German Studies Courses
GERM - 101. First Semester German (4)
German 101 is designed to introduce students to the German language and to provide them with the basic skills to function in a new linguistic and cultural environment. The four skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing – are equally emphasized. German 101 is the first course in a three-semester basic German language program.
GERM - 102. Second Semester German (4)
Continuation of First Semester German.
Prerequisite: GERM - 101 or equivalent competence as determined by the Department.
GERM - 201. Third Semester German (4)
Continuation of Second Semester German.
Prerequisite: GERM - 102 or equivalent competence as determined by the Department.
GERM - 202. Fourth Semester German (4)
Review and expansion of grammatical concepts covered in First through Third Semester German.
Emphasis on reading, discussing, and writing about authentic materials in a culturally relevant context.
Prerequisite: GERM - 201 or equivalent competence as determined by the department.
GERM - 305. Fifth Semester German (4)
Continuation of GERM – 202.
Prerequisite: GERM - 202 or equivalent competence as determined by the department.
GERM - 318. Jewish Literature and Culture in 20th Century Europe (4)
Taught in English. Fulfills Core-C Literature requirement. Listed as elective for Jewish Studies and Social
Justice, International Studies, European Studies.
This course examines some of the most important issues involving ethnicity, heritage, and identity by focusing on major expressions of Jews in Western and Eastern Europe, beginning with the early 20th century. The class is interdisciplinary in scope, using literature, theater, film, art, music, and other media to define concepts that have shaped significant contributions by Jewish artists, thinkers and intellectuals, particularly in the German and Yiddish vernacular. Against the changing historical backgrounds, the class seeks to gain a deeper understanding of what it meant to be Jewish in the early part of the century and to distinguish different forms of acculturation and/or assimilation. It also discusses literary testimonies of Holocaust survivors and the burgeoning Jewish culture in post-wall Germany.
GERM - 320. German Literature and Culture from 1945 to Today (4)
Taught in English. Fulfills Core-C Literature requirement. Listed as elective for International Studies,
European Studies.
This course centers on discussions of literary production in post – World War II Germany against the background of the profound historical, political and social changes in central Europe and the world at large, which mark the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century. After explorations into different works from East- and West-Germany until 1989 and the Fall of the Wall, a special emphasis will be placed on developments in the “new” German capital Berlin. Students examine texts in different genres, including prose, poetry, theory, and film, while gaining a deeper understanding of the contexts in which new ideas and forms of expression emerge. A special focus will be the question of identity and identification as it is shaped by personal, national, and trans-national influences.
GERM - 350. Paris-Berlin: Connections and Contrasts at the Turn of the 20th Century (4)
Taught in English. Fulfills Core-C Literature requirement. Cross-listed with French Studies. Listed as elective for International Studies, European Studies, Jewish Studies and Social Justice.
The course explores the many cultural exchanges between France and Germany from the late 1800s to the early decades of the 20th century. The new perspectives in literature, art, and film of this period and their integration with social and political developments are focal points. A special emphasis is placed on new forms of self-awareness as expressed in philosophical and psychoanalytical approaches, and the questioning of traditional concepts of sexuality, gender, and gender roles.
GERM - 398. Directed Studies (1-4)
Directed Studies supplement regular course offerings for smaller groups of students at a higher level of German proficiency. They focus on reading and discussing texts and films in German while improving written and oral language proficiency. The specific contents will be determined by instructor and students in collaboration. Interested students should contact the German Program coordinator.
