Courses - SU and AU 2012

German 1101 • German I

J. Frazier | 4 credit units | Summer Session 2012
4 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

GE Foreign Language course
Introduction to language and culture of the German-speaking world, with emphasis placed on the acquisition of basic communication skills in cultural context. CEFR Levels A1/A2. Not open to native speakers of this language through regular course enrollment or EM credits, or to students with 2 or more years of study in this language in high school, except by permission of dept.
Prereq: Not open to students with credits for 101.01, 4 sem cr hrs of 1101.51, or 5 sem cr hrs or 101.51. This course is available for EM credit. GE lit course. FL Admis Cond course.
Text: ISBN 978-3-468-96993-5  Berliner Platz 1 Neu: German for Beginners: Student Pack PLUS, English Edition

German 1102 • German II

4 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

GE Foreign Language course
Continued development of German-language skills and cultural knowledge for effective communication. Emphasis on more advanced language structures, sustained interactions, reading and writing. CEFR Levels A2/B1. Progress in sequential from one cr hr to the next, with proficiency at the level of 80% required for advancement. Not open to native speakers of this language.
Prereq: 1101, or 4 sem cr hrs of 1101.51, or concur: 1101.51, and permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 102.01, 102.51, 103.01, or 103.51. This course is available for EM credit. GE for lang course. FL Admis Cond course.
Texts: ISBN 978-3-468-96993-5  Berliner Platz 1 Neu: German for Beginners: Student Pack PLUS, English Edition; ISBN 978-3-468-96994-2  Berliner Platz 2 Neu: Deutsch im Alltag: Student Pack PLUS; and ISBN 978-0-934034-38-8  English Grammar for Students of German*, fifth edition.

German 1266 • German Review

4 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

GE Foreign Language course
Review and practice of important skills and concepts from German 1101 and 1102 needed for entry into German 1103 or German 1103.51 self-paced.
Prereq: High school German and placement test. Not open to students with credit for 1101, 1101.51, 1102, 1102.51 or 102.66; or to native speakers of German through regular course enrollment or EM credit. GE for lang course. FL Admis Cond course.
Texts: ISBN 978-3-468-96993-5  Berliner Platz 1 Neu: German for Beginners: Student Pack PLUS, English Edition; ISBN 978-3-468-96994-2  Berliner Platz 2 Neu: Deutsch im Alltag: Student Pack PLUS; and ISBN 978-0-934034-38-8  English Grammar for Students of German, fifth edition.

German 1103 • German III

4 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

GE Foreign Language course
Development of skills for independent use of German. Discussions, presentations, writing, & listening/viewing activities that address topics of contemporary German-speaking world. CEFR Level B1. Progress seq from cr hr to next. 80% prof req for adv.
Prereq: 102, 1102, or equiv, 4 cr hrs of 1102.51, or 1266. Students may register for 1102.51 and 1103.51 concurrently with permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 104.01, 104.51, or to native speakers of this language through regular course enrollment or EM credit. This course is available for EM credit. GE for lang course. FL Admis Cond course.
Texts: ISBN 978-3-468-96994-2  Berliner Platz 2 Neu: Deutsch im Alltag: Student Pack PLUS and ISBN 978-0-934034-38-8  English Grammar for Students of German, fifth edition.

German 1104 • German IV

Holznienkemper | 3 credit units | Summer Session 2012
4 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

GE Foreign Language course
Development of aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills in German in cultural context. CEFR Level B1. For students who have completed  103.01, 103.51 or 103.66 in quarter system. Closed to native speakers of this language
Prereq: 103 or 112, or equiv. This course is available for EM credit. GE for lang course. FL Admis Cond course.
Text: Augustyn & Euba, Stationen: Ein Kursbuch für die Mittelstufe. Heinle & Heinle Publishers, 2007. 1st ed.   ISBN 1413008801   

German 2101 • Texts and Contexts I: Contemporary German Language, Culture and Society

Hens | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012
Heck | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Development of communication skills and knowledge about recent social, cultural, and political developments in German speaking countries through texts, media and film; CEFR level A2/B1. Closed to native speakers of this language.
Prereq: 1103 or 1103.51, or equiv, or permission of instructor. No audit. FL Admis Cond course.
Texts for the Hens section:
Gottstein-Schramm, Kalender, Specht & Duckstein, Schritte Übungsgrammatik. Hueber Verlag, 2010. ISBN 978-3-19-301911-0
Herrndorf, Wolfgang, Tschick. Any edition (paperback: ISBN 3499256355)
Texts for the Heck section:
ISBN 978-3-19-301911-0 Gottstein-Schramm, Kalender, Specht & Duckstein,  Schritte Übungsgrammatik. Hueber Verlag, 2010.
ISBN 978-3-12-676615-9  Mittelpunkt B2 + C1 Redemittelsammlung, Klett Verlag, 2008. 

German 2102 • Texts and Contexts II: 20th-Century German Language, History and Culture

Schuman | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012
Spencer | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Continued development of communication skills; gain an understanding of major social and cultural developments in 20th century German history through texts, media, film. CEFR level B1/B2. Closed to native speakers of this language.
Prereq: 2101 or equiv, or permission of instructor. FL Admis Cond course.
Texts:
ISBN 978-3-19-011657-7  Hering,  Matussek & Perlmann-Balme, Übungsgrammatik für die Mittelstufe. Hueber Verlag, 2009.
ISBN 978-3-12-676615-9  Mittelpunkt B2 + C1 Redemittelsammlung, Klett Verlag, 2008. 

German 2251 • Sex and the City—German Literature and Popular Culture

Schuman | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

From medieval babes with magical sex-powers (the Nibelungenlied) to drug-addicted teen prostitutes in punk-rock-80s Berlin (Christiane F.), the history of German-language cultural expression is in many ways a history of two things that often overlap: sex, and the city. In this survey course—taught entirely in ENGLISH—we will hone our vital criticism and communication skills as we explore the many relationships between urban life, sexuality and gender in the art, architecture, literature, philosophy, and film of Germany, Austria and Switzerland from the 13^th Century to the 2000s.
Repeatable to a maximum of 9 cr hrs. GE lit course.

German 2251 • German Literature and Popular Culture

Holznienkemper | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Study of popular culture forms in relation to the artistic, intellectual, historic, and literary traditions of the German-speaking world. Taught in English.
Repeatable to a maximum of 9 cr hrs. GE lit course.

German 2252H • The Faust Theme

Hammermeister | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Major versions of the Faust story, their socio-cultural context, and their symbolic expression of recurring human concerns. Taught in English.
Prereq: Honors standing, and English 1110.01 (110) or equiv, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 263H. GE lit and diversity global studies course. EN Admis Cond course.
Texts: Marlowe: Doctor Faustus; Goethe: Faust; Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray; Klaus Mann: Mephisto.

German 2367 • German Literature and American Culture

Wanske | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

German perspectives on and in 20th-century American culture. Influence of German thought and writings on American culture; German views of American culture. Taught in English.
Prereq: English 1110.01, 1110.02, and 1110.03 or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 367. GE writing and comm course: level 2. EN Admis Cond course.
Text: tba

German 2367 • German Literature and American Culture

Wood | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

German perspectives on and in 20th-century American culture. Influence of German thought and writings on American culture; German views of American culture. Taught in English.
Prereq: English 1110.01, 1110.02, and 1110.03 or equiv. Not open to students with credit for 367. GE writing and comm course: level 2. EN Admis Cond course.
Text: tba

German 3101 • Texts and Contexts III: Historical Perspectives

Mergenthaler | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Development of intermediate/advanced communication skills; broadening of cultural and historical knowledge through interaction with literary and non-literary materials informed by historical perspective; CEFR level B2. Closed to to native speakers of this language.
Prereq: 2102 or equiv, or permission of instructor. FL Admis Cond course.
Texts:
ISBN 978-3-19-011657-7  Hering,  Matussek & Perlmann-Balme, Übungsgrammatik für die Mittelstufe. Hueber Verlag, 2009.
ISBN 978-3-12-676615-9  Mittelpunkt B2 + C1 Redemittelsammlung, Klett Verlag, 2008.

German 3200 • Kafka's Amerika - Topics in German Literature, Art and Film

Hens | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Focused exploration of topics in German literature, art, and film as expressions of culture in a transnational context, aimed at improving students' critical comprehension and communication skills.
Prereq: 2102 and 2350, or equiv; or permission of instructor. Admis Cond course.
Text: Franz Kafka, Der Verschollene. Frankfurt: Fischer, 2008. isbn 3596181208

German 3252 • The Holocaust in Literature and Film

Reitter | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Reading, analysis, and discussion of representative works pertaining to the Holocaust from the perspectives of the German and Ashkenazic traditions. Taught in English.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 399, or Yiddish 3399 (399). GE lit and diversity global studies course. Cross-listed in Yiddish 3399.
Text: tba

German 3300 • Germany, the Wild Child? Protest, Rebellion, and Revolution - Topics in German Culture Studies, Social and Intellectual History

Byram | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

German-speaking Europe may have a reputation for discipline and order, but it has a rich history of rebellious philosophers, artists, and citizens. The effects of their thought and action have continued to influence and shape the culture of Germany, Europe, and even the world—right up to the present day. This course will explore revolutionary movements and developments in three areas of German cultural life: politics, philosophy, and popular culture and the fine arts. As they read and view work by rebellious Germans, students will 1) expand their ability to read, listen, think, discuss, and write critically in German and 2) gain knowledge of a range of revolutionary cultural developments, their relationship to each other, and their continuing impact on contemporary culture in Germany and the world.
Prereq: 2102 and 2350, or equiv; or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 550. Admis Cond course. Taught in German.
Text: Text selection will depend on student interests. (The instructor will send a survey to registered students in early June.) Most texts will be made available by the instructor; any required books will be posted by July 1.

German 3351 • Democracy, Fascism and German Culture

Spencer | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Culture of the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany in literature, film, the other arts; the roots of fascism and its echoes in postwar Germany. Taught in English.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 299. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.

German 3602 • German for the Professions I

Heck | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Development of cultural knowledge and communication skills for the professions; introduction to the world of German business through audio, video, print materials; CEFR level B1-B2.
Prereq: 2102 or equiv, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 202. No audit. Admis Cond course.
Text: tba

German 4200 • The Languages of Poetry:
Contemporary Lyric and its Theory—Senior Seminar in German: Literature, Art and Film (German)

Mergenthaler | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Why does anyone write lyric poetry today? And why should we read it? What is poetry? When did it emerge? What is so special about poetic language? Those are the main questions that we will explore by analyzing examples of contemporary German poetry, from Rap songs, commercials, and Slam Poetry to experimental avant-garde poetry.  The focus of the class, however, will lie on avant-garde poetry composed by authors who openly reflect on the character and the potential of poetic language, both practically, in their poetic work and theoretically, in speeches, essays, and scholarly articles.
After a 2-week introduction to the history and concepts of poetry, as well as to popular forms of the genre, we will examine the practice and theory of contemporary, experimental lyric poetry, focusing on specific contexts, reflected in these works: German history, migration, politics, nature, natural sciences (computer science, neuroscience), mathematics, philosophy, new media (the internet), and language itself.  The course will be conducted entirely in German and combine lecture, discussions, student presentations, and academic as well as creative writing assignments.  The course will also integrate targeted grammar reviews and exercises in order to further improve students‘ German speaking, listening, and writing skills.
Learning goals include:
• an introduction to contemporary German lyric poetry and its questions and purposes
• to acquire specific knowledge of poetic language and a heightened awareness of language in general
• to become more familiar with contemporary poetic and aesthetic theory
• to further increase German language skills (speaking, listening, writing)
Course requirements: Participation: 10%; Weekly homework assignments: 20%; Presentation: 20%;        Midterm assignment: 20%; Final assignment: 30%

German 4300 • Nature and Ecology in German Culture - Senior Seminar in German: Culture Studies, Social and Intellectual History (German)

B. Malkmus | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

In a recent international study comparing ‘green’ records, Switzerland and Germany ranked in the top group. Newsweek magazine writes: “No country is more green by design”, referring to the fact that in Germany ‘green thinking’ is not only a matter of policies, but also embedded in culture and mentality. This course wants to explore and critically assess the history, variety and design of ecological thinking in the German speaking world, focusing on the following aspects:

(1)     Ethics: philosophical concepts of ecological responsibility
(2)     Writing: literary reflections of nature and the ecological crisis
(3)     Current affairs and their history: the role of green issues in contemporary politics, modern environmentalism and its history, the history of the German Green Party, ‘green’ identity politics

Nature throughout history has served as a projection screen for a wide range of contradictory qualities, ranging from the anti-human to the origin of humanness, from cruelty to harmony. We will discuss how these various concepts change in a time of global ecological crisis and what kind of challenge the scientific concept of nature as ecology (i.e. a network of organisms and environments mutually conditioning one another) poses to our self-perception.
This course is open to advanced undergraduate and graduate students. The course will be taught in German. Counts toward fulfillment of advanced requirement for the major.
Prereq: 2350, 3101, and one course at the 3000 level, and Sr standing, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 640.

German 6101 • Basic German for Graduate Students

Suggitt | 3 credit units | Summer Session 2012
Spencer | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

The fundamentals of German grammar, as required for the reading of German texts in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
Prereq: Grad standing. Not open to students with credit for 571. No audit. Credit does not apply to the minimum hours required for the master's or doctoral degrees.
Text: Jannach's German for Reading Knowledge (6th), isbn 1413033490

German 6102 • German for Research

Hens | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Reading of difficult material at a reasonable rate of speed and with only infrequent use of dictionaries.
Prereq: Grade of C or above in 6101, Grad standing, or equiv. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs. FL Admis Cond course. Does not count towards Master's or Doctoral degree.

German 6200 • Introduction to Literary Culture

Hammermeister | 4 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Lecture-based introduction to the methodology and  tools of literary scholarship and to major contemporary theoretical approaches to literary studies; contextualization of these methodologies and approaches within literary history.
Prereq: Grad standing, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 702.
Texts: Gelfert: Was ist gute Literatur?; Hörisch: Geschichte der Medien; Hörisch: Theorieapotheke.

German 6600 • Introduction to Teaching and Learning German at the College Level

Taleghani-Nikazm | 4 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Developing an understanding of communicative language teaching and second language acquisition as it applies to German. Overview of instructional strategies and techniques for various modalities.
Prereq: Open to Graduate Teaching Associates enrolled in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures; all others by permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 840.

German 8200 • The Late Works of Friedrich Nietzsche — Seminar in Literature and Literary Culture

Holub | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

The writings Nietzsche composed after he completed Zarathustra comprise some of his most interesting and provocative works. The aphoristic Beyond Good and Evil (1886) sets the tone for this final period, dealing with a variety of themes from epistemology and ethics to social and political observations. The Genealogy of Morals (1887) purports to clarify comments made in Beyond Good and Evil, providing a detailed explanation of Nietzsche’s critique of moral conventions in contemporary Europe, as well as reflections on their history and origins, and implications. In his final year Nietzsche produced a variety of short texts: two of these (Nietzsche Contra Wagner and The Case of Wagner) focus on the composer Richard Wagner, who was a veritable obsession for Nietzsche since the 1860s, but whom Nietzsche openly opposes only in these late works; one deals with Nietzsche’s critique of Christianity (The Antichrist/Antichristian), which was an ongoing concern in the 1880s; one contains more general themes and thoughts (Twilight of the Idols); and one is an unusual autobiography (Ecce Homo). In addition Nietzsche filled several hundred pages of notebooks with thoughts, schemes, and commentary on his reading; he completed a fifth section of The Gay Science (first four sections published in 1882; fifth section in 1887), and several prefaces for earlier works. We will be examining this body of work, or at least a portion of it, to determine his last views on a variety of important topics and endeavor to place him in the context of nineteenth-century thought.
The following assignments are anticipated: responsibility for leading one class discussion; one seminar paper presented during the last weeks of the semester.
Prereq: 6500, Grad standing, or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 30 cr hrs. Admis Cond course.

German 8300 • Nature, Land-­Scape, Culture: Imagining Space in German Intellectual History — Seminar in Intellectual History and Cultural Studies

B. Malkmus | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

This seminar explores the German fascination with space in modernity and aims to develop a critical genealogy of how we think of space today. It offers close readings of seminal theories of space, ranging from A.v. Humboldt to Cosgrove, from Heidegger to J.B. Jackson, from Simmel to Adorno. Our guiding question is: What is the land we shape, and what is the land that shapes us? We will put these theoretical discussions into dialogue with key literary texts and visual materials, using English-language texts as regular interlocutors and comparative points of reference. Language of instruction: English. All texts will be made available in German and English.
Material: Poetry by Goethe, Hölderlin, Hopkins, Rilke, Bobrowski, Snyder
Novellas by Büchner, Stifter, Faulkner, Frisch
Novels by Keller, Ransmayr, Matthiessen, Sebald
Travelogues by Humboldt, Thoreau, Mandelstam
Paintings: German Romanticism and Expressionism; Hudson River School
Architectural design: Wright, Alto, Pallasmaa, Sobek
Prereq: 6500, Grad standing, or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 30 cr hrs. Admis Cond course.

German 8400 • The Berlin School and/in German Film History — Seminar in Film, Visual Culture and the Performing Arts

Davidson | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Over the past decade, German cinema has revived with the emergence of a string of remarkable new filmmakers, beginning with Christian Petzold, Thomas Arslan and Angela Schanelec, and continuing on with the likes of Christoph Hochhäusler and Isabelle Stever.  In contrast to the more conventional efforts of Fatih Akin and Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, the works of these directors emphasize formal experimentation over spectacle and show a preference for narrative experimentation over storytelling based on character psychology, whether transparent or ambiguous. This so-called Berlin School has garnered a great deal of critical and scholarly attention, and rightly so; however, this reception tends to view these works in something of a historical bubble, divorced from the broader and deeper traditions of German cinema, cinema more generally, and, in some cases, German history. This course provides students with the background to understand and improve on this response, as well as the analytical tools to engage with this challenging material.  Structured around topics such as urban landscape, industry and economic developments, movement and stasis, surveillance, and the optical unconscious, the course sets works of these contemporary directors in proximity to those from a longer cinematic and critical-intellectual trajectory.  In addition to the artists listed about, filmmakers may include  Beyer, Dupont,  Farocki,  Fassbinder, Handke, Grisebach,  Klein, Köhler, Lang,  Lubitsch,  Ruttmann,  Siodmak,  Thiele,  Wenders,  and Wolf, among others.  Secondary readings may include works by Abel, Benjamin, Cowan, Davidson, Delueze, Elsaesser, Hake, Kracauer, Powell, Rentschler, Rutsky, and Seeβlen, among others.
To the extent possible, materials for this course will be available in English to invite participation from students in other programs (such as those pursuing the GIS in Film Studies).
Prereq: 6500, Grad standing, or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 30 cr hrs. Admis Cond course.

German 8500 • Doctoral Colloquium

Fischer | 1 credit unit | Autumn Semester 2012

Regular student-driven discussions of ongoing dissertations, current topics in the professional field, and new research approaches to Germanic Studies.
Prereq: Successful completion of Ph.D. candidacy exams or permission from Director of Graduate Studies and instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 9 cr hrs. This course is graded S/U. Admis Cond course.

Scandinavian 3350 • Norse Mythology and Medieval Culture

Kaplan | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

GE lit and diversity global studies course
What do we know about Thor and Odin, and how do we know it? This course examines the myths of the Old Norse gods and the sources in which those myths are recorded. Students will gain insight into the world view and beliefs of the pagan North by reading (in English translation) the most important textual sources on Scandinavia's pre-Christian mythology. Placename, archaeological, and other evidence will also be discussed. Students intrigued by the Viking Age, medieval Northern Europe, or the interpretation of myth will find much of interest.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for Scandnav 222. GE lit and diversity global studies course.

Swedish 1101 • Swedish I

Risko | 4 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

GE Foreign Language course
Introduction to language and culture of Sweden with emphasis on the acquisition of basic communication skills in a cultural context. Closed to native speakers of this language.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 101.01, or to students with 2 or more years of study in this language in high school, except by permission of dept. GE for lang course.
Text: Althén, Anette. Mål 1 Lärobok (textbook with CD); Althén, Anette. Mål Övningsbok (workbook). Both Stockholm: Natur och Kultur (2007 edition).

Swedish 1104 • Swedish IV

Robinson | 4 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

GE Foreign Language course
Development of skills necessary for the independent use of Swedish. Discussions, presentations, writing and listening/viewing activities address topics of contemporary Sweden.
Prereq: Grade of C- or better in 102. Not open to students with credit for 103.01, 104.01, or to native speakers of this language through regular course enrollment or EM credit. GE for lang course. FL Admis Cond course.
Text: Althén, Anette. Mål 2 Lärobok (textbook with CD); Althén, Anette. Mål Övningsbok (workbook). Both Stockholm: Natur och Kultur (2007 edition).

Yiddish 2241 • Yiddish Culture

Miller | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course
From Crackow to Columbus, from Brooklyn to Beechwood, the great majority of American Jews are heirs to the thousand-year old culture of Ashkenaz—the largest country in Europe. Yiddish 2241 explores the culture of Ashkenaz in its many forms of expression —literature, film, folklore, family life, food, politics, religion, academics, sports, entertainment, immigration, assimilation, self-assertion, marginality, subversion, and the "Jewishing" of the American dream.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 241. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course.

Yiddish 3399 • Holocaust in Yiddish and Ashkenazic Literature

Berry | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012
Hamblet | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

GE lit and diversity global studies course
Reading and analysis of texts, films and music pertaining to the topic of the Holocaust, the genocide perpetrated by Nazi Germany against European Jewry, and its impact on Ashkenazic-Jewish civilization.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 399. GE lit and diversity global studies course.

Yiddish 4721 • Studies in Yiddish Literature

Miller | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Advanced study of specific literary periods, figures, and/or topics involving extensive reading and discussion of appropriate primary and secondary source materials.
Repeatable to a maximum of 9 cr. hrs.

Yiddish 7721 • Studies in Yiddish Literature

Miller | 3 credit units | Autumn Semester 2012

Advanced study of specific literary periods, figures, and/or topics involving extensive reading and discussion of appropriate primary and secondary source materials.
Repeatable to a maximum of 9 cr. hrs. Specific topics not repeatable for credit.