German Jump To: Jump To: Program Offerings A.B. Offering type A.B. Incoming students with previous experience in German will be placed into the appropriate level of the language sequence by means of an online proficiency test administered prior to course registration. Makeup tests will take place during orientation week.Students with some knowledge of German but without sufficient SAT subject or AP test scores must have their proficiency measured by the online placement test administered by the Registrar. Sophomores and upper-level students may take the test as well, but must do so according to the test's availability during orientation and at other points in the academic year. Goals for Student Learning The German department offers introductory and advanced courses taught in both English and German that explore the wide range of literature, history, philosophy, culture, media and art of the groups, confederations and nations who have spoken German from the Middle Ages to the present. Given the centrality of the German language to the discipline, we also offer courses at all levels in German language and culture that have as their goal the development of proficiency in German, understood as the ability to interact clearly and without explicit preparation in spontaneous communicative circumstances, speak with native speakers on general topics without straining communication, understand complex, concrete and abstract texts and write on a wide variety of subjects at an analytical level.Although the larger field is defined in terms of the German language, those speaking and writing in that language over the course of centuries did not exist in a vacuum. The study of German is therefore an inherently interdisciplinary enterprise that also involves the study of other languages and literatures, histories, discourses and cultural forms and practices. These connections to other fields are reflected not only in the cross-disciplinary affiliations of department faculty with architecture, art and archaeology, the center for culture, society, and religion, comparative literature, European cultural studies, history of science, Judaic studies, media and modernity, gender and sexuality studies and Medieval studies, but also in the six “tracks” available to German majors (German Literature, German Philosophy and Intellectual History, Media and Aesthetics, Linguistics, Study of Two Literatures, and the Joint Program in Culture and Politics). Given this wide range of offerings and approaches, the exact knowledge acquisition will vary from student to student, but certain common skills will be developed through the combination of coursework and independent work.The goals of a German major are thus twofold: (1) advancing language proficiency by increasing core vocabulary; understanding embedded sentence structures; comprehending nuances of style and register; engaging in extended discussion and debate; writing essays and short research papers in German; leading a seminar discussion in German; and (2) not only acquiring a range of knowledge in the chosen area of interest (major track) but also learning how to pursue the unknown, and in so doing, to create knowledge. The ultimate goal is to acquire the research, writing and rhetorical skills necessary to articulate that knowledge in a carefully presented and coherent argument that solves a problem in the context of a larger conversation or debate. This allows our majors to practice ways of thinking and communicating that will serve them well beyond their collegiate careers in virtually any profession. Advanced Placement Students who took the SAT ST German (or German "with listening") or the AP German exam with test scores of SAT ST 760 or AP 5 will satisfy the A.B. language requirement and be eligible for placement in 200- or 300-level courses, as well as participation in Princeton in Vienna (the summer study abroad program), the Summer Work Program and the Berlin Consortium for German Studies. Prerequisites The requirement for admission to the German department is a satisfactory working knowledge of German demonstrated by the completion of GER 107, an SAT Subject Test score of 760, a 5 on the Advanced Placement test or successful completion of the Department Proficiency Exam. Students considering majoring in German are encouraged to contact the director of undergraduate studies at any point to discuss a plan of study. Program of Study The department offers six areas of concentration, or tracks, within the major, each requiring a total of nine departmental courses — the Junior Seminar (GER 300) and eight additional courses — as specified below.1. German LiteratureThis track focuses on the major periods and forms of German literature with emphasis on literary and historical analysis. Students will satisfy the general University requirement of eight departmental courses by taking a minimum of five courses in the department (at least three of which should be 300-level courses) and a maximum of three cognate courses in related humanities departments such as philosophy and religion.2. German Philosophy and Intellectual HistoryThis track concentrates on philosophy, political and cultural theory, or particular intellectual movements and epochs in German-speaking contexts. Students are required to take a minimum of five courses in the German department (at least three of which should be 300-level courses) and a maximum of three relevant cognate courses in history, European cultural studies and/or philosophy.3. Media and AestheticsDesigned for students who wish to focus on art, film, dance, music, sound technology and/or media theory broadly conceived, this track requires a minimum of five courses in the German department (at least three of which should be 300-level courses) and a maximum of three relevant cognate courses in art and archaeology, film, music, philosophy, dance, European cultural studies, architecture and the Program in Visual Arts.4. German LinguisticsThis track concentrates on the history and structure of the German language. Majors who select this track are required to take the following courses: LIN 201 Introduction to Language and Linguistics or a comparable course in linguistics; GER 505 History of the German Language; and either GER 506 Second Language Acquisition and Pedagogy or GER 316, with the same title. In addition, students will take at least three courses in German literature and culture and two cognate courses pertaining to linguistics.5. The Study of Two LiteraturesThis plan of study normally consists of five upper-level courses in the German department (at least three of which should be 300-level courses) and three upper-level courses in a second literature. Students who have not completed the language preparation for the second literature may enroll in this track provided that they satisfy that language requirement during their junior year.6. Joint Program in German Culture and PoliticsIn cooperation with the Department of Politics, students may combine a major in German intellectual history with a major in German/European politics and/or political theory. In this track, four courses will be taken in the German department (at least two of which should be 300-level courses) and four cognate courses in German/European politics or political theory will be taken in the Department of Politics (at least two of which should be 300-level courses). Recommended departmental courses are GER 207, 208, 211, 306, 307, 309 and 324. Recommended cognates in politics include POL 210, 230, 240 and 385. The senior thesis may focus on any political topic with a substantive German-related component. Upon graduation, a letter will be issued by the German department certifying completion of a program in German cultural studies with a major in politics. Language Requirements For tracks 1 to 5, at least three, and for track 6, at least two, of the departmentals should be courses taught in German. For tracks 1 to 5, one of these three may be a course taught in English for which there is an appropriate German-language component. This option is available for all courses taught in the German department, but also for some courses in other departments. Students should consult with the course instructor regarding the German-language component at the beginning of the semester and submit the agreed-upon plan to the director of undergraduate studies for approval by the end of the second week of classes. Independent Work Independent reading, the junior seminar, the junior year essay and the senior thesis constitute the student's total independent work, which is spread over the four upper-level terms. These elements can be profitably linked with departmental courses. Students will consult with the director of undergraduate studies under whose guidance they will develop their individual program. During the first term of junior year, students are required to take the Junior Seminar GER 300, which serves as an intensive workshop of research and writing skills, as an introduction to a wide range of approaches and methods and as an incubator for the junior paper, an essay of approximately 8,000 words on a subject in German philosophy, art, media, linguistics, literature or politics. This essay, as well as the senior thesis, may be written in German or English. In late April of their junior year, students should discuss plans for their senior theses with the director of undergraduate studies.During senior year, students will write a thesis on a subject developed together with and approved by their thesis adviser. By the end of the fourth week of the first senior term, students will submit to their advisers a tentative outline of the proposed thesis. Further progress reports (as announced by the department) are required. Five weeks before the departmental examination, students must deliver to their adviser and to the director of undergraduate studies a copy of the thesis (signed and in PDF format). The title page must show the student's name and class numerals, the department in which the student is enrolled, the name of the adviser and the month and year of presentation. First and second readers will return written reports to students in advance of the departmental exam. After the departmental exam and upon approval of the thesis, students must submit one electronic copy of the thesis (PDF format) for the department archive. Students will receive a message from the office of the dean of the college during the spring term concerning the electronic submission of the senior thesis to the library. Senior Departmental Examination The departmental examination will be oral, based on the thesis and the student's course of study. At least one-fourth of the approximately hour-long exam will be conducted in German. Students should come prepared to give a 5–10 minute presentation about the argument of their thesis and its contribution to the state of research in its field. Study Abroad It is strongly recommended that students spend some time in a German-speaking country. This can be done through various programs, including the Berlin Consortium for German Studies, Princeton in Vienna and the department's Summer Work Program.Berlin Study Abroad ProgramThrough the Berlin Consortium for German Studies, of which Princeton University is a member, Princeton undergraduates are eligible to spend either one semester or an entire academic year studying abroad at the Freie Universität Berlin for full Princeton academic credit. Students will pay normal Princeton tuition, and those on financial aid will continue to receive aid during their study abroad. Departmental students who would like to enroll in this or any other overseas study program may do so, provided they present an acceptable plan of study that includes fulfillment of the departmental requirements for the junior seminar and the independent work and their application is approved by the Faculty Committee on Examinations and Standing. Early consultation with the director of undergraduate studies is strongly encouraged. Applications for the Berlin program are due in early October for the spring term and in early March for the following academic year. For application forms and additional information, contact the director of undergraduate studies or the Office of International Programs at (609) 258-5524 or Adam Oberlin, Program Liaison, at [email protected].Princeton in ViennaThe German department offers two levels of courses in its summer program in Vienna: (1) students enrolled in GER 102, 1025 or 105 during the spring semester may apply to take GER 105G or 107G abroad; (2) students enrolled in GER 107 or above in the spring semester, or who have otherwise already placed out of the language sequence, are eligible to apply for the 300-level seminar offered in Vienna. GER 105G and 107G are taught as a special month-long summer course in collaboration with institutional partners in Vienna and Princeton faculty. Both are partially subsidized by the German department, and financial aid is also available to all who receive it during the academic year through the University. GER 3XXG, whose topic varies each summer, is taught by a Princeton professor. Successful completion of GER 107G satisfies the University’s language requirement and qualifies students for upper-level coursework in German, the Summer Work Program and the Berlin Consortium during the academic year. Successful completion of GER 3XXG reduces the number of required German-language courses by one for those pursuing the major or a certificate. Interested students should contact the program director, Adam Oberlin: [email protected].The Summer Work Program For more than 60 years, the German department’s Summer Work Program (SWP) has opened up academic and professional opportunities for countless Princeton undergraduates. The SWP arranges internships in a wide range of fields: arts and culture, business and finance, STEM, computer science, government, policy, law and medicine. Students have interned at the Bundestag, UNESCO World Heritage sites, Max Planck Institutes, theater festivals and major corporations. They work at art galleries and hospitals, conduct research in fields ranging from neuroscience to migration studies and collaborate with NGOs to support refugees. Students also have had rewarding experiences in interdisciplinary projects. The SWP is committed to working with each student individually. As an integral part of the German department, the program provides detailed guidance on writing German resumés, cover letters and professional emails. Students are matched with internships based on their language proficiencies, academic and professional aspirations, extracurricular interests and specific skills. Some of our most popular ongoing internships were initially established for a particular student with a unique set of qualifications and goals.Organizing these opportunities is a truly collaborative effort. The SWP works in conjunction with the Princeton Alumni Association of Germany, partners at host organizations and colleagues at German universities. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we provide financial support to students whose internships are unpaid.An information session is held early in the fall semester. German majors and students with a high level of German proficiency are more likely to be qualified for certain positions. However, German proficiency is not required and students from all academic fields are encouraged to apply. For the most up-to-date information about the application process, eligibility and internship offerings, please visit the SWP website. Certificate in Language and Culture The Department of German offers students an opportunity to do sustained work in German language, literature, philosophy, art and media while majoring in another department, leading to a certificate in German Language and Culture. Certificate students can choose from the broad range of course offerings taught in both English and German. Classes extend from the Middle Ages to the contemporary moment, introduce diverse disciplinary perspectives including art history and philosophy, and engage with multiple critical paradigms such as gender and media studies. Through vibrant classroom discussions and close advising relationships, the certificate program engages students who wish to advance their command of the German language and deepen their understanding of German culture.The certificate program is open to undergraduates in all departments. Students are encouraged to consult with the director of undergraduate studies as early as their first or sophomore year to plan a program of study, but should not hesitate to reach out to the director of undergraduate studies about joining the certificate program at a later date.Course RequirementsFour courses at the 200 level or higher, at least two of which must be at the 300 level or higher. All courses must be taken for a grade (not pass/D/fail).Evidence of substantial upper-level coursework in German. This requirement will be satisfied if three of the four courses taken for the certificate were conducted in German, or if two were taught in German and one was conducted in English with a substantial German-language component. This option is available for all courses taught in the German department as well as courses in other departments cross-listed with German. Students should consult with the course instructor regarding the German-language component at the beginning of the semester and submit the agreed-upon plan to the director of undergraduate studies in German for approval by the end of the second week of classes.Independent WorkThere are three ways to fulfill the certificate independent work requirement:Complete a substantial paper (15–20 pages if in English, 10–15 pages if in German), which may be a revised version of a paper written for one of the four required courses.Write a chapter from the senior thesis principally devoted to a German-related topic.Complete an additional 300-level class taught in German.Students interested in completing the certificate are encouraged to contact the director of undergraduate studies at any point to discuss their plan of study. Students can express their intention to pursue a certificate by signing up on the German department website. Preparation for Graduate Study Departmental students who intend to pursue graduate studies in German should consult with the director of undergraduate studies. Majors should be aware that most graduate schools require a reading knowledge of a second modern language, and, possibly, Latin. Students are therefore advised to plan as undergraduates to meet these requirements. Additional Information The Language ProgramThe normal program sequence for beginners consists of GER 101, 102, 105 and 107. Students with a grade of A in 101 may apply for a special intensive second-term course, 1025, that combines GER 102 and 105. It is possible to start the study of German at Princeton and fulfill the entire language requirement in one calendar year through the Princeton in Vienna program (see above): 101 (Fall term), 1025 (Spring term), 107G (summer study immediately following 1025). German 105G is also offered through Princeton in Vienna.Successful completion of 107, 107G, or immediate assignment to a higher-level course satisfies the degree requirement and qualifies the student for all advanced courses, for the departmental major and for participation in the Berlin Consortium and the Summer Work Program. All questions concerning placement, course changes, failures, summer study or other matters related to any of the department's undergraduate courses should be referred to the director of undergraduate studies.Areas of StudyThe department offers courses in:German language and culture: 101, 102, 1025, 105, 105G, 107, 107G, 207, 208German literature: 206, 209, 301, 303, 305, 321, 323, 324, 325, 340, 362German philosophy and intellectual history: 212, 213, 302, 306, 307, 309, 332Media and aesthetics (lectures/seminars are in English unless otherwise noted): 211, 308, 337, 370, 371, 373Germanic and European literatures in translation: 320Germanic linguistics: 316, For relevant graduate courses open to undergraduates by permission, consult the German department's listing online. Faculty Chair Devin A. Fore Director of Undergraduate Studies Johannes Wankhammer Director of Graduate Studies Barbara N. Nagel Professor Devin A. Fore Associate Professor Brigid Doherty Joel B. Lande Thomas Y. Levin Barbara N. Nagel Sara S. Poor Johannes Wankhammer Assistant Professor Susan Morrow University Lecturer Jamie Rankin Senior Lecturer Adam Oberlin Lecturer Florian Fuchs Gabriella J. Karl-Johnson Ron Sadan Katya Soloveva Woodyard Visiting Professor Joseph W. Vogl Visiting Lecturer with Rank of Professor Gertrud Koch For a full list of faculty members and fellows please visit the department or program website. Courses GER 101 - Beginner's German I Fall/Spring This course lays the foundation for functional acquisition of German, with attention to interpretation (listening/reading), production (speaking/writing) and cultural understanding. Class time is devoted to interactive language tasks that foster comprehension, vocabulary acquisition and fluency. Five hours per week. Staff GER 102 - Beginner's German II Fall/Spring Continuation of 101, with added emphasis on reading, communicative writing strategies, listening comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and cultural analysis through film. Five hours per week. Staff GER 1025 - Intensive Intermediate German Spring Intensive training in German, building on 101 and covering the acquisitional goals of 102 and 105: communicative proficiency, mastery of discourse skills and reading strategies to interpret and discuss contemporary German short stories, film and drama. Successful completion of the course (B- or above) leads to automatic eligibility for GER 107G in the Princeton-in-Munich program. Limited to students with a grade of A/A- in 101. Nine hours per week. A. Oberlin GER 103 - Beginner's German in Review Not offered this year The course provides students who have some background in German a brief review of material covered in 101, and then works on speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills at the level of 102. Five hours. Prerequisite: scores from placement/proficiency test administered during fall orientation and consultation with instructor. Staff GER 105 - Intermediate German Fall The course aims to solidify previously acquired German, while expanding the range of usable vocabulary and syntax. Emphasis in class on task-based approaches to grammar, writing, listening comprehension and cultural understanding, using texts and film. Prerequisite: SAT Subject Test score of 570 and demonstrated oral competence, or successful completion of 102. To be followed by 107 to satisfy the A.B. language requirement. Four hours per week. X. Song, R. Sadan GER 107 - Advanced German Fall/Spring Further acquisition of proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing using online media, film, and texts as a basis for interaction and analysis. The fall course provides extensive review of basic structures and vocabulary for incoming students with high school German instruction; the spring course dovetails with 105 in terms of cultural and grammatical topics. Prerequisite: SAT Subject Test score of 650 and demonstrated oral competence, or successful completion of 105. Satisfies the A.B. language requirement. Three hours per week. Staff GER 207 - Studies in German Language and Style: Society, Politics, and Culture in Germany, 1890-1945 Fall HA Discussions of exemplary texts from modern German society and culture, including essays, speeches, autobiographies, works of literature, art, and film. The course offers an introduction to important issues in modern Germany: the Kaiserreich to the end of monarchy, Berlin as a modern metropolis, World War I, the democratic experiment of the Weimar Republic, and the rise and structures of National Socialism. Intensive practice in spoken and written German with emphasis on vocabulary acquisition and complex syntactical forms. Two 90-minute seminars. Prerequisite:107 or instructor's permission. S. Morrow GER 208 - Studies in German Language and Style: Contemporary Society, Politics, and Culture Spring HA Continuation of 207 (which is not, however, a prerequisite). Discussions of social, political, and cultural aspects of contemporary Germany. Basis of discussions are essays, literary texts, and films. Individual assignments to develop oral and written expression. Particularly recommended to students contemplating study or work in Germany. Two 90-minute seminars. Prerequisite: 107 or instructor's permission. Staff GER 209 - Introduction to German Literature after 1700 Fall LA The main periods of German literature from Lessing to the present studied through texts chosen to help the student acquire fluency in reading German and in the principles of literary interpretation. Two classes. J. Wankhammer GER 210 - Introduction to German Philosophy Spring EC or EM Covers German intellectual history from the Enlightenment to the present by focusing on the theoretical texts of its major authors (Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Weber, Heidegger, Arendt, Habermas). In addition to addressing the core discipline of philosophy, this course focuses on aesthetics, social, and political thought as well. All readings in English. Two lectures, one preceptorial. Staff GER 211 - Introduction to Media Theory Spring EC Traces the development of critical reflection on media through careful readings of a wide range of media theoretical texts from the late 19th to the early 21st century. Topics range from the birth of single-point perspective to photography, from gramophones to radio, from pre-cinematic optical devices to film and television, and from telephony and typewriters to cyberspace. Covers the relationship between representation and technology, the historicity of perception, the interplay of aesthetics, techniques, and politics, and transformations of reigning notions of imagination, literacy, communication, reality, and truth. Two 90-minute seminars. D. Fore, T. Levin GER 301 - Topics in German Drama and Theater Fall/Spring LA Exploration of specific problems in the history of German theater, drama, and dramatic theory. Topics may range from the baroque drama to the importance of Brechtian theater for modernism, and from the dramatic representation of political conflicts to contemporary theater and performance studies. Staff GER 303 - Topics in Prose Fiction Fall/Spring LA Critical investigations of particular problems in the development of German literary prose. Topics may include love as a mode of literary self-expression, the role of utopia in the rise of the modern novel, the history of the German novella, detective fiction, and the modern short story and experimental prose. Prerequisite: 107. S. Morrow GER 305 - Topics in German Poetry Not offered this year LA Studies of a particular question related to the development of German-language poetry and poetics. Topics may range from readings of major German poets (Goethe, Hölderlin, George, Rilke, Benn, Celan) to the paradigmatic status of the genre for 20th-century conceptions of the avant-garde. Prerequisite: 107. Staff GER 306 - German Intellectual History (also ECS 312/JDS 307) Fall/Spring CD or LA A study of major German philosophers and religious and social thinkers from the Reformation to the present. Selected works of Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Heidegger, or German-Jewish thinkers will be read together with contemporary interpretations. Two 90-minute seminars. Staff GER 307 - Topics in German Culture and Society (also COM 307/ECS 311) Fall/Spring LA or SA Exploration of key moments in German culture in light of its history and institutions. Topics may range from Marxist aesthetics to theories of fascism to German women writers. Readings and discussion in German. J. Rebentisch GER 308 - Topics in German Film History and Theory (also ART 383/ECS 308/VIS 317) Fall/Spring EC or LA What is film? Is it a language? Can one speak of cinematic literacy? Does film transform perception? Is there filmic thinking? This seminar on the theory and poetics of cinema will examine the varieties of ways -- semiotic, psychoanalytic, narratological - that filmmakers, philosophers and critics have analyzed film form, the cinematic experience, the construction of cinematic subjectivity, questions of aesthetic politics and notions of medium specificity. Staff GER 309 - Literature, Philosophy, and Politics in the Weimar Republic Not offered this year LA An interdisciplinary examination of continuity and change in the culture and the cultural politics of Germany between 1919 and 1933. Topics include expressionism in the visual arts and literature; Berlin Dada; the Conservative Revolution; abstract versus representational art (Thomas Mann, Neue Sachlichkeit); the Bauhaus and mass housing; montage in film and literature (Sergei Eisenstein, Walter Benjamin); the political theater (Bertolt Brecht, Erwin Piscator), and the optics of the modern metropolis (Walter Ruttmann, Alfred Döblin). Two 90-minute seminars. Staff GER 314 - Topics in the History and Theory of the Media Spring LA What defines life? And where do we locate the boundary between its proper and improper instances, between the natural and the monstrous? First emerging in the early 19th century, the prospects of artificial life continue to provoke both exhilaration and anxiety today. By examining works of philosophy, literature and film over a historical period ranging from early Romanticism to contemporary nanoculture, this seminar explores humanity's desire to become like the gods, fashioning species, companions, and slaves at will, even as these creations menace us through their intractability and threaten to take on an uncanny life of their own. N. Wegmann GER 320 - Masterworks of European Literature: The Romantic Quest (also COM 320) Not offered this year LA Works central to the tradition of modern European literature, including Goethe's Faust, Byron's Don Juan, Flaubert's Sentimental Education, Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, and Mann's Doctor Faustus. Each work treats the quest for greatness; each will be examined as to its form and place in the history of ideas. Two 90-minute seminars. Staff GER 321 - Topics in German Medieval Literature (also GSS 321/MED 321) Spring CD or LA Exploration of German medieval literature. Topics may include medieval German Arthurian literature and the relationship between gender and power in the medieval epics. S. Poor GER 323 - Fairy Tales: The Brothers Grimm and Beyond Not offered this year LA What do fairy tales do? More than children's entertainment, they instruct, amuse, warn, initiate, and enlighten. Throughout history, they have functioned to humanize and conquer the bestial and barbaric forces that terrorize us. They have also disguised social anxieties about gender and sex. The history and social function of fairy tales will be explored in the context of Germany in the 18th-20th centuries. Texts include selections from the Grimms' Marchen, as well as from the literature of the Romantic, Weimar, and postwar periods. Prerequisite: 107. Two 90-minute seminars. S. Poor GER 324 - Topics in Germanic Literatures Fall/Spring LA Critical investigation of German language literature from 800 to present. Topics may include medieval German Arthurian literature, the Austrian literary avant-garde, love stories, as well as focused studies of selected authors. Two 90-minute Seminars. J. Vogl GER 325 - Nietzsche and Modern European Literature Not offered this year LA The philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche as an important progenitor of the European modernist culture that arose in the period of urban capitalist modernity, roughly 1870-1930. Particular emphasis will be placed on a series of textual encounters between Nietzsche and such authors as Gide, Mann, Lawrence, Rilke, Yeats, Musil, and Malraux; their readings and rewritings of Nietzsche lent decisive impulses to the formal and thematic concerns of modernism. Two 90-minute seminars. M. Jennings GER 332 - The Cultural Theory of the Frankfurt School Not offered this year EC An examination of the work of the Frankfurt School of critical social theory on questions of modern culture. The course will focus on the textual debates among Theodor Adorno, Walter Benjamin, Max Horkheimer, and Siegfried Kracauer on the complex relationship of aesthetics and politics. These often polemical socio-philosophical texts attempt to map a contemporary cultural landscape reconfigured by the "culture industry," transformations in perception, the emergence of the mass, and new technologies of reproduction such as radio, cinema, and television. One three-hour seminar. Staff GER 340 - German Literature in the Age of Revolution Not offered this year LA The major works of the classical period in German literature. Texts by Goethe, Schiller, Hölderlin, and Kleist in relation to European historical, social, and philosophical change. Two 90-minute seminars. N. Wegmann GER 362 - Contemporary German Literature Not offered this year LA An introduction to the poetry, drama, and prose of postwar Germany in the East and West. Emphasis on the political and social context of the major literary works from the '50s to the present. Two 90-minute seminars. Staff GER 370 - Weimar Germany: Painting, Photography, Film (also ART 331/ECS 370) Not offered this year LA The visual arts in Germany during the Weimar Republic (1918-1933). Works of art, cinema, and literature in historical context. Topics include: modernism and modernity; Expressionism, Dada, New Objectivity in painting, photography, cinema, and literature; historical conditions of bodily experience and visual perception; emergence of new artistic and technological media; expansion of mass culture; place of politics in art; experience and representation of metropolitan life; changes in the conceptualization and representation of individuality, collectivity, embodiment, race, class, gender, sexuality. Two 90-minute seminars, one film screening. B. Doherty GER 371 - Art in Germany Since 1960 (also ART 391) Not offered this year LA The production and reception of art in the Federal Republic of Germany from c. 1960 to now, situating episodes in the history of painting, sculpture, and photography in relation to developments in literature and cinema. Topics include the problem of coming to terms with the past (Vergangenheitsbewältigung); the West German economic miracle (Wirtschaftswunder) and the functions and meanings of art in consumer society; violence, politics, and representation; abstraction and figuration in painting, sculpture, and photography; history, memory, and artistic tradition; art as a vehicle of socio-political critique. Two 90-minute classes. B. Doherty GER 373 - Modernist Photography and Literature (also ART 377) Not offered this year LA Exemplary encounters between photography and literature in the 20th century. After providing students with a basis in the theory of photography, the course focuses on intersections between literary and photographic forms, producers, and movements. Topics will include modernism in New York (Williams, Strand, and Sheeler) and Mexico City (Lawrence, Bravo, Weston, Modotti), the New Photography and the photo essay in Germany (Benjamin, Moholy-Nagy, Renger-Patzsch, Sander), social criticism (Evans and Agee), surrealism (Breton), and the American road (Kerouac and Frank). Two 90-minute seminars. Staff ART 337 - Court, Cloister, and City: Art and Architecture in Central and Eastern Europe (also GER 337) Not offered this year LA Painting, sculpture, and architecture in Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, and Russia, ca. 1450-1800. Special emphasis is placed on the changing roles of court, city, cloister, and aristocracy and the relation of local styles to international trends, including art elsewhere in Europe. For department majors, this course satisfies the Group 2 distribution requirement. Offered in alternate years. One three-hour seminar. T. Kaufmann COM 349 - Texts and Images of the Holocaust (also ECS 349/GER 349/JDS 349) Not offered this year EM In an effort to encompass the variety of responses to what is arguably the most traumatic event of modern Western experience, the Holocaust is explored as transmitted through documents, testimony, memoirs, creative writing, historiography, and cinema. In this study of works, reflecting diverse languages, cultures, genres, and points of view, the course focuses on issues of bearing witness, collective vs. individual memory, and the nature of radical evil. One three-hour seminar, plus weekly film showings. Staff HUM 450 - Empathy and Alienation (also ARC 450/ART 482/GER 407) Fall HA or LA In 19- and 20-c. debates that crossed borders among disciplines including psychology, sociology, anthropology, art history, philosophy, and political theory, empathy and alienation emerged as key terms to describe relations among human beings, works of art, and commodities. This seminar addresses the dynamics of empathy and alienation across a range of discourses and artifacts in European culture. Our explorations of how relationships between empathy and alienation were variously conceptualized in psychological aesthetics, psychoanalysis, and critical theory will aim to open up new perspectives on recent debates about identity and affect. B. Doherty, S. Papapetros