Chinese Walls around the World: Success and Failure of Wall Building in Human History

The contemporary political rhetoric frequently offers the building of walls as a simple solution for current major problems. Such suggestions usually ignore the experiences gained during earlier wall building enterprises of which the Chinese Great Wall is the most famous one.
The conference will address walls as a recurring feature in human history. It aims to explore the common characteristics of the structures, the reasons for their erection and – in most cases – their failure. It will inquire into the rhetoric surrounding the enterprise and the actual intentions behind the construction. It will analyze the impact that the buildings finally had as well as the perception and interpretation of the wall from the outside and posterity.

Concept and organisation:
Lukas Nickel (University of Vienna) and Robert Rollinger (University of Innsbruck)

Attendance is free.

University of Vienna -
Institute of Art History
Garnisonsgasse 13
University Campus, Court 9,
Seminar Room 1
1090 Vienna
The Conference is kindly supported by:
University of Vienna Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies
University of Innsbruck

Programme:

Thursday, October 18
10:00-10:15
Welcome and Opening address
Lukas Nickel and Robert Rollinger

Panel 1
Chair: Eberhard Sauer
10:15-11:00
Gebhard Selz, Vienna, "The Martu-Wall of the UR-III period"

11.00 coffee break

11:15-12:00
Robert Rollinger, Innsbruck, "The Median wall and Xenophon"

12:00-12:45
Lukas Nickel, Vienna, "The Qin and Han Great Wall"

12:45-14:30 Lunch Break

Panel 2
Chair: Christoph Schäfer
14:30-15:15
Nicola DiCosmo, Princeton, "The Chinese Wall from a Nomadic Perspective"

15:15-16:00
Krzysztof Nawotka, Wrocław, "The „Gates of Alexander“ and the Caucasian Wall of Derbent"

16.00 coffee break

16:15-17:15
Discussion - Tim Taylor, Vienna
19:00 Conference Dinner
(Speakers and Discussants only)

Friday, October 19

Panel 3
Chair: Lukas Nickel
9:00-9:45
Lauren Morris, Freiburg, "The Iron Gate wall in Uzbekistan"

9:45-10:30
Eberhard Sauer et al., Edinburgh, "The Wall of Gorgan"

10:30-11:00 Coffee Break

11:00-11:45
Dirk Rupnow, Innsbruck,"The Berlin Wall"

11:45-12:30
Discussion - Sitta von Reden, Freiburg,

Saturday, October 20

Panel 4

Chair: Robert Rollinger
9:30-10:15
Kai Ruffing, Kassel, "The Hadrian´s Wall"

10:15-11:00
Christoph Schäfer, Trier, "The Rhine and Danube Limes"

10.00 Coffee break

11:15-12:15
Concluding Remarks and Final discussion -
Bert Fragner, Vienna