Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: BEGINNING GERMAN I

Department: Center for Study of Languages

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture/Laboratory

Credit Hours: 5

Description: The first in a series of courses, the principal objective of which is to engage students in purposeful communicative tasks designed to develop proficiency and literacy in the languages and cultures of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Credit may not be received for both GERM 222 and GERM 101. Recommended prerequisite(s): No prior knowledge of German.

Long Title: BEGINNING GERMAN II

Department: Center for Study of Languages

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture/Laboratory

Credit Hours: 5

Prerequisite(s): GERM 101 OR GERM 222 or placement test or permission of instructor

Description: The second in a series of courses, the principal objective of which is to engage students in purposeful communicative tasks designed to develop proficiency and literacy in the languages and cultures of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Credit may not be received for both GERM 223 and GERM 102.

Long Title: FROM KAFKA TO THE HOLOCAUST: DISCOURSE IN ALIENATION (FRESHMAN SEMINAR)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: The beginnings of modernity have to be seen in the context of the sociopolitical and intellectual upheavals at the end of the 19th century. Whereas extreme reactionism eventually led to fascism, progressive literature advocated artistic experimentation as manifested in a discourse of alienation (expressionism, dada, Kafka). Holocaust literature reflects the ultimate clash between progressiveness and reactionism. The primary readings will be from Wedekind, Trakl, Kaiser, Kafka, Hesse, Remarque, Brecht, Celan, Werfel. Taught in English. Cross-list: FSEM 121.

Long Title: HISTORY THROUGH GERMAN CINEMA (FRESHMAN SEMINAR)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: The course presents an overview of German history via contemporary German feature films from World War I, through the Weimar and Nazi periods, the postwar years as a Divided Germany into East and West and finally a look at the new generation in Post-unification Germany. Taught in English. All films are subtitled in English. Cross-list: FSEM 122.

Long Title: THROUGH TIME AND SPACE: EUROPEAN TRAVEL STORIES (FRESHMAN SEMINAR)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Freshmen Seminar. A travel story stands at the beginning of European Literature: Homer's Odyssey. Since ancient times, literary travel accounts of all sorts, to all destinations, by all means and undertaken with a wide range of different purposes have kept Europeans on the move. First attracted by the exotic and the unknown in the far distance, the interest moved ever closer to the self, and the exploration of the human mind became the most exotic and intriguing journey. Readings include Homer, Swift, Voltaire, Goethe, Heine, Twain, and Verne. Taught in English. Cross-list: FSEM 123.

Long Title: LAW, MORALITY, AND SOCIETY (FRESHMAN SEMINAR)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: A historical introduction to central themes of legal and political thought in the Western tradition from Immanuel Kant to John Rawls, this freshman seminar provides an overview of trends and controversies in modern political thought and society. Topics discussed include "civil rights," "morality," "liberalism," "natural law," "political theology," and "freedom." Taught in English. Cross-list: FSEM 124.

Long Title: BETWEEN RESISTANCE AND COLLABORATION: INDIVIDUALS RESPONDING TO NATIONAL SOCIALISM

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Focus on individuals' behavior in Nazi Germany/Austria. Issues of ideology and ethics as Germans and Austrians faced them between 1933-1945. Reflection on values such as courage, civil disobedience, and human rights in today's global society. Taught in English. Cross-list: FSEM 125.

Long Title: THE LEGEND OF KING ARTHUR IN THE MIDDLE AGES

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: In the 1100s people began writing down stories of Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin, and the Knights of the round table using sophisticated techniques of literary composition. Today, these stories count among the great writings of Europe. This course examines the spectrum of medieval stories and histories of Arthur that arose in England, France, and Germany from the beginning to the age of printing, plus some recent revivals. Taught in English. Cross-list: FSEM 126, MDST 126.

Long Title: THE CULTURE OF WAR: VIOLENCE, CONFLICT AND REPRESENTATION

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Focusing on the experience and representation of war in German and European literature, theory, and visual arts. Covers the period from 17th-20th century. Special emphasis on First World War. Not for the faint-hearted, topics include: destruction, ruins, refugees, massacres, terrorism, victims, spaces of battle, the logic of war. Taught in English. Cross-list: FSEM 128.

Long Title: LITERARY LOVE AFFAIRS: LOVE AND PASSION IN EUROPEAN LITERATURE (FRESHMAN SEMINAR)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: According to the German philosopher Hegel, love-stories are usually about a young man who seeks the ideal girl, finally gets her, and becomes as good a Philistine as others. The course invites students to examine this philosophical wisdom by reading select stories and theoretical texts about love and passion by European authors from the time of Shakespeare to the present. Taught in English. Cross-list: FSEM 129.

Long Title: WOMEN AND NATIONAL SOCIALISM

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Introduction to the Nazi idea of "womanhood" and the actual roles women played during National Socialism. Female perpetrators, Mitlaufer, a multiplicity of victims, and to resistance fighters. The course will be taught in English. Cross-list: FSEM 130, WGST 130.

Long Title: INTERMEDIATE GERMAN I

Department: Center for Study of Languages

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture/Laboratory

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisite(s): GERM 102 or placement test or permission of instructor

Description: The third in a series of courses, the principal objective of which is to engage students in purposeful communicative tasks designed to develop proficiency and literacy in the languages and cultures of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Long Title: INTERMEDIATE GERMAN II

Department: Center for Study of Languages

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisite(s): GERM 201 or placement test or permission of instructor

Description: The fourth in a series of courses, the principal objective of which is to engage students in purposeful communicative tasks designed to develop proficiency and literacy in the languages and cultures of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Long Title: AP/IB CREDIT IN GERMAN LANGUAGE

Department: Center for Study of Languages

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 4

Description: Course indicating credit given for advanced placement in German. Credit may not be received for both GERM 222 and GERM 101.

Long Title: AP/IB CREDIT IN GERMAN LANGUAGE

Department: Center for Study of Languages

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 4

Description: Course indicating credit given for advanced placement in German. Credit may not be received for both GERM 223 and GERM 102.

Long Title: ADVANCED GERMAN I

Department: Center for Study of Languages

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisite(s): GERM 202 or placement test or permission of instructor

Description: The fifth in a series of courses, the principal objective of which is to engage students in purposeful communicative tasks designed to develop proficiency and literacy in the languages and cultures of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Long Title: ADVANCED GERMAN II

Department: Center for Study of Languages

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisite(s): GERM 301 or placement test or permission of instructor

Description: The sixth in a series of courses, the principal objective of which is to engage students in purposeful communicative tasks designed to develop proficiency and literacy in the languages and cultures of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Long Title: COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION I: LANGUAGE AND STYLE IN CULTURAL TEXTS

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisite(s): GERM 202 or permission of instructor

Description: Discussion and composition based on a variety of reading materials (videos, current German newspapers, websites, short literary texts) and interactional contexts (e.g. partner works, reports, interviews, dialogues). Focus on cultural awareness and topics relating to contemporary German literature, culture, and politics, then and now. Special emphasis on developing writing skills and oral fluency. Taught in German.

Long Title: COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION II: LANGUAGE AND STYLE IN CULTURAL TEXTS

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: This course will work with cultural texts, on-line information and film materials in order to prepare for a deeper understanding of German literary and intellectual sources. We will assess language and styles of literary genres (prose, lyric, drama), nonfictional writings and philosophical materials. Student performance is aimed to move from paraphrasing summary to analytic commentary in oral presentation and written expression. Taught in German.

Long Title: EUROPEAN WOMEN FILMMAKERS (MAPPING GERMAN CULTURE)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Filmmaking has celebrated its first hundred years. Women's contributions were significant and deserve to widen the film canon for all filmgoers. The course will concentrate on films by European women directors, taking into account aesthetic particularities, gender commitment, and post- feminist attempts. Importance will also be given to the contexts and conditions of women's film production. All films are subtitled in English. Taught in English with possible FLAC section. Cross-list: HART 385, HUMA 321, WGST 358.

Long Title: MARX, FREUD, EINSTEIN: FOREBEARERS OF MODERNITY (MAPPING GERMAN CULTURE)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Like no others, these three thinkers of the 19th and 20th centuries have influenced the intellectual, historical, social, and cultural development not only of Germany, but of the entire world. The course examines the works of these authors in the context of their own time as well as their continued importance in the present. Works by Brecht, Christa Wolf, Schnitzler, Kafka will also be considered. Taught in English with possible FLAC section. Cross-list: HUMA 322.

Long Title: BERLIN: RESIDENCE, METROPOLIS, CAPITAL

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: The course offers an introduction to German history, politics, and culture as mirrored in the history of the old and new German capital. Berlin has always been a city of contradictions: from imperial glamour to proletarian slums, from the Roaring Twenties to Hitler's seizure of power. Emerging from the ruins of WWII Berlin became both the capital of Socialism and the display window of the Free World after the fall of the wall, Berlin is still looking for its role in the center of a reshaped Europe. Readings and discussions encompass fine arts and literature from the 18th century to the present, including film. Taught in English with possible FLAC section. Cross-list: HUMA 324.

Long Title: GERMAN NOBEL PRIZE LAUREATES (MAPPING GERMAN CULTURE)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: The course will introduce the biography of Alfred Nobel and the reasons for establishing his famous Nobel Prize in his will of 1895. Most famous among German recipients were Thomas Mann (1929), Hermann Hesse (1946), Heinrich Boll (1972), and Guenter Grass (1999). Their novel work will be analyzed as an artistic reflection of their socio-critical thoughts on the history of Germany. Taught in English with a possible FLAC section. Cross-list: HUMA 325.

Long Title: THE GERMAN FAIRY TALE: OLD AND NEW (MAPPING GERMAN CULTURE)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Discussion of several prototypes from the fairy-tale collection of the Brothers Grimm and the subsequent development of the "literary" fairy tale from Goethe and the Romantics to the 20th century. Taught in English with a possible FLAC section. Cross-list: HUMA 372.

Long Title: GERMAN ADAPTATIONS: TEXT TO FILM (MAPPING GERMAN CULTURE)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Prominent novels of the 20th century will be studied for their possibilities or impossibilities of rendition from print medium to cinematic medium. From the myriad of adaptations we will concentrate on Thomas Mann: Tod in Venedig; Franz Kafka: Das Schloss; Klaus Mann: Mephisto; Gunter Grass: Die Blechtrommel; H. Boll: Katharina Blum; Jurek Becker: Jacob der Lugner. All films are subtitled in English. Course taught in English with a possible FLAC section. Cross-list: HUMA 328.

Long Title: LITERATURE OF THE HOLOCAUST AND EXILE (MAPPING GERMAN CULTURE)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Most of the authors from Germany and Austria, who were persecuted and fled into exile, used literature to search for meaning in life that apparently had been stripped of all meaning. Among these authors are the most distinguished writers of the time, i.e., Th. and H. Mann, Brecht, Benjamin, Werfel, Doblin, J. Roth, S. Zweig, N. Sachs, Celan, Auslander. Taught in English with a possible FLAC section. Cross-list: HUMA 329.

Long Title: COURTSHIP, LOVE AND MARRIAGE IN THE AGE OF CHIVALRY (MAPPING GERMAN CULTURE)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: The literature of the High Middle Ages is the first since antiquity to probe the hazards and potentials of romance between men and women, as well as single-sex friendship and love. This course will show how the literary ideal of love emerged in a society that was torn apart by war and rivalry. The poems and stories we will read belong to the treasures of medieval literature from the German lands. Taught in English with a possible FLAC section. Cross-list: HUMA 330, MDST 335, WGST 330.

Long Title: SOCIETY AND CRISIS: POLITICAL CULTURE IN THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC (MAPPING GERMAN CULTURE)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Born in political and social crisis, the Weimar Republic exemplifies the possibilities and limits of modern democracy. This seminar focuses on original documents of political thought, literature, the visual arts, society, and law to explore the political culture of Germany's first, ill-fated democracy. Taught in English with possible FLAC section. Cross-list: HIST 431.

Long Title: TOPICS IN MODERN GERMAN HISTORY (MAPPING GERMAN CULTURE)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Seminar on selected topics in the history of modern Germany. Taught in English with possible FLAC section. Cross-list: HIST 459.

Long Title: NIETZSCHE'S ANTHROPOLOGY: LANGUAGE, HISTORY, AND THE BODY (MAPPING GERMAN CULTURE)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Situates Nietzsche's thought on language, history, and the body within its historical context, and examines the validity of his arguments in a world increasingly challenged by scientific knowledge. Focuses on Nietzsche's views on truth, genealogy, nihilism, morality, and science, which continue to be relevant for current debates within the humanities. Taught in English with a possible FLAC section. Cross-list: CHBE 593, HART 327, MSCI 593, PHIL 390.

Long Title: NATION AND MEMORY (MAPPING GERMAN CULTURE)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Providing a critical review of modern concepts of nationhood and nationalism in the light of recent research on cultural memory, this course traces the history of political foundation myths in Germany and Europe since the eighteenth century. The course provides links between literature, visual culture, historical anthropology, and public policy. Taught in English with a possible FLAC section.

Long Title: AMERICANIZATION AND NON-AMERICANISM (MAPPING GERMAN CULTURE)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Discussion about globalization, American hegemony, and the aftermath of September 11 have increased debates in the German-speaking countries regarding the export and acceptance of American culture and values. In this course we will examine the German/Austrian encounter with American culture since 1945 and discuss relevant readings from the arts, history, and politics. Taught in English with possible FLAC section.

Long Title: NEW GERMAN CINEMA (MAPPING GERMAN CULTURE)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: From the 1960 to 2000, Germany has developed a very distinct auteur cinema with independent filmmakers such as Fassbinder, Herzog, Wenders, Adlon, Trotta, Sander, Brueckner, Doerrie, Garnier, Tykwer, and others. The first 20 years of German film were oriented on coming to terms with the fascist past; the second 20 years focused on more contemporary issues. Film critical readings and class discussion in English. All films are subtitled in English and will be assessed with podium technology. Taught in English with a possible FLAC section. Cross-list: HUMA 373, WGST 361.

Long Title: WALTER BENJAMIN: AESTHETICS, HISTORY AND POLITICS (MAPPING GERMAN CULTURE)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Benjamin has been celebrated as a revolutionary Marxist, a theologian of Jewish Messianism, and as an essayist and literary critic. The course offers an introduction to his writings by way situating them in the historical background of the Weimar Republic and the crises of European society on the eve of WWII. Taught in English with a possible FLAC section. Cross-list: HUMA 340.

Long Title: GERMAN HISTORY, 1648-1890 (MAPPING GERMAN CULTURE)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Survey of "Germanies" from the rise of absolutist state following the Thirty Years' War to the unification of Germany in 1871. Includes the development of the bureaucratic and military institutions of the modern state, changing conceptions of state and society, and the major social and economic changes of the period. Taught in English with possible FLAC section. Cross-list: HIST 354.

Long Title: FROM DEMOCRACY TO DICTATORSHIP: GERMAN HISTORY, 1890-1945

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisite(s): GERM 303 OR GERM 304

Description: From 1890-1945, Germans experienced dramatic changes in their political environment. This lecture class will examine these changes, taking into account not only political history, but also attempts to come to terms with the challenges posed by organized capitalism, the rise and fall of socialism, the development of an interventionists state, cultural critique, and political culture, the Nazi social revolution, and the Holocaust. Taught in English with possible FLAC section. Cross-list: HIST 355.

Long Title: INTELLECTUALS, ARTISTS, AND THE STATE

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Focus on the multiple relationships 20th century artists/intellectuals have displayed towards the German/Austrian state in which they have lived and worked. Do artists/intellectuals carry public responsibility? Are artists/intellectuals supposed to act as a "public conscience"? Is art always political? Taught in German. Recommended prerequisite(s): Intermediate to high proficiency (speaking and writing); successful completion of GERM 303 (or equivalent).

Long Title: GERMAN PLAY PRODUCTION

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Students will apply/improve their German in preparation for a public play production; become familiar with literary and socio-historical context of the play; assume responsibility for various aspects of the production; demonstrate their performing abilities Choice of a modern playwright from any of the German-speaking countries. All readings, assignments, and discussions in German. Recommended prerequisite(s): A minimum proficiency of intermediate-mid in speaking and writing; satisfactory completion of GERM 202 or equivalent; or permission of the instructor.

Long Title: LITERATURE AND DEATH

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: The understanding of death and dying, and the culture of mourning, have undergone radical changes since the 17th century. This seminar will examine these changes from the perspective of literary anthropology in German literature and thought from the early modern to the postmodern period. Taught in German. Recommended: Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of German 303, or 304 or equivalent.

Long Title: INDEPENDENT WORK IN GERMAN LITERATURE

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 1 TO 3

Description: Qualified students work on projects of their choice under the supervision of individual instructors with approval of the undergraduate advisor. Repeatable for Credit.

Long Title: INDEPENDENT WORK IN GERMAN LITERATURE

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 1 TO 3

Description: Qualified students work on projects of their choice under the supervision of individual instructors with approval of the undergraduate advisor. Department Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

Long Title: HONOR THESIS

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Independent research projects by outstanding German majors leading to a substantial honors essay, undertaken in close cooperation with a departmental faculty member. Repeatable for Credit.

Long Title: HONOR THESIS

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Independent research projects by outstanding German majors leading to a substantial honors essay, undertaken in close cooperation with a departmental faculty member. Instructor Permission Required.

Long Title: ENLIGHTENMENT TO ROMANTICISM (1700-1850)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: An introduction to the major social, political and cultural developments in the period between 1700-1850, which contributed to the emergence of modern German cultural identity within the European context. Covers wide range of theoretical and literary works by Kant, Lessing, Schiller, Goethe, Eichendorff, Hoffmann, Heine, and others. Taught in German.

Long Title: GERMAN REALISM TO MODERNISM (1850-PRESENT)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: German history and culture during the late 19th and the 20th century have been rather turbulent: From Wilhelminian empire to Weimar democracy to Hitler fascism to socialist division to German reunification to entry into the European Union. All these political changes will be commented on by cultural reflections in textual and filmic forms. Literary texts will include Fontane, Mann, Kafka, Boll, Grass, Wolf and Maron. Taught in German.

Long Title: VIENNA AND ITS PEOPLE (SPECIAL TOPICS SEMINAR)

Department: German Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Description: In this course we will look at the people of Vienna from the turn of the century to the present. Our readings, film viewings and discussions will introduce us to the Viennese as people of all classes and ethnic and national groups. Taught in German.