German 316 - German Cultural History from 1800 to the Present

A survey of literary and cultural developments in the German-speaking tradition from the Romantic Period to contemporary trends. The class is organized around the idea of “Germany de-centered,” where we will mainly study works of canonical importance that were written outside of the confines of Germany “proper.” Major themes will include the question of world literature and Germany’s place in it, the rise of nationalism and antisemitism, various revolutions (aesthetic, poetic, political) as well as the questions of guilt, morality, fascism, colonialism, exile, feminism, psychoanalysis, and myth. Germanophone authors studied may include Goethe, the Grimm brothers, Heine, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Kafka, Brecht, Seghers, Arendt, Bachmann; anglophone authors whose ties to Germanophone cultures will be investigated include Angela Davis, Audre Lorde, and Abdulrazak Gurnah; samples of art and architecture; films by Fassbinder. Conducted in German.

Requisite: GERM 210 or equivalent.

Spring semester: Professor Rosenbrück.

How to handle overenrollment: null

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Emphasis on written work, readings, oral presentations, instruction in languages other than English. Students with documented disabilities who will require accommodations in this course should be in consultation with Accessibility Services and reach out to the professor as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations can be made in a timely manner.