Like many religions, Christianity teaches the existence of hell, a place of eternal damnation. The not unjustified Christian optimism about salvation has made hell a controversial theological topic. This is not new. History shows how the people´s mentality in different cultures has shaped the image of hell over the centuries. – This elective course will examine the pre-Christian (pagan and Jewish) images of hell. Then, focused on Christianity, it confronts the developments and traditions in theology and spirituality (Early Church, Medieval, Modern Times…). Here, concerning church history, it becomes clear how the respective contemporary theology (Vatican II), art, human fears, and projections have shaped people's piety and mentality. Finally, the example of hell will be used to show that the history of mentalities shapes our theological thinking to this day just as much, or sometimes even more, as church doctrine does.