Courses

Essentials of grammar, composition, pronunciation. Course includes oral and written work, readings, and use of cultural materials. Intended for students with no previous knowledge of German. Students may not receive credit for 101 and 103.

Essentials of grammar, composition, pronunciation. Course includes oral and written work, readings, and use of cultural materials. Prerequisite: German 101 or permission of instructor. Prepares for German 201. Students may not receive credit for 102 and 104.

Essentials of grammar, composition, pronunciation. Course includes oral and written work, readings, and use of cultural materials. Intended for students with some previous knowledge of German who place into 103 through achievement on the language placement exam. Beginning students can join GER 103 with permission from the instructor. Students may not receive credit for 101 and 103.

Essentials of grammar, composition, pronunciation. Course includes oral and written work, readings, and use of cultural materials. Prerequisite: German 103 or permission of the instructor. Prepares for German 201. Students may not receive credit for 102 and 104.

Critical analysis and appreciation of form and content of selected German literary texts, films, and other works, together with an examination of the cultural, socio-historical, and political circumstances that produced them. Theme varies each year; contact the German Studies Department for more details. Conducted in English; no knowledge of German required. Fulfills Multiple Inquiries, Humanities curricular requirement.

Review of grammar from either the 101/102 or 103/104 sequence with added complexities of structure and syntax. Progressively more challenging texts introduce German culture. Intended for students who have completed either 102 or 104, or who place into 201 through achievement on the language placement exam.

Continuation of German 201. Progressively more complex texts introduce different aspects of German culture. Prerequisite: German 201 or permission of the instructor. Prepares for German 301.

Introduction to Yiddish literature in modern European and American contexts. Texts examined include short stories, dramas, novels, and poetry by both classic and lesser-known authors, as well as supplementary films and artwork. Topics range from the Germanic origins of the Yiddish language to representations of the shtetl and Eastern Europe, Jewish immigrants in the United States, and marginal figures with respect to gender and sexual difference. Conducted in English. Counts toward minor in Judaic Studies. Fulfills Conceptualizing Diversity curricular requirement.

Cultural approach to studying the Weimar Republic (1919–1933), with a focus on literature, film, photography, and art. Different texts and media forms offer insight into urbanization, post-war trauma, political unrest, revolution, inflation, new sexual freedoms, and other aspects of the encounter with modernity. Topics include cafés, cabarets, hotels, fashion, journalism, jazz, avant-garde movements, as well as the experiences of women, LGBTQ individuals, Jews, and other minority groups. Conducted in English.

Cultural approach to studying the 1920s and early 1930s before the Nazi Party’s rise to power, with a focus on Weimar film, photography, and art. Different texts and media forms offer insight into urbanization, post-war trauma, political unrest, revolution, inflation, new sexual freedoms, and other aspects of the encounter with modernity. Topics include cafés, cabarets, hotels, fashion, journalism, jazz, avant-garde movements, as well as the experiences of women, LGBTQ individuals, Jews, and other minority groups. Conducted in English. GER 231 and CIMS 231 are cross-listed.

Study of representations of the Holocaust across film genres and in other media. Both the events of the 1930s-1940s (Nazi persecution, ghettos, camps, killing centers) and the field of Holocaust memory and representation are a central focus. Topics include: documentary films, propaganda, resistance/protest, humor/comedy, commodification, trials, revenge fantasies, and stories told and untold. Films are in a number of languages (English, German, Polish, Hebrew, Hungarian, French, Italian, etc.). Course conducted in English. CIMS 235 and GER 235 are cross-listed.

An introduction to both the genre and the analysis of fairy and folktales structured around well-known European fairy tales like those collected and edited by the Brothers Grimm, their variations, and contemporary film adaptations. The first half of the semester is dedicated to becoming familiar with different theories and approaches to fairy tale scholarship. The second half of the semester explores archetypes of the folk narrative and uses different analytical approaches to question meaning.

Video games are one of the most important and widespread forms of engaging in culture today. But the question of why we play has fascinated thinkers for centuries: Over 200 years ago, Friedrich Schiller claimed that “man is only fully a human being when he plays”, that playing is a unique way of expressing creativity, imagination, and emotions, and thus alleviates social pressure. This course explores history and cultural significance of playing both analog and video games. It examines the ways in which they are shaped by and shape cultural values, identities, and power relations. The class explores principal questions, historical developments, and considers the contemporary contexts in which videogames have emerged and evolved, as well as the diverse communities and cultures that participate in videogame culture. It draws on a range of methodological approaches from fields such as media studies, German cultural studies, anthropology, and critical theory. GER 259 and CIMS 259 are cross-listed.

Discussion of the aesthetics and political function of violence in literature and visual culture. Topics include cultural negotiations of hierarchies of power in the family, abuse, trauma, terror, war and the representation of the Holocaust. Shorter secondary readings will complement the close reading of German literary texts, film and TV productions, and the discussion of digital games and their (alleged) contribution to the propensity for violence.

Exploration of antisemitic representations of Jews in European and American literature and film, as well as responses to specific works and figures by Jewish writers and filmmakers. Topics include Shylock; Fagin; Nazi propaganda; how names and surgery work to render someone Jewish or non-Jewish; the Jewish American Princess and Jewish Mother stereotypes; twenty-first-century stories; and the difference between antisemitism and anti-Zionism. Conducted in English. GER 265 and IDS 264 are cross-listed.

Introduction to transnational writing and film in the European context. Applies theoretical writings on transnationalism to the artistic works of transnational writers and filmmakers living primarily in German-speaking lands. Contemplates the cultural aspects of globalization and mass migrations in the European context and examines the roles gender, race, and ethnicity play in transnational identifications. Conducted in English. Fulfills Conceptualizing Diversity curricular requirement.

What is the real world, and how do we know it? What are the mysterious forces that hold our lives together? In its search for answers, this course delves into the dark and fantastic world of German realist literature. Here, we encounter a tangled web of shadowy powers that threaten to shape and reshape our understandings of the environment, of society, and of those around us. Can you handle the truth? Readings and discussion in English.

Art, Science, “Truth”… This course traces the relationship of science and literature within social discourses since the Enlightenment. Module 1 examines literary works that draw inspiration from scientific breakthroughs—biology, astronomy, geology—to produce texts whose truths invoke the natural world. Module 2 examines art and literature’s antagonism of science through films and texts critical of physics, astronomy, and animatronics. Module 3 examines science fiction as either science, fiction, or a new hybrid. Conversations explore evolving attitudes and anxieties towards science and technology that continue to shape our world.

Germany and beer go hand-in-hand. But what role do fermentation, experimentation, and intoxication play in the history of Germanic culture, literature, and film? In this course, we investigate the interrelationships between scientific and aesthetic “cultures". We also consider fermentation, experimentation, and intoxication as concepts for understanding German-language culture, literature, and film by asking: Are fermentation and experimentation models for art? Does intoxication inspire creativity? Can withdrawal explain the concerns of today’s capitalist societies, and particularly post-WWII Germany’s? All readings in English.

From the forests of Grimm’s fairy tales to the wasteland of Netflix’s Dark, the environment is deeply seeded in the German imagination. Examines the roots of Germany’s fascinations with nature and ecology and unearth the cultural aspirations and anxieties they cultivate. Branches into political histories for the seismic shifts that have reshaped Europe: ecological fantasies stemming from National Socialism and the successes budding from the Green Germany movement. Taught in English.

Introduction to the cinemas of Europe of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Study of well-known movements such as Weimar Expressionism, Italian Neorealism, French Nouvelle Vague, etc. The course challenges the widely accepted binary opposition between European Art Cinema and Hollywood by also considering popular genre cinema. Similarities and differences between national cinemas are studied in their respective historical, cultural, and commercial contexts. Conducted in English. Cross-listed with Cinema and Media Studies.

Introduction to modern European Jewish history (1780-present). Topics include medieval ghettos, emancipation, assimilation, antisemitism, racism, persecution, Zionism and Israel, refugees and displaced persons, and European Jewish communities after 1945. Four weeks of the course focus on the Holocaust: survivor testimony, Jewish responses to the Holocaust, and representations of the Holocaust in film and Jewish literature. The course also explores present and future options for twenty-first-century European Jewish communities. Conducted in English.

Offers sustained engagement with practical aspects of the German language for students at all levels of proficiency above 101. Half-unit course designed to help with maintenance of language skills. Topics vary by semester and pair consideration of current events with examinations of everyday life in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Aims to intensify mastery of linguistic skills needed in practical situations, to enhance awareness of cultural differences, and to prepare students for successful visits to German-speaking countries. Prerequisite: One of the following- GER 101, 102, 103, 201, or 301

Counterpart to the German Studies capstone course. Designed for non-majors or majors who are not seniors. Intensive engagement with one approach to studying German culture. Topics vary by year. Conducted in German. Prerequisite: GER 302

Continuation of the work of German 201, 202. Designed for advanced work in language and intended for students who have successfully completed German 202 or its equivalent. 301 and 302 offers the opportunity to increase sophistication of written and spoken German in a variety of contexts. Students write professional letters, creative pieces, editorials, film reviews, etc. Media and popular culture provide insight into contemporary German life. Collaborative learning is encouraged; students read and edit each other's work.

Designed for advanced work in language and intended for students who have successfully completed German 301. 301 and 302 offer the opportunity to increase sophistication of written and spoken German in a variety of contexts. Students write professional letters, creative pieces, editorials, film reviews, etc. Media and popular culture provide insight into contemporary German life. Collaborative learning is encouraged; students read and edit each other's work.

Study of the cultural, social, economic, and political developments in postwar German from 1945 to the present. Extensive use of critical/analytical readings, memoirs, literature, film, newspapers/magazines, and German television. Conducted in German, with additional language practice integrated into the course. Recommended as a bridge course between advanced German language and other 300-level courses.

This course introduces students to the history of German film from its origins in the late nineteenth century to the present. Study of basic film terminology and theory in order to create the vocabulary and conceptual frameworks necessary to discuss the films under consideration. This course explores the film cultures of the Weimar period, the Third Reich, the postwar era in East and West, and post-unification Germany in their respective social, political, and cultural contexts. Conducted in German, with additional language practice integrated into the course. Recommended as a bridge course between advanced German language and other 300-level courses.

Examines the concept of German Studies as a branch of Cultural Studies. A critical theory seminar that trains students in the analysis of texts from different disciplines and helps to develop a critical vocabulary for scholarly reflection. Aims to develop an awareness and understanding of the manifold linguistic and cultural contexts that have contributed to the body of theory at our disposal in studying culture, and German culture in particular. Conducted in English. Open to all students, but required for all German majors. As a foundational course, it should be taken as early as possible along the major track. Offered every other fall semester (in odd years: 2019, 2021 etc)

Examines issues in German cultural history from the Enlightenment through World War II. An endeavor in interdisciplinary cultural studies, this course examines social, political, philosophical, and artistic traditions for the two centuries under consideration. It engages a variety of documents: manifestos, literary and journalistic texts, paintings, films, scholarly articles, etc. It explores broader social and cultural trends, conflicts, and debates, many of which continue to shape Germany today. Conducted in German.

Exploration of different generational perspectives on key events in twentieth-century German history using contemporary cultural texts. Highlighted are first- and second-, sometimes even third generation views on World War Two, the Holocaust, East Germany, the student movement, and migration. The course offers insight into both the contemporary German cultural landscape as well as ongoing debates on national identity in the post-unification era. Conducted in German. Fulfills Conceptualizing Diversity curricular requirement.

Study of the literature of German-speaking countries from the end of World War II to the present. Course introduces students to authors and genres representing important literary currents and historical developments of the postwar era. Individualized Study Guided reading or research under the supervision of a faculty member. Prerequisite: Permission of department.

Explores the history and the cultural and political implications of the most important form of audiovisual communication in Germany in the second half of the 20th century: the TV. Objects include German TV productions and films produced for TV from the 1930s to the 1990s as well as several primary texts (reviews, printed tv magazines). Shorter theoretical texts will accompany the film analysis.

A study of contemporary literary, filmic, and journalistic texts as well as monuments and architecture that represent the German history of the twentieth century. What is remembered? What is forgotten? Analysis aims to understand the processes that form cultural memory and national identity, and the tensions inherent in private memory and public commemoration. Conducted in German.

This course is designed to familiarize students with intellectual traditions and formations such as German idealism, Marxism, anarchism, psychoanalysis, the Frankfurt School, environmentalism, etc. The main focus lies on how these traditions have informed and shaped larger cultural developments not only within Germany but across the globe. Conducted in German.

Critical inquiry into changing notions of Germany, Germanness, and the German language. What does it mean to be German in the twenty-first century? Through close examination of literature, film, and other cultural texts, this course considers current topics such as citizenship, national pride, guest workers, religion, ethnicity, gender, and minority visibility. It addresses the pressing question of multiculturalism versus integration. Conducted in German. Counts toward major/minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Fulfills Conceptualizing Diversity and Interdisciplinary curricular requirements.

This course explores the historical, political, and, most importantly, cultural situation of a year adjacent to a world-changing event in Germany. For example, the course might focus on 1913, the year before the outbreak of the Great War, or 1988, the year before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Topics differ according to which year is considered, but always include relevant historical events, literary works, films, and excerpts from newspapers and political outlets of the time. Shorter theoretical texts will accompany the primary texts.

Exploration of the latest developments in German contemporary literature and media culture including music, productions for the cinema and television. The key idea is to keep the finger on the pulse of time and relate the discussion of some of the most influential works of today to the topics that have shaped the German public discourse for decades: questions of collective identity, patriotism, migration, globalization, and how to come to terms with the past. Prerequisite: GER 302, or concurrent enrollment in 302.

Investigation of cities such as Berlin, Vienna, and Prague as sites of early twentieth-century cultural development and contestation that have shaped contemporary notions of urban space in today’s globalizing world. Taking the modern city as a point of departure, this seminar examines various media forms popularized within German-speaking metropolitan centers. Topics covered include avant-garde literary and artistic movements; coffeehouse culture; theater and cinema; the role of mass transportation; and shifting paradigms of gender, work, and economic class. Conducted in German. Fulfills Conceptualizing Diversity curricular requirement.

Splendor. Sex. Pressure. Art. This course explores these and other cultural themes that defined Viennese modernism. Discussions begin with the primary literary texts, including texts by Freud, Schnitzler, Musil, and Zweig. Subsequent units profile the adaptation and afterlife of these texts and crises through literary works and films. The final unit examines the fin-de-siècle in contemporary films, from India to Budapest, to reflect on the parallels between Vienna’s past and our global existence in the 21st Century. Conducted in German. Prerequisite: GER 302 or equivalent.

Exploration of printed words and images from the late 19th century to the present, including literary illustrations, illustrated periodicals, art with written text, posters, photobooks, early comics, and graphic novels. Topics include images as forms of propaganda and resistance; images in and of divided Germany; and representations of events in German history. Recent graphic novels demonstrate how images can tell stories of the Nazi past, Afro-German history, Turkish-German experiences, and women’s lives. Conducted in German. Prerequisite: GER 302 or permission of instructor.

Exploration of the history, literature, and culture of Jews in German-speaking lands. With a focus on topics including emancipation, acculturation, religion, race, women and gender, identity, anti-Semitism, and Zionism, this course also considers the impact of East European Jews and Yiddish on German culture. Texts examined range from memoirs and fiction to film, music, and art. Conducted in English; additional German component available for German majors and minors. Counts toward major/minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and minor in Judaic Studies. Fulfills Conceptualizing Diversity and Interdisciplinary curricular requirements.

Explores the history of human fascination with flying from the myth of Icarus to Fritz Lang’s “Woman in the Moon” and discuss numerous canonical works of German literature and German audio-visual culture (film and German television). A number of shorter theoretical texts will provide a framework for the discussion of differences and a number of surprising similarities between different periods of German cultural thought.

Explores a number of canonical works of German literature and audio-visual culture from the 18th to the 21st century. All works discussed partake in the discourse of "Schweigen" - a German term that refers not just to silence but also to the absence of communication, thus connecting romantic notions of "unspeakability", the limits of language, negotiations of trauma, and depictions of censorship. Schweigen will be a common denominator for the discussion of poetry and prose, film, and television productions.

Capstone course for German majors. Intensive study of selected aspects of German culture. Students begin working with instructor at the end of their Junior year to choose individual senior thesis topics. The course culminates in a written thesis and public presentation of the thesis. Conducted in German.

Individualized tutorial counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F

Individualized tutorial counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U

Individualized tutorial not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F

Individualized tutorial not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U

Individualized research counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F

Individualized research counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U

Individualized research not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F

Individualized research not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor graded S/U

Internship counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F

Internship counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U

Internship not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F

Internship not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U

Summer Internship graded A-F, counting in the minimum requirements for a major or minor only with written permission filed in the Registrar's Office.

Summer Internship graded S/U, counting in the minimum requirements for a major or minor only with written permission filed in the Registrar's Office