This seminar will feature papers which set the scene for understanding the process by which ‘democracy’ became a modern political concept (as opposed to one mainly used to think about the ancient world) in Germany and lands adjacent: the Netherlands, Switzerland, Habsburg lands, Poland, and Nordic countries, with some attention to Russia. The project has already given rise to three collective volumes which explore its different histories in different regions: see our website, Re-imagining Democracy re-imaginingdemocracy.com. This series will set the scene for a fourth and final volume. Papers will range over various aspects of the political culture of the region. The seminar is expected to meet three times in Michaelmas Term, four times in Trinity Term. You are welcome to attend for any paper that interests you. Those interested in the project as a whole may be invited to other project events.