Transnational Comparison: Germany - England
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Columbus and the "Discovery of the New World"
Transnational comparison: Comparing a German and an English popular history magazine
In what way does the illustration and appreciation of Columbus in German magazines differ from other international magazines? The following is an exemplary comparison between "G/Geschichte: Departure into the New World. Columbus and the era of the explorers" (2006) and the English magazine "History Today" (1992).
Tasks:
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Analysing the list of contents Take a look at the list of contents of the magazine "G/Geschichte: Departure into the New World. Columbus and the era of the explorers." and try to arrange the topics according to subject groups. |
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Comparing the German and the English list of contents Compare, together with your partner, the list of contents of the German "G/Geschichte" with the list of contents of the English magazine "History Today". Can you pick out different viewpoints on Columbus?
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Comparing the title pages and the list of contents in the English and the German magazine
The title pages of
"G/Geschichte" and "History Today" are designed very differently. Can you find a connection
between the choice of pictures and the main topics in the list of contents?
Explain your considerations.
Tip: Try to find out more about the painter. |
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Further transnational comparisons If you are further interested in this topic you can take a look at Spanish, Swedish and Polish lists of contents here and compare them to the German and English equivalents. |
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The tasks can easily be used with Spanish, Polish and Swedish materials regarding the topic "Columbus".
Tasks:
1
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Analysing the list of contents Take a look at the list of contents of the magazine "G/Geschichte: Departure into the New World. Columbus and the era of the explorers." and try to arrange the topics according to subject groups. The aim of this task is to engage with the subject areas which are treated in the individual articles. Several classifications are possible here. One option is the classification according to: - Portraits: The Captain from Genua/ Portrait: Ferdinand and Isabella/Heading West/ Portrait: Amerigo and America - Technical achievements: The world is a globe/The tools of the discoverers - Indigenous population: Amongst cannibals/ The cross of the Indians - "Imports" from America: Tobacco, chili and potatoes/Lethal souvenirs - Voyages: Paradise in sight!/ Gold and tears/Stranded and forgotten - Portugal and Spain: The divided world/Race to India - The tracks of Columbus |
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Comparing the German and the English list of contents
Compare, together with your partner, the list of contents of the German "G/Geschichte" with
the list of contents of the English magazine
"History Today". Can you pick out different viewpoints on
Columbus?
The English magazine especially deals
with the consequences of the "discovery" made by Columbus (perhaps
due to being published in the anniversary year of 1992) and with the
concomitant controversial attribution of Columbus as a "hero" or a
"villain". Furthermore, the subsequent events of the year 1492 are
put into global perspective in the English magazine. The indigenous population is
also addressed in greater detail. Thereby, it is also discussed how they could
have developed if Columbus hadn't found the sea route to America. With regard to the German magazine it should be noted that – despite all his flaws and weaknesses such as lack of leadership, intransigence, nautical miscalculations – Columbus is portrayed as a hero with great strength of will who acted out of conviction. An overview of the consequences or even further speculations as to how the history of the continent could have developed without the European discovery are not provided in the German magazine "G/Geschichte". |
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Comparing the title pages and the list of contents in the English and the German magazine
The title pages of
"G/Geschichte" and "History Today" are designed very differently. Can you find a connection
between the choice of pictures and the main topics in the list of contents?
Explain your considerations.
Tip: Try to find out more about the painter.
For the title page of "History
today" an excerpt of the fresco "The Tarascan Civilization" (4,92 x 3,2 m, Mexico City, Palacio National, 1942) by Diego
Rivera was chosen. For the fresco Rivera combined activities which are assigned
to early West-Mexican cultures with activities known from the classic civilizations
of Central Mexico. Rivera depicts textile workers and among others also a
priest (in the centre of the picture with a pointed hat).
The title page of the magazine "GEO-EPOCHE" consists
of a collage of Karl Theodor von Piloty's painting "Christopher
Columbus" (1865) and of Albert Bierstadt's (1893) "The landing of
Columbus" (in the background). Due to the positioning of Columbus at the
right picture margin the impression is created that the seafarer directs his
gaze towards the "New World", which is presented as
"paradise" in Bierstadt's work. Both paintings are from the 19th
century and represent a Eurocentric perspective on Columbus.
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Further transnational comparisons If you are further interested in this topic you can take a look at Spanish, Swedish and Polish lists of contents here and compare them to the German and English equivalents. |
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