German Courses (Division 379)
101. Elementary Course.
All students with prior coursework in German must
take the placement test. No credit granted to those who have completed
or are enrolled in 100 or 103. (4). (LR).
Please Note: the structure of the beginning German courses
(101 and 102) has radically changed. All day-time sections meet
collectively for a single hourly lecture once a week (Either on
Mondays 12-1 or on Mondays 2-3). Hourly recitation sections meet
for three hours a week (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; no
class on Fridays). You must be concurrently enrolled in the lecture
section and a recitation section.
German 101 is an introductory course for students who have
not previously studied German. The course focuses systematically
on the development of all four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), while emphasizing content and meaning at all levels and in all spheres of the language acquisition
process. The unique combination of a weekly group lecture and individual hourly recitation sections is intended to ensure that the course work corresponds to the cognitive and intellectual
level of adult language learners. The weekly lecture period is
devoted to chapter quizzes and presentation of basic points of
grammar, as well as linguistic and analytic strategies. Students
learn not only the German language itself, but also about language
and the language learning process more generally. During the weeks
in which there are no chapter quizzes, a portion of the lecture
period includes presentations on culture, history, economics, philosophy, music, and literature. Thus, students are presented
with the immediate intellectual applications of their foreign
language study and are prepared to take advantage of the developing
language opportunities at the U of M, such as the specialty 232
courses, LAC courses and the expanding German Studies program.
In the recitation sessions students practice conversational skills, drill grammar, discuss reading selections in German, and participate
in a variety of activities that stretch linguistic ability, as
well as intellectual curiosity. By the end of the term students
have a firm foundation in some of the fundamental elements of
German grammar and are able to understand and respond appropriately
to a variety of texts and basic conversational situations. Students
develop analytic skills and strategies crucial to language learning
and success in other academic fields. Cost:2
WL:1
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102. Elementary Course.
German 101. No credit granted to those who have completed
or are enrolled in 100 or 103. (4). (LR).
German 102 completes the two-term sequence of Michigan's
innovative introductory German language program. The course continues
to focus systematically on the development of all four basic language
skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), while emphasizing
content and meaning at all levels and in all spheres of the language
acquisition process. The unique combination of a weekly group
lecture and individual hourly recitation sections is intended
to ensure that the course work corresponds to the cognitive and intellectual level of adult language learners.
The night section (M Th 7-9) will be coordinated with, but
taught separately from the day sections, which will allow non-traditional
night students to be able to attend both evening lecture and recitation
sections.
The weekly lecture period is devoted to chapter tests and presentation
of basic points of grammar, as well as linguistic and analytic
strategies. Students continue to learn not only the German language
itself, but also about language and the language learning process
more generally. During the weeks in which there are no chapter
quizzes, a portion of the lecture period includes presentations
on culture, history, economics, philosophy, music, and literature.
Thus, students are presented with the immediate intellectual applications
of their foreign language study and are prepared to take advantage
of the developing language opportunities at the U of M, such as the specialty 232 courses, LAC courses, and the expanding German
Studies program. In the recitation sessions students practice
conversational skills, drill grammar, discuss reading selections
in German, and participate in a variety of activities that stretch
linguistic ability, as well as intellectual curiosity. By the
end of the term, students have a firm foundation in the fundamental
elements of German grammar and are able to understand and respond
appropriately to a variety of texts and a number of conversational
situations. Students also develop analytic skills and strategies
crucial to language learning and to success in other academic
fields. Cost:2
WL:1
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103. Review of Elementary
German. Assignment by placement test or permission
of department. No credit granted to those who have completed or
are enrolled in 100 or 102. (4). (LR).
German 103 provides a review of the fundamental components
of the German language for students who have had prior German
language instruction before entering the University of Michigan.
Although this class focuses intensively on grammar review and vocabulary development, course work systematically addresses all
four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) so that students are sufficiently prepared for more advanced
university courses both within and outside of the German Department.
By the end of the term, students will have a firm foundation in the fundamental elements of German grammar and will be able to
understand and respond appropriately to a variety of German texts
and conversational situations. Students will also develop analytic
skills and strategies crucial to language learning and success
in other academic fields. Most importantly students will find that studying German in a university setting will not only be
intellectually stimulating and fun, but will become useful in
a number of ways throughout their academic careers. Cost:2
WL:1
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112. Second Special Reading
Course. German 111 or the equivalent (placement test).
(4). (Excl).
The objective of this course is to teach students to read
German for research purposes with the aid of a dictionary. Course
content includes an intensive review of grammar and syntax followed
by translations from texts in the humanities, the natural and social sciences. Choice of reading texts is determined in part
by the composition of class. Course requirements include daily
preparation and recitation, one examination following the completion
of the grammar review, and one examination during the reading
of assigned texts. The final examination requires the translation
of sight passages with the aid of a dictionary. Cost:1
WL:1
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206. Conversation Practice.
German 102 or 103. (1). (Excl). Offered mandatory
credit/no credit.
The unwritten German class! In this course, you will dramatize
everyday situations that ask for spontaneously expressing an opinion
or formulating an argument. The topics that nourish our discussions
are both inclusive and inconclusive: current cultural events, German etiquette, popular magazines. By cross-analyzing various
resources, you will hone your conversation skills while you learn
simultaneously about German cultural institutions. Although far
from being exclusive, this class may address in particular those
of you who are currently enrolled in German 221, 231, or 232 and those who intend to participate in the junior-year-abroad program.
Graduates of previous German 305 classes are regretfully barred
from this course. Requirements: constant talking and e-mailing
(in German) with the instructor, three oral presentations. Cost:1 WL:1
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221. Accelerated Third Semester
German. Placement test. No credit granted to those
who have completed 230 or 231. Four credits granted to those who
have completed German 102 or 103. (5). (Excl).
This course combines an intensive review of basic grammar
with more advanced practice in the four basic language skills
(reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Substantial emphasis
will be placed on providing a firm grammatical base, and on reading, discussing, and writing about authentic German texts from a variety
of fields ranging from natural and social science to history, literature, and the arts. By the end of the course, students will
be able to read and write about short texts from periodicals and textbooks, and from classic texts by Nietzsche, Kafka, etc., independently, so that they will be able to pursue their
own specific interests in German 232 and beyond. Requirements
include daily homework assignments (reading, writing, learning
vocabulary, etc.), regular attendance, video assignments, three in-class tests, and a final examination. Cost:2
WL:1
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Section 004 – German for Music Students. This course
combines a completion of the grammatical overview begun in German
101 with practice in the four basic language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking/singing). Topics include music
and musicology, including music theory, reading, enunciating, discussing, and writing about German opera libretti and song texts, reading and discussion of German music historical texts, and correspondence
of, and concerning, noted German musicians. Requirements include
daily homework assignments (reading, writing, vocabulary, etc.),
regular attendance, video assignments, several quizzes, two oral
presentations, and a final exam. Cost:2 WL:1 (Bailey)
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Times, Location, and Availability
231. Second-Year Course.
German 102 or 103, or the equivalent (placement test).
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled
in 230 or 221. (4). (LR).
In this course, grammar and vocabulary from the first year
will be reviewed and extended. Greater emphasis will be placed
on reading German texts and talking and writing about them in
German. Reading texts include both short literary works and non-fictional
texts from a variety of fields ranging from history to science
and the arts. By the end of the course, students will be able
to read and write about short texts from periodicals and textbooks, and from classic texts by Nietzsche, Kafka, etc., independently, so that they will be able to pursue their own specific interests
in German 232 and beyond. Course requirements include daily homework
assignments (reading, writing, learning vocabulary, etc.)
regular attendance, video assignments, three in-class tests, and a final examination. Instruction is in German and English. Cost:2 WL:1
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232. Second-Year Course.
German 221 or 231 or the equivalent (placement test).
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled
in 230 or 236. (4). (LR). All sections of German 232 address special
topics, e.g., music, philosophy, science, current political issues, etc.
Second course of a two-term sequence in intermediate German.
The second-year program is designed to increase students' proficiency
in understanding, speaking, writing, and reading German. Students
are expected to increase the level of accuracy at which they can
understand German texts and express themselves in their area of
interest. The language of instruction is German. Please note that
all sections of this course address special topics and focus on
material dealing specifically with these topics. See individual
descriptions of the sections for topics and course requirements.
Section 001 – Legal German: The Power of the Law.
This course will explore law, ethics, and questions of social
and personal responsibility at various times of crisis and change
in twentieth-century Germany. We will study excerpts from the
Nuremberg trials of Nazi criminals and the prosecution of Adolf
Eichmann in Jerusalem and examine the West German anti-terrorist
laws of the 1970s and the recent trials of the former leaders
of the German Democratic Republic (Honecker and Krenz) for the
murder of those seeking to flee political oppression. In addition
we will analyze and compare the ways in which citizenship is defined
according to German, American, and French law with a particular
interest in the place of ethnicity and race in these definitions.
We will approach these legal issues through examinations of trial
documents, legal reporting, and literature (for example, Friedrich
D¸rrenmatt's Der Richter und sein Henker), and we will also conduct a trial in class. This course would be an
excellent preparation for anyone planning to study business or
law. Cost:1 WL:1 (Rast)
Section 002 – Topics in Music: Mozart and The Magic Flute.
The course relies heavily on singing to become acquainted with the opera: by the end of the term, we will sing the entire opera.
In addition, there will be one week of vocal instruction. Guest
lecturers and performers will include musicologists, stage technicians, musicians, and specialists in Viennese culture. Readings in German
will include the opera libretto, highlights in Mozart's biography, and the cultural and historical background of the work's origin.
The language of instruction is German. Student evaluation is based
on performance in class participation, regular grammar exercises, essays, oral presentations, and final exam. There are no music
prerequisites for this section. Cost:1
WL:1 (Bailey)
Sections 004 and 010 – Mathematical
and Scientific German. This course serves as an excellent
introduction to the tools that are vital for pursuing further
science-based work in German – practical or academic. Recently, one of the reasons why students have taken this course has been
to prepare themselves for summer internships available with German
companies or for study abroad in technical and scientific fields.
In this course we will spend several weeks reading, discussing, and actually doing some basic math, computer, physics, astronomy, and biology work in German. In addition, we will also pause along the way to consider the nature of science and the cultural values that can underlie it as well as the ethical implications that
a rapidly increasing amount of technology and knowledge has on
our society today. The necessary vocabulary and grammar will be
provided along the way. Only a very basic background in math or
science is assumed. Grades will be based on participation, homework, quizzes, and exams. Cost:1
WL:1 (Section 004:
Staff; Section 010: Anderson)
Sections 005 and 008 – Contemporary
German Society and Business Culture. While building a basic
vocabulary and reviewing essential grammar appropriate to this
level, students will be reading a variety of authentic texts dealing
with such current issues as Germany's geographic location; Germany's
recent history and the need to come to terms with its past; the
reunification of "the two" Germanies and repercussions thereof in contemporary German society and business world; foreigners
in German society and the workplace; and the evolution of the
European Union. Cost:1
WL:1 (Section 005:
Staff; Section 008: Van Valkenburg)
Section 006 – Fantastic German Literature. This section
of German 232 introduces students to the vocabulary and tools
of Germanistik through readings of "fantastic"
German literature. "Fantastic" literature, characterized
by its use of unreal plot devices (writing cats, talking fish, people waking up as bugs) embedded in real settings, exposes, challenges, and subverts political and cultural systems. Students
read a variety of primary texts that span several centuries of
German literature – from the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, through short stories by E.T.A. Hoffmann and Franz Kafka, on to
more recent works by Christa Wolf, Irmtraud Morgner, and Monika
Maron. The breadth of the course allows concurrent discussions
about significant political and social moments in German history.
Part of the course is devoted to theoretical writings by Sigmund
Freud, and by Tzvetan Todorov, who will be visiting campus this
term. Students will use texts by these two theorists to pose and answer questions about the structure and function of fantastic
literature, and to attempt to define it as a genre. The literary
readings are the basis for grammar review and vocabulary development, as well as the impetus for both creative (fictional) writing and formal essays. Cost:1
WL:1 (Keyek Franssen)
Section 007 – Classics of German Literature. In this
section we will examine a number of works written by eminent authors
during the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth century. These
include dramas, several stories, and a number of poems. While this is not a course in literary history, literary, cultural, and socio-political developments will be touched upon. Texts will
be read at a moderate pace so that there is ample opportunity
to explore their meanings. In order to enhance the students' understanding
of these works and to improve their German class participation
will be encouraged. To that same end a fair amount of writing
will be integral to the course. Cost:1
WL:1
Section 008 – Contemporary German Society and Business
Culture. See German 232.005.
(VanValkenburg)
Section 010 – Mathematical and Scientific German.
See German 232.004. (Anderson)
Section 011 – The German Conception of History. This
special theme section explores the problem of History in modern
German culture. Modern historical science emerged in German-language
Europe in the nineteenth century, and its development was linked
to the process of nation-building particular to Germany. Today, too, discussions of German politics, national identity, and culture
are saturated with the "problem" of recent German history, in particular the shadow of the Nazi past. In this course we will
explore the language of German history as it moved through various
stages: Romantic notions of the Volk community; the link
between emergent German 'historicism' and the conservative ideal
of the authoritarian State, Nietzsche's dramatic repudiation of
historicism – right up through the fiery public "Historians'
Debate" of the 1980s about the significance of the Holocaust
and the right of the Germans to a "normal" history.
Students will work through the texts with the assistance of a
computer module which will help make connections between the texts
and also provide glossary definitions, maps, and timelines, visual
and audio-visual sources, and workbook exercises. Cost:1
WL:1
Section 012 – German Music Texts: Third Semester for Music
Students. This section is restricted to students enrolled in the
School of Music. This course is designed to increase students'
proficiency in understanding, enunciating, singing, and speaking
and writing about German texts set to music (opera libretti and song texts). The Winter 1998 course will place special emphasis
on texts of Schubert songs. The language of instruction is German.
Requirements include daily homework assignments (grammar as needed, reading, writing, articulation exercise, vocabulary, etc.),
regular attendance, several quizzes, two oral presentations, and a final examination. Cost:1
WL:1 (Bailey)
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306. Conversation Practice.
German 232. (1). (Excl). Offered mandatory credit/no
credit.
Students entering this stage of the German conversation-cycle
do not need to have taken German 305. This class harbors all of
you who are presently or have previously been enrolled in a German
325 (or higher) class. The goal of this course is to increase
your confidence in speaking on any topic. Henceforth, we will
speak on any topic that relates to current cultural events. This
course focuses on finding synonyms and varying the spoken styles
which are necessary to appreciate fully the life in German-speaking
communities. In addition, creative and compositional exercises
(concocting and completing prose and poetry; writing extemporaneous
letters) will alternate with impromptu conversational situations.
You are expected to learn, apply, and expand vocabulary. In addition
to energetic class participation and perennial e-mail contact
(in German) with the instructor or/and with fellow students, short
oral presentations complete the requirements. Cost:1
WL:1
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307. German for Medicine.
German 232. (1). (Excl).
In this course, students will read a variety of texts of
special interest to students interested in studying medicine.
Readings will be taken from newspaper articles on medical issues, from scientific and medical textbooks used by Medizinstudenten
at German universities, and from medical journals. Class time
will be devoted to clarification of the content of the readings, and, where applicable, to a discussion of theoretical and ethical
issues raised by the texts. Course requirements include thorough
reading of 2-10 pages of German per week; weekly journal entries
on the readings (graded for content, not grammar); development
of a "personalized" vocabulary list, 20 words per week, tested every three weeks; attendance and participation; a 15-minute
presentation, and a written version thereof to be handed in at the end of the term. Cost:1
WL:1 (Rastalsky)
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326. Intermediate German.
German 325. (3). (Excl).
This course is designed to improve proficiency in written
and spoken German. Up to one third of class time will be spent
on grammar review and a weekly composition provides the opportunity
to practice grammatical rules and to develop stylistic flexibility.
Class activities are informal and varied, but German is used throughout the meetings. There will be ample opportunity for group discussions
as well as for brief presentations by each student. Audio and video tapes will be used repeatedly during the term. Cost:1
WL:1
Section 001 – Uebungen fuer das Alltagsleben. This
course addresses the needs of students who have a command of the
essentials of grammar but would like to improve their active knowledge
of what could be called "bread and butter" German, albeit
as that which is necessary in the Land der Dichter und Denker.
Consequently, the emphasis will be on the students' participation through speaking and writing; culled from newspapers, factual
prose and literature, the readings will be chosen less for their
exclusively informational value than for the opportunity they
also offer for discussion. Not quizzes and tests but papers will
be stressed. German is the language in the classroom, and all
papers will be rewritten to incorporate all changes suggested
and all corrections made. (Cowen)
Section 002 – "Deutschlands
÷kologie: eine gr¸ne Zukunft?" This course
will begin with a look at German's geography in "the world,"
in Europe, and Europe's neighbors, followed by consideration of the geography of the country inself. This would include brief
consideration of the "geographic history" of the country.
Students will read about the huge differences that have come into
being between the eastern and western "parts" of Germany
since the end of WW II and the division of Germany into BRD and DDR. The majority of the course would then deal with the major
problems that Germany since political Reunification has been confronted
with. These would include: the extreme air, ground, and water
pollution that was imposed on the eastern part of the country
and which was exacerbated by some of Germany's neighboring countries; the effect of all this on the various ecosystems in Germany and its neighbors, where Germany stands now in relation to this situation;
and questions of what has been done to date, what must be done, what is being planned long range for dealing with problems/situations.
The course will consist of readings from authentic sources on the topics mentioned above. There will be films and videos on
pertinent topics, three exams, a final, several short papers on
selected topics, one or more oral presentations. The language
of instruction is German. (VanValkenburg)
Section 003 – Deutsche Jugendkultur (German Youth Cultures).
Love Parade and Lodown: Youth cultures, their terminologies and styles, develop and disappear fast. They stress difference, creativity, and – above all – individuality. Through their multifariousness, German youth cultures and the concomitant aesthetic are loosely
defined, and this facet sustains the flexible component in our
class. This course delves then into the popular forms, creative
activities, and political orientations of youths within the 80s
and 90s. Encountering these specific cultural manifestations (music, film, publications), we will try to find a methodology pertinent
to approach this "deutsche Besonderheit – der Mythos
Jugend" (Griese). The formal requirements include readings, three essays, grammar tests, motivated physical and oral presence.
(Federhofer)
Section 004 – Screaming Faces, Fast Legs, and Roast Poets:
Revolutionary Art and Literary Movements in Germany and Europe
in the Early 20th Century. At the beginning of the century, new cultural movements emerged which criticized and changed the
perception and conception of art as well as literature. These
movements changed the way artists and writers produced their works
in their laboratories, on stage, and in their dramas and poetry.
They looked at reality with either desperate, cynical, or hopeful
eyes. These revolutionary movements, most of them also politically
oriented, became known as the Avant-garde in Germany and Europe.
We shall focus in particular on the question: What is the Avant-garde?
How do these movements differ from previous critical movements?
What is revolutionary about them? In order to answer these crucial
questions, we shall look at the works by Expressionist and Dada
artists and poets. We shall devote our attention to the critique
of civilization these artists were suggesting in their works;
we shall analyze their visions of life and the position they took
with respect to the conception of modernity in fashion at the
time. We shall devote the last couple of classes to the issue
of whether the "rupture" these artists and poets produced
in the cultural world of the early years of this century still
bears a critical potential in our production and consumption of
culture today, or whether the Avant-garde's critique of modernity
has now become obsolete, a phenomenon of "history" and/or
a pure formalism. (Novero)
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329. Independent Study. Permission
of chairman. (1-4). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT). May be repeated for
credit.
Independent study for students who need work in a certain
area to complete their degrees and are unable to acquire it from
a regularly scheduled course.
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382. Nineteenth to Twentieth-Century
Drama. German 232. (3). (HU).
The texts provide an introduction to German dramas of the
19th and 20th centuries. These dramas reflect not only the main
literary but also the significant cultural and political trends
of the period. In conjunction with German 381, 383, 384, or 385, this course can be taken in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for a German concentration or for a German teaching major or minor.
The emphasis is on the analysis of individual plays, but the instructor
will include some biographical, literary, and historical background.
The texts are by Hauptmann, Schnitzler, Kaiser, Brecht, D¸rrenmatt, and Frisch. The major language is German, but not exclusively.
A term paper will be assigned. It may be in English. The final
exam will consist of essay questions concerning the texts for the term. Cost:1
WL:2 (Cowen)
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385. Short Fiction: Naturalism
to the Present. German 232. (3). (HU).
The texts provide an introduction to German short stories
and novellas of the twentieth century, from the periods before
and between the world wars (Mann and Kafka) to recent prose fiction
(Grass). In conjunction with German 381, 382, 383, or 384, this
course can be taken in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for a German concentration or for a German teaching major or minor.
The emphasis is on the analysis of the individual works, but some
historical and literary background material will be included.
The texts read in recent terms were by Kafka, Mann, Musil, Boll, D¸rrenmatt, and Grass. The major language is German, but
not exclusively. Two short interpretive papers will be assigned
for the term; they may be in English or German. The final exam
will consist of essay questions concerning the texts for the term.
Cost:1 WL:4 (Paslick)
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406. Conversation Practice.
German 305 or 306. (1). (Excl). Offered mandatory
credit/no credit.
No katzenjammer! The final etappe in the tour de conversation
will equally stress the practical and informative needs of students
who may work, study, or simply live (factually or imaginatively)
abroad. You will learn how to compose a rÈsumÈ and how to address specific professional or academic situations. The
latter fields will provide much fodder for our conversations which
will also include a wide array of cultural topics in German-speaking
communities. The course aims to provide an ample range of stylistic
registers and make you feel comfortable in using them. This class
is restricted to students who have already completed a 300-level
German conversation course and who have also reached the 325-level
course plateau. Various presentations and vigorous discussions
will establish the formal requirements of this class. Cost:1
WL:1 (Federhofer)
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426. Advanced German. German
325/326. (3). (Excl).
Various approaches will be used to improve the students'
proficiency. Written assignments include a weekly composition.
Several times during the term students are required to listen
to tapes or watch video-cassettes concerning the history, culture, or politics of the German-speaking countries in order to use them
as departure points for compositions or discussion. Readings include
articles of topical interest, stories, poems, and so forth. Class
members are expected to give several brief presentations and lead the subsequent discussion. The final grade is based on the compositions
as well as class participation. German will be used exclusively
in this class. Cost:1
WL:1 (Weiss)
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430/Bus. Admin. 499. Doing
Business in German. German 350, or one 300-level
courses beyond German 232. (3). (Excl).
Section 001 – Advanced German for the Business Professionals.
The goals of German 430 are to increase the level of proficiency
in all four areas of German (speaking, listening, writing, and reading) while expanding and expounding on particular topics and areas of interest in the German business world. In addition to
becoming more competent in appropriate interactive forms and practices
of the German business world, such as forms of communication, organization, and negotiation, students will also delve into such
other aspects of German business as business technology, product
fairs, partnership in the EU, trade, raw materials and protection
of the environment, agriculture, marketing and advertisement, competition, and some very German concepts such as "Mitbestimmung"
and "Berufslehre." This course further develops the student's competence to function both knowledgeably and culturally
correct in a German business setting. The materials used in the
course consist of a course pack, German business texts from major
German professional journals and newspapers, German business reports, and videotapes. Short papers and one term research paper will
be required, as well as oral reports on findings of the papers
and on other topics of interest. The course is conversation-oriented, and will be conducted in German. (VanValkenburg)
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454. German Romanticism.
One year beyond 232. (3). (Excl).
The goal of this course is to introduce the students to German
Romanticism, one of the more important movements in German literary
and cultural history. Readings will consist primarily of fiction
(Novalis, H.v. Ofterdingen; E.T.A. Hoffmann, Bergwerke
zu Falun; C. Brentano, Geschichte von dem braven Kasperl
und dem schnen Annerl; A.v. Chamisso, Peter Schlemihls
wundersame Reise; H.v. Kleist, Michael Kohlhaas;
J.v. Eichendorff, Taugenichts) and a representative selection
of poetry, but the students will also become familiar with other
cultural contributions made by German Romanticism. Grades will
be based on two papers as well as class participation. Cost:1
WL:1 (Weiss)
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458. German Literature after
1945. One year beyond 232. (3). (Excl).
In this course, we will focus on literary and filmic texts
dealing with the division of Germany. In the first part of the
course, we will concentrate on the following works: Christa Wolf, Der geteilte Himmel (1963), and the film made in 1964
with the same title; Volker Braun, Unvollendete Geschichte
(197); and Peter Schneider, Der mauerspringer (1982);
and Margarete von Trotta, Das Versprechen (1995). We
will explore, first, the ways in which these texts map East and West, that is, the differing political, cultural, and gender connotations they associate with East and West Germany respectively. Second, we will inquire into the erotization of division, the ways in
which the concept of "transgression" functions in these
texts with respect to both politics and sexual relationships.
In the second part of the course, we will concentrate on texts that deal with the sudden disappearance of the Berlin Wall. We
will read Brigitte Burmeister's short story "Abendspaziergang"
(1995), and Kerstin Hensel's novel Im Schlauch (1993).
We will continue our inquiry into the notion of transgression.
In addition to the literary and filmic texts, we will also read
several theoretical essays that will help us with this inquiry.
Cost:1 WL:1 (Hell)
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492. German Honors Proseminar.
Senior Honors standing. (3). (Excl). May not be repeated
for credit.
German 492 can be elected only by students who have completed the Senior Honors Proseminar, German 491. In German 492, students
write their Honors thesis on a topic of their own selection. Each
student works under the supervision of a faculty member who has
a research interest in the general area of the thesis topic. The
grade is based on the quality of the thesis, which will be read
by at least one faculty member in addition to the thesis director, and on the student's performance in an oral defense of the thesis
before a faculty committee. An Honors citation is also awarded
if the student's overall performance in 491 and 492 is judged
to be of Honors caliber. WL:1 (Rast)
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German Literature and Culture in English
331. Contemporary German
Film. (3). (Excl). Laboratory fee ($50) required.
Section 001 – The New German Cinema. This course surveys the history of the New German Cinema from its beginnings in the
early 1960s through its international successes in the 1970s and 1980s. To understand what was so "New" and particularly
"German" about this cinema, we will analyze the construction
of national identity both in the films themselves and in their
various contexts of production and reception: how do filmmakers
like Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Helma Sanders-Brahms, or Edgar
Reitz imagine German history? Is it possible to isolate any recurrent thematic and stylistic obsessions specific to the New German Cinema?
What role did conditions of production play in shaping the "national"
contours of the New German Cinema? How and why have the films
of the New German Cinema been seen as "windows" on Germany, particularly in their reception abroad? Indeed, what has been the role of criticism and scholarship in forging our image of the New German Cinema as a body of films preoccupied with the
question of national identity? Cost:2
WL:1 (von Moltke)
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402. German Thought from
Marx to Wittgenstein. Junior or senior standing.
(3). (Excl).
Section 001 – Nineteenth-Century German and European Intellectual
History. Between the upheavals of the French Revolution and the First World War, the European nations witnessed an utter transformation
of their world. Our exploration of modern ideas will take us from
rationalism to racism, and from utopian ideologies to the birth
of psychoanalysis. Students taking the course for German credit
will meet for one additional hour per week to focus on German thinkers and read original texts. Cost:2
WL:1 (Spector)
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442. Faust and the Faust
Legend in English Translation. Junior or senior standing.
(3). (Excl).
Section 001 – Goethe's Faust In English. We will devote the
entire term to a close reading of both parts of Goethe's masterpiece.
Some attention will also be paid to earlier and later literary, musical, and artistic renditions of the Faust legend. Lectures
and discussions will be conducted in English, but German concentrators
will be required to read Faust in the original. If there is sufficient
interest, a one-credit LAC section will be established in which
German-speakers will have the opportunity to discuss the text
in German. Cost:1
WL:1 (Amrine)
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517(417)/Ling. 517/Anthro.
519. Principles and Methods of Historical Linguistics. Ling.
411. (3). (Excl).
See Linguistics 517.
(Shevoroshkin)
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