Cradle of Europe
The catchphrase Cradle of Europe describes ancient Greece , which has been considered the cultural origin of Europe. This designation is considered antiquated and is especially avoided in concept-conscious specialist circles, since the term "cradle" implies a linear, organic and teleological development of history and such an idealistically founded historical image, according to which a culture has a childhood phase, a time of Flowering and finally the age-related decline follow, is considered obsolete . In addition, the cultural sciences endeavor to overcome their once often Eurocentric view of things and to take into account the influence of European cultures also by non-European cultures .
Today “ Europe ” is considered to be a cultural region that has been influenced from different directions during its prehistory, so that the idea of a single origin is no longer tenable. The diverse influences from Asia and Africa (for example through the Arabs / Moors in southern Italy and Andalusia) and their further development led to the diversity of cultures, to which the geomorphology of Europe also contributed.
literature
- Wilhelm Tielker: The Myth of the Idea Europe . Lit Verlag , 2003, ISBN 3-8258-6659-9 .