The Routledge Handbook of the History of the Alps

Since the study of history originated along national lines, there have been no overarching accounts of the Alps divided between Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland. This first comprehensive scholarly overview gives readers a diverse picture of this fascinating mountain space. The Alps are among the most famous mountains of the world. Located in the centre of Europe, they were populated early on, and have nevertheless been regarded as an embodiment of nature. Surrounded by important cities, they fuelled the imagination of intellectuals and became a birthplace of tourism. Today, global warming and the retreat of the glaciers are redefining the landscape. This handbook contains 39 chapters, structured into five parts: Introduction; Early Colonisation and Culture; Evolving Mountain Landscapes; Paths of Modernisation; Contemporary Tendencies. The investigation becomes more comprehensive and detailed the closer it gets to the present day. This handbook will be suitable as a research resource and for university courses in Alpine history and environmental history.