Due to geopolitical shifts and developments in the 21st century (and also the “Game of Thrones”), Empires seem to be “back in fashion”: in recent decades the academic field of imperial history has grown and flourished significantly, putting also the Chinese, Ottoman and other empires into the focus of academic research. Three lines of enquiry are usually followed: Firstly, how did empires evolve and how were they organized politically? Secondly, what holds empires together, what can we know about imperial societies, culture and economy? Thirdly, when and how does an empire end? Also we ask: do concepts of “empire” continue to influence cultural identities, does it have an effect on global power dynamics and are there economic consequences today? In this class, we investigate formations of the Chinese empire (Tang and Mongols) and will discuss specifically the genesis of the Qing empire (1644-1912) focusing on its cultural, political and economic entanglements with its neighbours in East Asia and the World from the 18th to the 20th century. We will have a specific focus on agents and actors of empire, among them the emperors themselves, and investigate the language, religion, military and trade of the Qing empire. A specific focus of the class is a critical investigation of the terminology in China as well as in Europe. Discussed will also be the terms of colonialism, imperialism and nationalism in different academic contexts in China and Europe. Schließen