220074 Comparative Populist Uses of the Past: History in Political Practice (S) (WiSe 2026/2027)

Populism, the past, and memory: all three are among academia's most contested and overused concepts. It is now more common than ever to hear populist appeals to a "true history of the people" matched by the volume of disciplines interested in this phenomenon, such as history, sociology, and political science. This seminar takes their intersection as its starting point, and asks: why are populists so obsessed with the past?

At its core, the past is one of the many resources populist actors use to consolidate their electoral bases and draw the lines between "the people" and "the others." They often work with familiar historical events, figures, and myths, reshaping or "purifying" them to fit a particular vision of who "the people" are. The past then becomes a demarcation line between who belongs and who doesn't. Against this backdrop, this seminar draws on memory studies and populism studies to examine how contemporary populist parties and political actors politicize the past for electoral gain. We will explore both theoretical texts on populism and memory studies, as well as case studies of populist uses of the past from a range of countries, including but not limited to France, Germany, and Hungary.

No prior knowledge of populism or memory studies is required, as this seminar will cover the relevant theories, concepts, and definitions.