical acclaim. As a presenter for the multi-part German ZDF documentary series “Deutschland-Saga” (“Saga of Germany”), “Europa-Saga” (“Saga of Europe”) and “Welten-Saga” (“Saga of the Worlds”), Christopher Clark became known to a wider TV audience. In 2022, he was awarded the Honorary Award of the Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder.
Born 1968 in Hanover. Studied social and economic history and received her doctorate in 2006. From 2000 to 2005 she was head of the office of the Federal Minister Ulla Schmidt. From 2006 to 2020 then member of the Berlin House of Representatives and since 2006 she has worked as a historian & political scientist. Kitschun is head of the memorial and exhibition site Cemetery of the March Fallen and was largely responsible for Weekend for Democracy for the 175th anniversary of the March Revolution in spring 2023.
Prof. Dr. Hartmut Dorgerloh is General Director and Chairman of the Board of the Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss. The art historian and cultural manager has taught as an honorary professor at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin since 2004.
Jenny Friedrich-Freksa, born in Berlin in 1974, studied social and business communication at the Berlin University of the Arts. After spending time abroad in Paris, Geneva and Rome, she worked for the Süddeutsche Zeitung in Munich for several years. Since 2005 she has been editor-in-chief of the magazine KULTURAUSTAUSCH in Berlin. In 2019, her book “Pferde” (Horses) was published by Hanser-Verlag. Jenny Friedrich-Freksa is currently on parental leave.