Third-party funded project The Aggressor

Image shows a cartoon on Napoleon, 1813. Napoleon sits on the banks of the Rhine on his throne of human skulls. He receives to drink a cup of tears from his courtiers, while others reach for order tokens sprinkled by a jester. In the sky, eagles of Russia, Prussia and Austria shoot lightning bolts at the emperor. With a four-line verse.

Self-Perception and External Perception of an Actor Between Nations

The international research project “The Aggressor: Self-Perception and External Perception of an Actor Between Nations” examines images of the aggressor in European historical narratives and memory cultures

Representations of individual historical figures will be analysed in bi-national and multinational comparative studies including both victim and perpetrator perspectives. Multidisciplinary research on forms of collective identification with or against the aggressor and instrumentalizations of memory will cover three areas: academic historiography, popular media, and current political discourses. Sub-projects aim to stimulate reflection on the conflict potential of one's own national historical narrative and to promote agonistic forms of memory culture. Special attention is paid to social and digital media tools, such as computer games providing new ways of engagement with the past.

Further insights into the research project can be found in the media outlets.

Research project management and coordination