In our changing global environment, communication is the key to understanding other peoples and cultures. Our goal in German is to provide students with the proficiency needed to read German works in the original and/or to acquire the necessary skills to live and study in a German-speaking country. 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, and German philosophical and literary foundations are crucial to an understanding of the country and to the role it plays in the world. Our upper-level courses introduce students to important writers and thinkers such as Goethe, Schiller, Kafka, Brecht, and Rilke as well as to the German cinema and past and current cultural trends.
Language Courses: Language courses 101, 102, 103, and 204 are a sequential series of courses designed to prepare the student in the basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through the study of grammar, literature, and culture, and to provide the foundation for pursuing advanced work in language and literature. German 205 (taught overseas) and 207 are designed to develop the student's spoken and written mastery of the language through compositions and intensive oral work based on cultural and literary topics. German 208 is intended as a bridge course to help students make the transition from German 204 to more advanced courses. Admission to these courses is determined either by appropriate CEEB or placement test scores, or by successful completion of the previous course in the sequence.
Literature/Cultural Courses: We examine a wide range of works for both their aesthetic and human values. Our literature courses have a number of goals: to refine and expand students' linguistic ability, to give students access to some of the greatest works of literature, to broaden their cultural understanding, to improve their ability to engage in critical analysis, and to help them better understand themselves and the human condition. In class discussions attention is focused on universal themes and concerns within the broad context of German culture. In all courses numbered 250 and above the readings and discussions will be in German. The prerequisite for these courses is German 204 or the permission of the instructor.
Requirements for a Major
Sixty-six credits, including the following: 24 credits of literature/culture in German, which may include up to six credits of German 209 and/or 210; Literary and Cultural Studies 245 or English 295 (best taken during the junior year); six credits in literature other than German, read in the original language or in translation; the integrative exercise. Courses 101, 102 and 103 do not count toward the major.
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 in their literary studies. A special major involving German literature and another discipline may sometimes be arranged upon consultation with the department.
Programs Abroad: Participation in Carleton German Programs or in another approved foreign study program is highly recommended for students majoring in German. Students interested in a program aboard that is not affiliated with Carleton should consult with a faculty member in German and with the Director of Off-Campus Studies.
Language Houses: Students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language by living in the Parish International House where they can organize and participate in numerous cultural activities. Each year a language associate from Germany resides in the house.
Certificate of Advanced Study in Foreign Language and Literature: In order to receive the Certificate of Advanced Study in German students must satisfactorily complete the following: 36 credits beyond 103, of which at least twenty-four will be taught in the target language; 18 of these credits may be obtained in advanced language courses (German 205, 207, 208 or 210). The remaining courses may be from the German section or from a list of approved courses offered by other departments (philosophy, history, linguistics, music, etc.) Although courses for the certificate may be taken on a S/CR/NC basis, "CR" level work will not be sufficient to satisfy course requirements. No more than twelve credits from non-Carleton off-campus studies programs may be applied toward the certificate.
German Courses
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; NE;
Fall;
Juliane Schicker
GERM 102 Elementary German Further study of the basic structural patterns of the German language. Prerequisite: German 101 or equivalent. 6 credits; NE;
Winter;
Lydia B. Tang
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 or equivalent. 6 credits; NE;
Spring;
Juliane Schicker
GERM 105 Berlin Program: Beginning German in Berlin This course is designed for participants in Carleton's OCS Berlin program with little or no prior knowledge of German. Students will develop a basic foundation in the five skills of reading, writing, listening, speaking, and intercultural communication, with the goal of accomplishing a variety of basic everyday needs in Berlin. Topics will include communication with hosts, travel and transportation, shopping, and meals. Although students will be introduced to some fundamental grammar points, the emphasis is on the development of conversational abilities. 6 credits; NE;
Fall;
Lydia B. Tang, David G Tompkins
GERM 140 Culture or Barbarity? The German Question German culture has had a profound influence on world history, but one often wonders how the culture that produced Goethe, Schiller, Luther, Beethoven, and Kant was also the source of some of the greatest atrocities of the twentieth century. We will attempt to understand the reasons for this dichotomy by considering the development of Germany within the context of Europe from Roman times to the present. Taught in English 6 credits; HI, IS;
Not offered 2015-16
GERM 175 Berlin Program: Berlin Field Studies in English Individually or in small groups, students will work on a major project that incorporates research done on-site in Berlin and during our travels. The main objective of the course is to interact with Berlin and Berliners (and Europe and Europeans). Possible topics include music, visual arts, immigration, media, politics, personal history topics, or Germany's role within Europe. Conducted in English. 6 credits; NE, IS;
Fall;
Lydia B. Tang, David G Tompkins
GERM 204 Intermediate German In this course, students build on basic communication skills to engage in more in-depth spoken and written discussions of German-speaking culture. By analyzing longer and more challenging texts, films and cultural media, continuing grammar review, and writing compositions, students acquire greater facility and confidence in all four language skills (writing, speaking, listening, and reading). Prerequisite: German 103 or equivalent. 6 credits; NE;
Fall;
John B Lyon
GERM 205 Berlin Program: Intermediate Composition and Conversation This course is designed for students with intermediate proficiency in German, who wish to extend their knowledge of German language and culture through reading, discussions, and writing. Students will work on developing the ability to articulate opinions, exchange substantive information and to argue points of view; honing analytic and interpretive writing skills; and expanding their linguistic toolkit. The class format features discussions with grammar exercises interspersed as needed. Prerequisite: German 103 or equivalent and acceptance in Berlin Program. 6 credits; NE;
Fall;
Lydia B. Tang, David G Tompkins
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 credits; NE;
Not offered 2015-16
GERM 208 German in Cultural Contexts Prerequisite: German 204 or equivalent. 6 credits; LA, IS;
Not offered 2015-16
GERM 209 Reading German This course is designed to help students make the transition to reading German texts of their own choosing in any academic discipline. May be retaken for additional credits. Prerequisite: German 204 or the equivalent. 2 credits; NE;
Not offered 2015-16
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 credits; NE, IS;
Not offered 2015-16
GERM 211 German Film After 1945: German Discussion Section This optional discussion section for German 219 offers course participants proficient in German the opportunity to apply their background in foreign languages and cultures to the topic of German postwar film. Students will discuss and engage with original texts from various German media that complement the required course readings, such as German film reviews, print and TV interviews, literary sources or short films. We will also critique subtitles and analyze the use of idiomatic German in selected scenes. Prerequisite: German 204 or equivalent; Concurrent registration in German 219. 2 credits; NE;
Not offered 2015-16
GERM 219 "Good Bye, Lenin!" German Post War Culture, History and Politics through Film This course offers an introduction to German culture after 1945 through the lens of film. We will treat films over a broad range of topics, with a special emphasis on (1) the shifting angles from which filmmakers remember the Holocaust and World War II, (2) migration and multiculturalism, especially German-Turkish relations, and (3) reflections on the GDR past and on life in post-reunification Germany. The careful analysis of each film will be framed by a discussion of its socio-historical context, in order to reflect the unique manner in which cinema engages with historical, cultural and political debates. In translation. Prerequisite: German 204 or equivalent. 6 credits; LA, IS;
Not offered 2015-16
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 credits; HI;
Not offered 2015-16
GERM 233 Schiller! Why would people want to make, much less steal, a bust of a long-dead German author? What could he have done that inspired such admiration? This class introduces students to Friedrich Schiller "poet, philosopher, historian, and Carleton icon” with a focus on his groundbreaking dramatic work. We will analyze and occasionally also perform scenes from Schiller's contributions to the European stage, ranging from Storm and Stress plays to Classical and Romantic tragedies, to historical dramas. Students will consider Schiller's writings through the lenses of politics, family relationships, and revolution, and also explore his productive friendship with Goethe. Taught in English. 3 credits; LA, IS;
Spring;
Lydia B. Tang
GERM 247 Indo-European Folktales Since its publication in 1812, the Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales found a readership that spanned countries, languages, and generations. Its universal appeal can be traced to its origins: it reflects not only the influence of early nineteenth century Germany, but also oral folklore traditions that go back thousands of years and range from as far away as Iceland, the Middle-East, and India. This course introduces students to a wide selection of these and other folktales from the Indo-European tradition as well as to numerous perspectives for understanding these folktales. We will examine the aesthetic, social, historical, and psychological values that these tales reflect, and will also discuss significant theoretical and methodological paradigms within folklore studies, including structural, socio-historical, psychoanalytic, and feminist perspectives. Finally, we will discuss the continuing influence of this folk tradition on popular and elite culture of our time. All readings, discussion, and coursework will be in English. 6 credits; LA, IS;
Spring;
John B Lyon
GERM 253 In the Shadow of Goethe and Schiller: German Women Writers around 1800 In the German literary sphere around 1800 female authorship was viewed as a transgression. At a time when Goethe and Schiller created texts that would soon dominate the German canon, women were routinely warned of the dangerous side effects of reading, and declared unfit to produce any work of literary merit. This course is structured around a diverse group of women writers who, while remaining under the radar of readers and critics, devised successful strategies for writing. We will analyze their poetic production, with particular attention to biography, gender, and society. Taught in German. Prerequisite: German 204 or equivalent. 3 credits; LA, IS;
Spring;
Lydia B. Tang
GERM 254 Berlin Program: The World's a Stage Theater in Berlin This course is structured around the theater productions of the fall season in Berlin. Our group will attend six to eight performances of German language plays, ranging from the Enlightenment to the post-war period. In preparation for each outing, students will read and discuss the original play, and study its historical and literary context. In the course of the term, we will hone our skills as theater spectators and learn how to describe and critique different performance styles and directorial choices. Prerequisite: German 103 or equivalent. 6 credits; LA, IS;
Fall;
Lydia B. Tang, David G Tompkins
GERM 263 Alternative Visions: Counter Cinema from New German Cinema to the Berlin School "The old cinema is dead! We believe in a new cinema!" This bold declaration, signed by a group of German filmmakers at the Oberhausen Film Festival in 1962, marks a radical break with German postwar film. Influenced by the French New Wave and the 1968 student protests, the directors of New German Cinema created works that were both artistically ambitious and socially critical. We will discuss iconic films of this period by directors such as Fassbinder, Herzog, Schlöndorff, and Wenders, and contrast their vision with the politics and aesthetics of a later generation of German filmmakers, the Berlin School. Conducted in German. Prerequisite: German 204 or equivalent. 3 credits; LA, IS;
Not offered 2015-16
GERM 271 Iron Curtain Kids: Coming of Age in East Germany What was it like to grow up behind a wall, know Western music only through vinyl records from the black market, and revolt with HipHop, graffiti, and breakdance against a restrictive government? How did artists present life in block buildings, socialist youth groups, and a society without freedom of speech, travel, and expression? We will explore the youth culture of East Germany (1949-1989) through film, music, literature, and other media, compare it with today's world, and examine, e.g., Die neuen Leiden des Jungen W., Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee, Beat Music, and the movie Russendisko. Conducted in German. Prerequisite: German 204 or equivalent. 6 credits; LA, IS;
Winter;
Juliane Schicker
GERM 272 The Latest--Current Themes in German Literature, Film and the Media In this course, students will read and discuss a number of new works from the German-speaking countries that deal with important contemporary issues--the pressures of growing up and finding a job in uncertain economic times, the catastrophe of 9/11, the ever-present theme of finding love, immigrant perspectives, the challenges of aging, etc. We will examine novels and stories that deal with these topics, but also articles in magazines (Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) and films, trying to understand how various genres and media differ in their approaches to our themes. At the center of our discussion there will thus be the question what forms of expression a society finds for the formulation of its most urgent challenges, and how these texts take part in the public debate. Prerequisite: German 204 or the equivalent. 6 credits; LA, IS;
Not offered 2015-16
GERM 273 Mystery, Murder, Madness: Crime Stories in German Literature This course focuses on the rich German tradition of crime and detective stories, with a focus on the long nineteenth century. Contrasting authentic crime reports with fictionalized accounts of murder, rape, and mysterious occurrences, we will approach literary crime scenes as narrative spaces where contested concepts of truth, justice, and morality emerge, and where changing notions of perception come to the fore. Conducted in German. Prerequisite: German 204 or equivalent. 3 credits; LA, IS;
Not offered 2015-16
GERM 275 Berlin Program: Berlin Field Studies in German Individually or in small groups, students will work on a major project in German that incorporates research done on-site in Berlin and during our travels. The main objective of the course is to interact with Berlin and Berliners (and Europe and Europeans). Possible topics include music, visual arts, immigration, media, politics, personal history topics, or Germany's role within Europe. Prerequisite: German 103 or equivalent. 6 credits; NE, IS;
Fall;
Lydia B. Tang, David G Tompkins
GERM 305 Berlin Program: Advanced Composition and Conversation This course is designed for students with advanced proficiency in German, who wish to extend their knowledge of German language and culture through reading, discussions, and writing. Students will work on developing the ability to articulate opinions, exchange substantive information and to argue points of view; honing analytic and interpretive writing skills; and expanding their linguistic toolkit. The class format features discussions with grammar exercises interspersed as needed. Prerequisite: German 204 or equivalent. 6 credits; NE;
Fall;
Lydia B. Tang, David G Tompkins
GERM 320 Mystery, Murder, Madness: Crime Stories in German Literature and Film Following a trajectory from Friedrich Schiller's crime report Der Verbrecher aus verlorener Ehre to films of the Weimar Republic such as Caligari and M, this course focuses on the rich German tradition of crime and detective stories. We will approach this genre as a literary and cinematic space where contested concepts of truth, justice, and morality emerge, and where changing notions of perception come to the fore. Conducted in German. Prerequisite: German 204 or the equivalent. Not offered 2015-16
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; LA;
Not offered 2015-16
GERM 354 Studies in Twentieth-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, Frisch, Wolf, Bäll, Frischmuth, Kaschnitz, and others, in their historical and cultural context. Prerequisite: German 204 or equivalent. 6 credits; LA, IS;
Not offered 2015-16
GERM 400 Integrative Exercise Examining an aspect of German literature across eras or genres. 1-6 credit; S/NC;
Fall, Winter