France, Allemagne : nations en question

The history of France and Germany in the 19th century is deeply intertwined with the question of nation building. Paradoxically, this history is also profoundly transnational. Numerous and intense exchanges, driven by various forms of personal mobility– including significant migration– have created a dynamic where developments on either side of the Rhine are closely interconnected, hence shaping and influencing one another. These exchanges extend beyond politics, impacting a broad spectrum of socio-cultural fields, such as education, universities, civic association, the labour movement, church-state-relations, perceptions of history, the media, the arts, literature, and music. The diversity of these domains, along with the shifting scales of observation, offers a fresh perspective on how the national question was framed and understood during this period.