Take me to the Fall Time Schedule
German Literature and Culture in English
250. Literature and Culture of
War in Germany. (3). (HU).
Germany is one of the world's peoples and nations whose experiences and
destiny have been most horrifically intertwined with war. This course introduces
students to the reading and critical understanding of Germany's literature
and cultural reflections of war. Drawing from poems, novels, plays, film,
essays, and memoirs, but also from Clausewitz's canonical philosophic treatise
On War and from painting - from the baroque poet Gryphius to the
20th-century's Brecht, Grass, and Das Boot - the rich and terrible
"culture of war" that has repeatedly marked early-modern and modern
German will be comprehensively examined. One lecture and two discussion
sessions per week. Students will be evaluated by two in-class tests, two
papers, and class attendance and participation. (Bahti)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
330. German Cinema. (3).
(Excl). Laboratory fee ($12) required.
Section 001 - The Films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Upon hearing of
Rainer Werner Fassbinder's death in 1982, Andy Warhol noted in his diary,
"he was 37 and he made 40 movies!" If Fassbinder's sheer productivity
had already been a source of both awe and controversy during his lifetime,
the years since his death have seen a mythologization of the director as
a genius of the German Autorenfilm, an uneasy "representative"
of Germany and the New German Cinema. This class intends to take a closer
look at the conflicting elements of the Fassbinder phenomenon in both its
cinematic and its biographical dimensions. Though no one class can survey
all of Fassbinder's prolific work, we will look at a representative cross-section
of his films, examining their representational strategies in terms of formal
considerations (the uses of American genres, Fassbinder's "style"),
the relationship of cinema and history, Fassbinder's politics of gender
and sexuality and the socio-political context in which he worked, as well
as the films' relation to Fassbinder's self-styled "star" image.
The course will be conducted in English, with the option of selected readings
and assignments in German. (von Moltke)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
449. Special Topics in English
Translation. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of 9
credits.
Section 001 - New German Politics: Social Movements, Youth's Activities
and Expert's Politics. German politics changed profoundly since the
late sixties. Out of the students' revolt arose an extensive democratization
of the old Federal Republic in the West. In the seventies and eighties,
peace, environmental, and women's movements, besides other new social movements
changed the use of political institutions and created an unconventional
public sphere of political articulation. In 1989 the Buergerbewegung
of the GDR taught us that western social movements are not the only way
to "enrich" and to challenge governmental politics. Together with
this grass roots politics a new kind of expert's politics developed to regulate
highly complex, scientifically specified potentials and problems, for example
genetic engineering, or environmental technologies. This new type of bureaucratic
"activism" gains an increasing impact on the outcome of political
decisions. In contrast to such an "Expertentum" young people are
developing their own interpretations of politics. Since German unification
the spectrum of different subcultures enlarged, encompassing punks, multicultural
mixed identities, the extreme right, as well as very different ways of "consumption"
of politics. They include more than pure youth rebellion. Young people in
Germany are going to transform the current dissent between typical western
politics, and East German interpretations of conflict and consent in politics.
Students don't need to have any special knowledge about German politics
or German history as prerequisites for this course. The course will cover
both, a thorough introduction to German politics and comprehensive readings
about visible changes in the politics of postunified Germany. There will
be an oral midterm and a written final exam. Students will also be given
several short written assignments. Regular attendance, reading of the texts
and participation in the discussion are requested. For further information
contact ritterc@umich.edu (Ritter)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
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).
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 U of M, such as the specialty 232 courses, LAC
courses, and the expanding German Studies program. In the recitation sessions
(meeting on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays) 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. 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. Cost:2
WL:1
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
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 fundamentals of the German language
for students who have had 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. Cost:2 WL:1
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
205. Conversation Practice. German
102 or 103. Students previously enrolled in a 300- or 400-level conversation
course may not register for 205 or 206. (1). (Excl). Offered mandatory credit/no
credit.
In this course, you will practice situations in which you need to ask for
information, express opinions, summarize important details, and formulate
arguments. The topics cover current events, everyday situations, German
etiquette, and important cultural information. The materials for the class
will come from German websites as well as various materials from the instructor.
This class is open to students who are at a German 221, 231, or 232 level
and those who intend to participate in the junior-year abroad program. Course
requirements are: active class participation, thorough preparation, and
oral presentations.
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
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
Check
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. Course 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
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
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.
Each section of 232 aims to introduce students to the study of a specific
discipline in German. For descriptions of individual sections, see below.
Section 001 - German Crime Stories: Literature and Popular Culture. In this class, we will examine the representation of crime in various texts and genres with a view to establish some characteristic features of these genres. In particular, we will try to establish what sets "serious" crime "literature" apart from "popular" crime fiction and crime journalism, so that this course will constitute a serious and entertaining introduction to the question "What is literature?" Friedrich Durrenmatt's novel Der Richter und sein Henker will constitute the main part of this course. We will read stories by other "serious" writers (Max von der Grün, Günter Kunert, Wolfdletrich Schnurre) and by "popular" writers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. We will read newspaper articles and compare their approaches to crimes that caught people's attention. Towards the end, we will discuss Doris Dörrie's movie Happy Birthday, Türkel!! Be prepared to read, write, and talk a lot. One brief presentation, three short essays, one midterm, one final, some grammar, some fun. Cost:2 WL:1
Section 002 - Contemporary German Society & 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 003 - Topics In Music. This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the discipline of music by focusing on the works of a particular composer or period. For example, this course has in recent years focused on Mozart's Magic Flute. Students will study the composer or period from a variety of perspectives, and will also develop vocabulary and reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills through activities focused on that composer or period. There are no musical prerequisites for this course, but students should be willing to sing! Cost:2 WL:1
Sections 004 and 005 - Mathematical and Scientific German. In this course we will spend several weeks each reading, discussing, and actually doing some basic math, computer, physics, astronomy, and biology work in German (just as Einstein learned to do these things in English...). The necessary vocabulary and grammar will be provided along the way. This should be easier than it perhaps sounds, because the technical terms are usually very similar in German and English, and there is a clear context for guessing the meaning of unknown words. No background in math or science is assumed. Grades will be based on participation, homework, quizzes, and exams. Cost:1 WL:1
Section 007 - Women's Studies: A German Perspective. This course
serves as an introduction to the complex field of Women's Studies in contemporary
Germany. We will approach this topic from different angles: (1) we will
familiarize ourselves with the current debates in feminist and gender theory;
(2) we will explore the cultural production of women in literature, film,
and art. We will start our exploration with post-unification Germany, and
extend the inquiry back into the immediate postwar period dealing with both
East and West Germany. The language of instruction will be German. Student
evaluation will be based on participation in class, regular writing exercises,
oral presentations, and a substantial presentation at the end of the term
on a topic of the student's choice. Cost:2
WL:1
(Hell)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
325. Intermediate German. German
232. (3). (Excl).
This course is primarily intended to improve fluency and accuracy in written
and spoken German. Each section of 325 aims to introduce students to the
study of a specific discipline in German. For descriptions of individual
sections, see below.
Section 002. This section will be devoted to intensive grammar
practice. Building upon brief reviews of fundamentals, the course will introduce
students to some of the finer points of German grammer. Attention will also
be paid to vocabulary development and vocabulary distinctions. Class time
will be devoted to oral grammar practice and communicative activities; homework
assignments will consist of grammar readings and exercises, as well as a
half hour per class day of "free reading": students read a book
of thier chioce for 25 minutes and then write a brief journal entry about
it for 5 minutes. Requirements also include regular grammar and vocabulary
quizzes, essays, and examinations. WL:1
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
350. Business German. German
232. (3). (Excl).
This course introduces students to the language of business German and gives
them insight into Germany's place in the global economy. The course is organized
around major business and economic topics, such as: the geography of business
in German; the European Union and Germany's roll therein; trade; traffic
and transportation, marketing, industry; money and banking; and ecology.
In addition to the basic text, students will read actual business, merchandising,
and advertising material, newspapers and magazines. There will also be short
videos on business and related topics. There will be three major exams,
a number of short reports, papers, and projects and a final exam. The language
of instruction is German. Cost:1
WL:4
(VanValkenburg)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
381. Eighteenth to Nineteenth-Century
Drama. German 232. (3). (HU).
This course provides an introduction to German literature of the late eighteenth
and early nineteenth centuries through several of the great dramas of the
period. In conjunction with German 382, 383, 384, or 385 this course can
be elected in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a German concentration
or for a German teaching major or minor. The course will include the following
texts by Lessing, Lenz, Goethe, Kleist, and Büchner. The emphasis of
the course is on the analysis of the works, mainly in class discussions.
The instructor will also provide background information on the playwrights,
their times, and the artistic theories they represent. There will be one
longer interpretive paper, a midterm exam, and a final exam. These may be
written in German or English. The language of instruction is German. Cost:1
WL:4.
(Cowen)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
384. Short Fiction: Romanticism
to Realism. German 232. (3). (HU).
This course provides an introduction to some of the major figures and movements
in German literature from the end of the eighteenth to the second half of
the nineteenth century through the study of selected masterworks of short
fiction. Furthermore, it offers the students the opportunity to gain some
insight into the cultural as well as the social and political trends of
this period. The readings consist of short works of fiction by such authors
as L. Tieck, E.T.A. Hoffmann, J.v. Eichendorff, H.v. Kleist, G. Büchner,
A.v. Droste-Hülshoff, F. Grillparzer, and G. Keller, and G. Hauptmann.
German will be used as much as possible in this class. The course grade
will be based on class participation and two papers. (Weiss)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
405. Conversation Practice. German
305 or 306. (1). (Excl). Offered mandatory credit/no credit.
This class addresses students who have lived in Germany or plan to go there
in the imminent future. We will create a German-speaking environment that
practices common professional or academic situations. These structural pillars
of the class will offer ample space for integrating clusters of cultural
topics in German-speaking communities (German menus and table manners will
be digested first-hand). The virtual reality that this course aims to provide
should become the real virtuality. This course is restricted to students
who have already completed a 300-level German conversation course or who
have reached the 325-level course plateau. Various presentations and vigorous
discussions within and without the classroom will establish the formal requirements
of this course.
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
415. The German Language Past and
Present. One year beyond 232. (3). (Excl).
The objectives of this course are to introduce students to the assumptions,
terminology, and methodologies of descriptive and historical linguistics,
and to apply these to a study of the evolution of the German language from
pre-literate times to the present, with emphasis on the emergence of a standard
literary dialect. Although a major concern will be the changes in the internal
structure of the language, we shall relate this to the cultural context
in which the language has evolved. Instruction will be through readings,
lectures, and discussions. Requirements include frequent short essays and
homework problems, several in-class written exercises, a term-paper, and
an oral presentation on the subject of the paper. Previous coursework in
linguistics is not required. Texts to purchase: Astrid Stedje, Deutsche
Sprache gestern und heute, and a course pack consisting of additional
readings and homework problems. Cost:2
WL:1
(Kyes)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
425. Advanced German. German
325/326. (3). (Excl).
Various approaches will be used to improve the students' proficiency. Written
assignments include a weekly composition of at least two pages. 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. (Weiss)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
457. Twentieth Century German Fiction.
One year beyond German 232. (3). (Excl).
Section 001 - The "New Woman". This seminar explores images
of the "New Woman" in the films, novels, photojournalism, dance,
advertising, and fashion of the Weimar Republic. We will trace various strategies
for the "modernization" of feminity in a range of popular female
"types" (the flapper, the garconne, the "girl", the
female student) and specific figures such as Louise Brooks, Asta Nielsen,
or the "Artificial Silk Girl" (Keun). The seminar will analyze
how popular discourse on the "New Woman" addressed female spectators,
readers, and consumers, and we will consider the role played by women in
the construction of this discourse. (Barndt)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
491. German Honors Proseminar.
Senior Honors standing. (3). (Excl). May not be repeated for
credit.
Completion of the sequence of German 491 and 492 is required for an Honors
concentration in German Studies. Interested students are encouraged to contact
the Honors Concentration Advisor for admission into the program (minimum
3.0 GPA with at least 3.5 in German) for Fall term of their senior year,
preferably - but not necessarily - as early as Winter term of their sophomore
year. German 491 is regarded as a preparatory term in anticipation of 492
(Winter), in which each student writes an Honors thesis. The kinds of work
to be read will be determined in part by the perceived needs of the students,
geared possibly toward already-identified thesis topics and/or toward intensified
focus on reading literary texts, acquiring and honing interdisciplinary
research skills, and developing a persuasive and sustained argument. Every
effort will be made to accommodate students with a broad range of interests
from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. Regardless of ultimate subject
matter, the intent of the seminar will be to increase students' critical
reading abilities in their chosen field of interest and their familiarity
with secondary literature, source material, and contemporary scholarship.
Requirements for the course include at least one oral presentation (depending
on the number of participants) and two papers (to total about 25 pages,
in German or English). Students are urged to contact the Honors Concentration
Advisor in advance of the Fall term to arrange an interview in which particular
individual needs and interests will be discussed, so that the course may
be tailored to fit each group. Cost:2
WL:3
(Rast)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
499. Seminar in German Studies.
One year beyond 232. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for credit.
Section 001 - New German Politics: Social Movements, Youth's Activities
and Expert's Politics. See German 449.
This course was listed incorrectly in the Time Schedule, and will
be offered under the German 449 course. (Ritter)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
500. Introduction to Germanic Linguistics.
(3). (Excl).
Section 001 - The German Language Past and Present. For
Fall Term, 1998, this course meets with German
415. (Kyes)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
504. History of the German Language.
Graduate standing; or permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).
In this course we will trace the development of the German language
in reverse. We will start with a description of the internal structure of
the modern language and how it is related to external factors, after which
we will quickly trace backwards through the centuries. Major emphasis will
be placed on the internal and social developments in Early New High German,
Middle High German, and Old High German. The development of German will
also be placed in the wider context of the Germanic languages and the Indo
European language family. Language data and most readings will be in German.
Linguistic terminology will be introduced as necessary to deal with the
issues at hand. Evaluation will be based on class participation, presentations,
and take home exams. Cost:2 WL:4
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
531/EducationD 431. Teaching Methods.
Senior standing; and candidate for a teaching certificate.
(3). (Excl).
This course is intended to provide the theoretical and practical foundations
for the teaching of German as a foreign language in schools and colleges.
The course will combine regular reading assignments with frequent class
observations, and the preparation of sample lessons in order to generate
a fruitful interplay between theory and practice. Course requirements include
regular reading assignments, regular class observations, several short presentations,
quizzes, and a final paper or project. Graduate Student Instructors enrolled
in this course must also enroll in the departmental teaching orientation
workshop prior to the beginning of the semester. Cost:2 WL:1 (Rastalsky)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
540. Introduction to German Studies.
Permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).
Section 001 - Theoretical Approaches to Goethe's Wilhelm Meister. Instead
of covering a number of texts from a single interpretive perspective, this
seminar will attempt to read and re-read one work of fundamental importance
under several different theoretical optics in succession. We will begin
by rehearsing the history of German literary criticism by studying representative
interpretations of the Lehrjahre (Goethe's contemporaries, Jungdeutschen,
Nationalliberalen, Positivismus, Geistesgeschichte, Präfaschismus,
Nationalsozialismus, Werkimmanent/New Criticism, Morphological/Archetypal),
and then undertake both to study interpretations typical of various contemporary
"schools" (Marxist, Sociological/New-Historical, Reader Response/Hermeneutic,
Psychoanalytic, Formalist/Structuralist, Port-Structuralist, and Feminist)
and to generate our own, original interpretations in the spirit of each.
Cost:2 WL:none (Amrine)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability