GERM 100: Views of Reality: Understanding Literary Works of the Past

Views of reality constantly change over time and find their expression in art and literature. This course will focus on European views of reality in the eighteenth century, a century of contentment as well as revolution. Works by such authors as Goethe, Voltaire, Schiller and Pope will be studied within their historical and social context. Readings and discussion in English. 6; S/CR/NC; Arts and Literature; offered Fall 2009 -- R. Paas

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; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Fall 2009 -- Staff

GERM 102: Elementary German

Further study of the basic structural patterns of the German language. Prerequisite: German 101, or appropriate placement score. 6; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Winter 2010 -- 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; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Spring 2010 -- Staff

GERM 204: Intermediate German

Critical reading and discussion of selected German plays, short stories and/or films. Prerequisite: German 103 or appropriate placement score. 6; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Fall 2009 -- 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; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Fall 2009 -- K. Herklotz

GERM 206: Composition and Conversation

Short texts, films, video clips and other cultural materials serve as the basis for discussions of contemporary German and Austrian culture. Prerequisite: German 204 or the equivalent. 6; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; not offered 2009-2010

GERM 207: Young Adult Literature

The best current German-language literature for teen-aged readers treats serious topics with wit and sensitivity. 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; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Spring 2010 -- A. Ulmer

GERM 210: 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. 2; S/CR/NC; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010 -- A. Ulmer

GERM 216: Studies in German Cinema: Current Issues in Contemporary Film

This course will be an introduction to Austrian and German film from the 1970s to the present. We will watch one or two films a week, and focus class discussions on such issues as the Third Reich and its impact on contemporary Germany (Fassbinder, Syberberg, Sanders-Brahms), the American dream in German culture (Wenders, Herzog), minorities in Germany (Fassbinder, Ottinger), literature into film (Schlöndorff), the role of women (Fassbinder, Sanders-Brahms, Ottinger, Dörrie) and other topics. We will discuss different genres, the notion of auteur cinema, and film in its double role of reflection and co-creator of ideology. 6; Arts and Literature; not offered 2009-2010

GERM 219: German Film after World War II

This course introduces postwar German cinema, emphasizing films in their socio-historical contexts while also providing an introduction to theoretical approaches and analytical tools for film analysis. Topics include: Remembering the Holocaust and WWII; terrorism; socialism and utopia; Berlin films and reunification; as well as race and migration. We will discuss a wide range of genres and styles, from New German Cinema to Turkish German comedy, from documentary to socialist musical. We will watch one or two films per week, accompanied by readings on specific films, German film history, and film analysis. All readings and class discussion in English. 6; Arts and Literature; not offered 2009-2010

GERM 230: From Gutenberg to Gates: The History and Practice of Printing

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 focuses on the major developments in printing since 1450 against the relevant historical and social background. In addition to lectures and discussions there is a weekly "lab," in which students will gain first-hand knowledge of such techniques as woodcutting, engraving, etching, lithography, bookbinding, and papermaking. In English translation. 6; S/CR/NC; Arts and Literature; offered Spring 2010 -- R. Paas

GERM 231: Damsels, Dwarfs, and Dragons: Medieval German Literature

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. Special attention is given to the poetry of Walther von der Vogelweide and two major epics: The Nibelungenlied and Gottfried von Strassburg's Tristan and Isolde. In English translation. 6; Arts and Literature; not offered 2009-2010

GERM 244: Berlin Program: Theater in Berlin

This course will be structured around the theater productions of the fall 2009 season in Berlin. (A few films will be included). The class will read six to eight plays from different literary and historical periods, study their historical and literary context, and also see them performed in the theater. 6; Arts and Literature; offered Fall 2009 -- K. Herklotz

GERM 246: Rebels, Revolutionaries, and Misfits

This course focuses on several German literary figures from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries who either were outsiders during their lifetimes or who actively fought against the establishment. The authors to be studied include Franz Kafka, Thomas Mann, Bertolt Brecht, Heinrich von Kleist, and Georg Büchner. In English translation. 6; Arts and Literature; not offered 2009-2010

GERM 247: Fairy Tales, Myths, and Legends

From bedtime stories to Disney films to video games, narratives familiar to us as fairy tales, myths and legends are ever present. This course examines tales in multiple forms, including versions of oral tales, literary tales, feature and animated film, and popular culture manifestations. While the course has a special emphasis on the German tradition, we will also examine many stories (in all their forms) in traditions that have been in dialogue with European traditions, including the Arabian Nights, Disney films, and anime. In several cases we will also read contemporary literary rewritings of familiar tales. All readings and class discussion in English. 6; Arts and Literature; offered Winter 2010 -- K. Herklotz

GERM 250: Introduction to Jewish German Culture

The tragedy of the Holocaust in the twentieth century often has overshadowed the long and lively history of German Jewish culture. This course will trace the historical development of a diverse and complex German Jewish culture and the multiple ways in which it is intertwined with German mainstream culture--from the Middle Ages to the revival of German Jewish culture in post-unification Germany and in the New Europe. The readings (in English) include overviews of historical periods; the literary, political, and philosophical texts by major German Jewish authors; autobiographies; the literature of witness and survival; and film. 6; Humanities; not offered 2009-2010

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; Arts and Literature; not offered 2009-2010

GERM 295: Berlin: The German Metropolis

Today Berlin is at the center of unified Germany and an evermore-united Europe. This course will trace the significance of Berlin for both Germany and Europe, taking a historical as well as comparative approach. Representations of Berlin in theoretical essays, literature, art and film, as well as Berlin as site of history, will provide the starting point from which we will explore many facets of twentieth century modernity, German-Jewish history, the Cold War, and the New Europe. Readings and discussions are in German. Prerequisite: German 204 or equivalent. 6; Arts and Literature; not offered 2009-2010

GERM 312: Rilke and His Circle

Rainer Maria Rilke, perhaps the foremost poet of his century, lived among a variety of artists, thinkers, and writers. Among them are Rodin, Lou Andreas-Salome, and the Worpswede group of artists. We will follow the threads of Rilke's life and poetry, and see where they lead us. The course will center on Rilke's poetry and prose fiction, but will also include correspondence, and the works of some of Rilke's associates. Class discussions and primary readings will be in German (sometimes with English translations provided); some secondary readings may be in English. Prerequisites: German 204 or equivalent. 6; Arts and Literature; not offered 2009-2010

GERM 345: Vienna: Dream and Reality

The course will examine the beginnings of Modernism in Austrian culture, music, theater, philosophy, art and architecture, focusing on literature within its wider context. We will look at such thinkers and artists as Freud, Wittgenstein, Schnitzler, Hofmannsthal, Hermann Bahr, Karl Kraus, Robert Musil and Peter Altenberg; as well as the great musicians, architects and painters of the time. We will survey the history and culture of the period between 1870 and 1930, with our primary focus on the period from around 1890-1920. Lectures and discussions will be in German. Prerequisite: German 204 or the equivalent. 6; Arts and Literature; not offered 2009-2010

GERM 346: Viennese Culture on Site

The first part of the course consists of a field trip to Vienna, Austria. We will spend two weeks going to museums and seeing the architecture and art we have discussed in German 345, including many works by such artists as Loos, Klimt, Schele and Kokoschka. The course will conlcude on campus when students will give oral presentations on topics selected in the fall term and investigated during the winter break trip. Prerequisite: German 345. 6; Arts and Literature; not offered 2009-2010

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; Arts and Literature; offered Winter 2010 -- S. Leonhard

GERM 355: Topics in German Drama: Twentieth 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 twenty-first 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; Arts and Literature; not offered 2009-2010

GERM 400: Integrative Exercise

Examining an aspect of German literature across eras or genres. 6; S/NC; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Fall 2009, Winter 2010 -- Staff