German (GERM)
Chair: Professor Laura Goering (Russian)
Professors: Julie A. Klassen, Sigrun D. Leonhard, John Roger Paas, Anne C. Ulmer
Visiting Instructor: Beret Liv Norman
Lecturer: Nadja Krämer
In our changing global environment, communication is the key to understanding other peoples and cultures. After your first year of German at Carleton, you will have the oral proficiency to live and study in a German-speaking country. Our programs in Berlin, Munich, Nuremberg, and Graz, Austria, offer wide-ranging choices in location. They give you the chance to apply what you learned in your German class in a European environment. (You'll also be surprised how far German gets you in the Czech Republic and Hungary!)
Since the fall of the Wall and the establishment of the European Union as an economic and political power, the question of German identity has again come to the forefront. Its philosophical and literary foundations are crucial to an understanding of the country. You will gain the skills to read important writers and thinkers in the original German: Goethe, Schiller, Kafka, Rilke, Mann, Freud, Brecht, Crista Wolf, Ingeborg Bachmann.
Recent offerings include:
First-Year Seminars: The Image in the Mirror: Searching for the Self; Views of Reality: Understanding Literary Works of the Past.
Literature courses: Science, Authority and the Conscience in German Literature; Damsels, Dwarfs and Dragons: Medieval German Literature; Minority Voices in German Literature; Romantic Visions of the World; Topics in German Drama; The Age of Goethe; The Song that Sleeps in Everything: German Poetry through the Ages
Literature and Culture Courses: From Gutenberg to Gates: History and Practice of the Book; Visions of Reality: Germany in the 20th Century; Memories and Representations of the Holocaust; Border Crossings: Postmodern Perspectives on French and German Cinema; Two CountriesÂOne Nation? Germany and the Cold War; The Forest in German Literature and Culture
We also offer courses cross-listed with Environmental and Technology Studies, Media Studies, Women's and Gender Studies and Literary and Cultural Studies
Requirements for a German Major:
Sixty-six credits including 206 or 207, one survey course, Literary and Cultural Studies 245 (normally taken during the junior year) and the integrative exercise. Courses 101, 102, 103, 204, and 205 do not count toward the major. Additionally, at least six credits are required in literature outside the major, read in the original language or in translation. Majors are encouraged to take other related courses in fields such as history, philosophy, religion, classics, and art or music history, in order to gain further perspectives on their literary studies.
A special major involving German and another discipline may sometimes be arranged upon consultation with the department chair. Participation by such students in a Carleton or other approved foreign study program is highly recommended.
Certificate of Advanced Study in Foreign Language and Literature or Area Studies: In order to receive the Certificate of Advanced Study in German students must fulfill the general requirements (refer to Academic regulations) in the following course distribution: six courses beyond 103, of which at least three will be taught in the target language, and two of those three courses may be advanced language courses (205, 206 or 207). Courses remaining may be from the German section or from a list of approved courses offered by other departments (philosophy, history, linguistics, music, etc.)
Language Houses: Students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language by living in the Language House. The Associate is a native speaker, and students organize and participate in numerous cultural activities in the language houses.
Elementary and Intermediate Language Courses:
Language courses 101, 102, 103 and 204 are a sequential series of courses designed to prepare the student to satisfy the College language requirement and/or to pursue advanced work in the language, literature and culture of German-speaking countries. Courses 101, 102 and 103 meet five days a week and 204 meets three days a week. Admission to these courses is determined either by appropriate CEEB or placement test scores, or by completion of the previous course in the sequence with a C- grade or better.
German Courses
GERM 100. The Image in the Mirror: Searching for the Self Many writers have used fiction as a means of coming to terms with themselves and their identities at various points in their lives. This has been particularly true throughout this century in German-speaking countries, largely because of the impact of the two world wars. We will read (in translation) a number of 20th century works by German, Swiss and Austrian writers, focusing on the quest for self-awareness. We will include such authors as Franz Kafka, Hermann Hesse, Max Frisch, Barbara Frischmuth, Günther Grass among others. Reading and discussion in English. 6 credits cr., S/CR/NC, AL, Fall—A. Ulmer
GERM 101. Elementary German This course stresses a firm understanding of the basic structural patterns of the German language through reading, writing, speaking, and listening drills. For students with no previous knowledge of German or for those whose test scores indicate that this is the appropriate level of placement. 6 credits cr., ND, Fall—Staff
GERM 102. Elementary German Further study of the basic structural patterns of the German language. Prerequisite: German 101, or appropriate placement score. 6 credits cr., ND, Winter—Staff
GERM 103. Intermediate German Completion of the study of basic structural patterns of the German language, and the reading and discussion of a longer literary work. Prerequisite: German 102. 6 credits cr., ND, Spring—Staff
GERM 204. Intermediate German Critical reading and discussion of selected German plays and short stories. Prerequisite: German 103, or appropriate placement score. 6 credits cr., ND, Fall—Staff
GERM 205. Berlin Program: Intermediate Composition and Conversation This course, taught by a native speaker, will focus on students' reading, writing, and speaking abilities. The class format will feature mainly discussions with grammar exercises interspersed as needed. Students will write frequent papers and correct these papers themselves. 6 credits cr., ND, Fall—Non-Carleton Faculty
GERM 206. Composition and Conversation Short texts, films, video clips and other cultural materials will serve to launch us into discussions of contemporary German and Austrian culture. Prerequisite: German 204 or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., ND, Winter—A. Ulmer
GERM 207. Young Adult Literature The best current German-language literature for teen-aged readers treats serious topics with wit and sensitivity. We will read and discuss books on sexuality, gender identity, politics, peer pressure, the generation gap, drugs, and other topics. These texts, many of which have won prizes, are linguistically accessible and written with flair. Readings and class discussions will be in German. Prerequisite: German 204 or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., ND, Spring—J. Klassen
GERM 220. Border Crossings: Postmodern Perspectives on French and German Cinema Refer to MEDA 238 for description. No prerequisite. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
GERM 229. Science, Authority, and the Conscience in German Literature Cross-listed with ENTS 229. An examination of the literary portrayal of the personal and societal responsibilities connected with gathering and applying (primarily scientific) knowledge. Questions to be addressed include: In what ways does knowledge liberate, threaten, and/or obligate us? Who controls the pursuit of knowledge and its applications? What is the role for individual and societal conscience? The settings and authors range from the Renaissance world of Goethe's Faust and Brecht's Galileo to the McCarthy era in the United States (Kipphardt), a post-WWII Swiss sanatorium (Dürrenmatt), and the intra- and inter-border dilemmas in the erstwhile East Germany (Wolf, Maron). In translation. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
GERM 230. From Gutenberg to Gates: History and Practice of the Book Gutenberg's invention of printing with movable type has had a far-reaching impact on the political, social, and intellectual development in the Western World. A similarly profound revolution is taking place today with the use of computers. This course will focus on the major developments in printing since 1450 against the relevant historical and social background. In addition to lectures and discussions there will be a regular "lab," in which students will gain first-hand knowledge of such techniques as woodcutting, engraving, etching, lithography, bookbinding, and papermaking. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
GERM 231. Damsels, Dwarfs, and Dragons: Medieval German Literature Cross-listed with LCST 231. . Around the year 1200 German poets wrote some of the most lasting works in the Western literary tradition. It was a time of courtly love and Arthurian romances, and themes vary widely from love and honor to revenge and murder. In this course attention will be focused on the poetry of Walther von der Vogelweide and on two major epics: The Nibelungenlied and Gottfried von Strassburg's Tristan and Isolde. In translation. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
GERM 232. The Forest in German Literature and Culture Cross-listed with ENTS 232. We will examine stories, fairy tales, poetry, art, music, and other cultural documents to understand the forest as an important natural and symbolic phenomenon in the relationship of humans to nature in German-speaking societies. Over-arching themes include the rise of environmental sensibility, alienation through technology, and responses to environmental threats. In translation. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—J. Klassen
GERM 238. Marginal Voices in Contemporary German Literature This course focuses on the critical reading and discussion of short stories, poems and novels in English translation by writers considered "marginal" in German-speaking countries. We will read texts by "unofficial writers" of the former GDR (East Germany) as well as Turkish-, Iraqi-, Hungarian-, Russian-, Japanese- and Afro-German writers in reunified Germany. Topics of disucssion will focus on themes of self-identity, national-identity and language. Supporting materials include visual art from the GDR "underground", essays and interviews. All readings and discussions are in English. 6 cr., AL,RAD, Winter—B. Norman
GERM 241. Marginal Voices in Contemporary German Literature This course focuses on the critical reading and discussion of short stories and poems by writers considered "marginal" in Germany. Much of the focus will be on writers who unofficially published their works (i.e., within the allowed limit of 100 private copies) in the former German Democratic Republic; and then we will look at reunified Germany and works by Turkish, Iraqi, Hungarian, Russian, and Afro-German writers. Supporting materials include visual art from the former GDR "underground," essays, and interviews. Readings and discussions are in translation. 6 credits cr., AL,RAD, Not offered in 2003-2004.
GERM 244. Berlin Program: Knowledge and Its Discontents: The Fate of Enlightenment in Modern German Literature In this course, we will explore current social, political, and cultural issues as reflected in German literature and film, such as the changing definition of national identity in the wake of unification, Germany's position within the new Europe, and the role of the new emerging technologies. The syllabus will include a number of plays that will be performed at Berlin theaters, which the class will view together. A specific reading list will be available at the beginning of the seminar. 6 credits cr., AL, Fall—S. Leonhard
GERM 260. Community and the Individual: German Literature and Life, 1780-1900 This survey of German literature examines significant works of prose, poetry, and drama in their cultural contexts, by authors ranging from Goethe and Novalis to Storm and Rilke. Besides gaining a sense of genre traditions and literary epochs, participants will also explore the tensions between individuals and the changing social and political order. Specific factors to be considered include the artist's role in society, high culture versus popular culture, German identity, censorship, and the dreams of nationhood. Prerequisite: German 204 or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Fall—N. Krämer
GERM 261. Visions of Reality: Germany in the 20th Century The 20th century saw profound changes in the perception and representation of reality. In this course, we will explore the aesthetic, cultural and political visions of "reality" and the impact they had on the individual and on German society. What are the concepts of time and space? Of history? How are individual/culture/society represented? We will look at avant-garde and mainstream movements in different media such as literature, film, the visual arts, and architecture. Some secondary readings in English. Prerequisite: German 206 or equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
GERM 268. Trials and Tribulations Various aspects of justice and law (Gerechtigkeit and Recht) are central to many literary works in German. What is guilt? What is justice? Is there such a thing as innocence? Who decides? We will focus on both societal and individual existential views of these topics, as seen through several novels and plays. Authors will include Kafka, Lenz, Frisch, Dürrenmatt and others. Primary literature will be in German, though some secondary reading may be in English. Class discussions in German. Prerequisite: German 204 or equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
GERM 270. German Life and Literature at the Dawn of the New Millennium In this course, we will examine major works of literature, film and non-fiction in the German-speaking countries written between 1995 and 2000. Important cultural and political themes to be discussed through and in these works will be national identity, minority literatures, feminist visions and revisions, and the evolution of an environmentalist consciousness. However, we will not only read these works as cultural and political documents of their time, but also pay attention to their textual qualities as plays, novels, poems, and films. Prerequisite: German 204 or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
GERM 280. Memory and Representations of the Holocaust In Translation This course explores how the Holocaust is remembered and represented in contemporary cultural media: film, literature, documentaries, comics, museums, and memorials. We will look at differences between first-and second generation survivor testimonies, fictional treatments, and public memorializations. How are events remembered and memorialized and in what way? Who can legitimately remember? What different modes of representation are permissible, appropriate or desirable? These are the questions this course tries to answer. In translation. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
GERM 290. Berlin Program: Directed Reading To be carried out during the summer before the program starts. This reading, consisting of a short review of German history and various prose pieces relevant to our literature course (some of them in German), will prepare students for the program both in terms of content and in terms of speaking, reading, and writing the language in an all-German context. During the orientation period, there will be a discussion of these texts, followed by a test. 4 credits cr., S/CR/NC, ND, Fall—S. Leonhard
GERM 295. Berlin: The Metropolis and the Culture of Modernity After WWI, Berlin emerged as a place of a new consciousness and new rhythms of sensual and intellectual life and saw profound changes in the perception and representation of time and space. In theoretical essays, literature, art and film, Berlin will provide the starting point from which we will expand to study many facets of 20th century modernity in terms of city life (leisure time, amusement parks), emerging media (photography and film), gendered notions of urban space, politics, and art. Reading and discussions are in English. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—N. Krämer
GERM 301. Coffee and the News This course is intended as a refresher course for students who have completed the basic language sequence and/or taken part in the German program. Practice in writing and speaking German. Prerequisite: German 204 or the equivalent. 3 credits cr., S/CR/NC, ND, Winter,Spring—Staff
GERM 350. Two Countries One Nation? Germany and the Cold War The fall of the Berlin Wall and the creation of one German State in 1990 has caused a debate. Does this event reflect a "reunification" of "two countries that belonged together" or, is this a "unification" of two disparate political and cultural units that have evolved since WWII. We will address this question within the context of the debate on German identity and nationalism. We will explore literature, film, theater, social and cultural politics, along with a special emphasis on the phenomenon of the "Grenzgänger" who transcendends the physical and intellectual boundaries between the two German States. Prerequisite: German 206 or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
GERM 351. The Age of Goethe The literary movements of Enlightenment, Storm and Stress, and Classicism as seen through selected works of Goethe, Schiller, Lessing and Herder. Prerequisite: German 204 or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
GERM 354. Studies in 20th Century Prose and Poetry An examination of the modern novella and lyric, including works by such authors as Kafka, Brecht, Hesse, Rilke, George, Hofmannsthal, Mann, Fisch, Wolf, Böll, Frischmuth, Kaschnitz and others, in their historical and cultural context. Prerequisite: German 204 or equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Winter—A. Ulmer
GERM 355. Topics in German Drama: 20th Century Theatrical Experiments We will read and discuss in German a range of plays which push the limits of theatrical possibilities. Possible playwrights include Georg Kaiser, Bert Brecht, Wolfgang Borchert, Rolf Hochhuth, Peter Handke, Heiner Müller, Thomas Bernhard, and perhaps a 21st century writer. Videos of play productions and our own dramatic readings of scenes will help us explore some of the century's theories of acting and staging. Prerequisite: German 204 or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—B. Norman
GERM 360. The Song that Sleeps in Everything: German Poetry through the Ages Starting with the Baroque era, we will examine German poems as expressions of the literary movements that gave birth to them. Since the class will focus on each poem as representative of an aesthetic code grounded in specific literary movements, this class is also an excellent introduction to German literary history. We will read the poems, discuss them, listen to recordings and do our own lyrical or dramatic readings. Selections will include poems set to music, as well as 20th century Cabaret. Interested students may also try their hand at translation. Prerequisite: German 204 or equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
GERM 400. Integrative Exercise Examining an aspect of German literature across eras or genres. 6 credits cr., S/NC, ND, Fall,Winter,Spring—Staff