A Cultural and Spatial Analysis of the Ghetto: Venice, Nazi Occupied Europe, Chicago

This seminar explores the cultural and spatial history of the Ghetto. From its origins in Venice through the spread of ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe to the segregation of African-American populations in Chicago, specific spaces have been designated as ghettos. This designation has had an impact on the social understanding of architectural form, but it has also generated many cultural responses in material culture, art, photography, film, and other media. The course will explore the cultural understanding of the ghetto with a specific emphasis on the Jewish ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe but with a comparative look at Venice and Chicago.