Democracy may not have won the Cold War, after all. With the global rise of (right-wing) populism, nationalism and authoritarianism, the idea and reality of (liberal) democracy are being tested in a way that few would have expected after the downfall of the Soviet-led communist regimes and the alleged end of the “age of extremes” in the late 20 th century. As a consequence, the history and presence of democracy – in its many shades and forms – has not only become a dominant theme in current political debates but also a thriving field of scholarly inquiry among historians as well as social and political scientists. Taking as its vantage point the turbulent history of German democracy in the 20 th and early 21 st century, the course will introduce students to current historical and conceptual scholarship on democratic states and societies in a global- comparative perspective. We will pay particular attention to the conditions under which democratic forms of government rise, thrive, recede and fail, and on the cultural power the promise of democracy has generated – and continues to do so – across time and space.