Examines the factors and motives leading to the founding of the EU and charts its development over the years, culminating with the centrifugal forces that could lead to a drastic remodeling of the European Union or even its complete dissolution. Topics include: the importance of merging European countries into ever closer union as a factor in Europe's post WW II development, world financial crisis of 2009, immigration and refugee situations, the rise of nationalism, the Brexit-shock and the Covid-19 pandemic. This course This course is taught as part of the Wofford study abroad program at Freiburg.