Rethinking Truth and Objectivity in History

Scholars trying to explain the human past are confronted with some major problems: To what degree can objectivity be achieved in the analysis of history? Is there anything such as 'historical truth'? What 'literary' constraints are imposed upon historiographic writings? Can narration on its own provide a real understanding of the past? Is a 'scientific' history possible? We will study how historians have approached these questions and envisioned the study of history. In addition, we will deal with a highly controversial case study - Nazi Germany- which tests the relevance of historians' debates.