Deconstructing Temporal Unities - Analysing Fin de Siècle Periodisations

Abstract

This Master thesis aims to provide a thorough analysis of various periodisations of within the historiography of the Fin de Siècle, in order to investigate the usefulness of the concepts of continuity, discontinuity, fossilisation and renaissance in the deconstruction of periodisations. These four concepts, which are derived from earlier theoretical assessments concerning the delineation of periodisations in historical studies, are used to analyse various periodisations of the Fin de Siècle in order to distinguish and disentangle the ideas and intentions underlying these periodisations. The often implicit choices that historians make in defining when as well as what the Fin de Siècle period was, can thus be brought to light. The four concepts show to be useful tools in the analysis and deconstruction of periodisations, even of those with an inherently ambiguous character, such as the Fin de Siècle.