Course Descriptions
101-102. Elementary German.Fall, Spring. Credits: 4-4.
Fundamentals of the German language: pronunciation, grammar, speaking, reading and writing.
201-202. Intermediate German.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4-4.
Degree Requirements: F10 for 201.
Review of grammar, selected readings, further practice in oral and written communication. Systematic vocabulary building, simple composition, and introductory study of cultural history
Prerequisites: German 102, 205 or the equivalent.
Summer. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F10, F11.
An intensive study of intermediate German in Germany. Successful completion of this course fulfills the college language requirement. [As the equivalent of 201, this course does not count toward the major or the minor.]
210. Readings (Intermediate Level).
Fall, Spring. Credits: 1-4.
Readings designed to meet individual interests and needs.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4-4-4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
A two-semester survey of the cultural and intellectual history of the German speaking peoples with particular emphasis on the last two hundred and fifty years. This historical periods covered will be presented within the framework of specific topics, such as revolution or national identity. Readings from a variety of areas (literature, philosophy, politics, etc.); films, lectures, reports, and discussions. 220/320 will cover roughly 1750-1870; 221/321 will proceed from 1870-present. German 320-321 is reserved for majors and minors. Students taking these courses toward the major or minor must take one credit of 311 concurrently.
Prerequisites: German 301 or 302 or permission of instructor.
240/340. German Cinema.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F5.
This course, examining important German films since the days of the Weimar Republic, places special emphasis on the historical and social background of each film as well as the aesthetic qualities of the works. It thereby seeks to contribute to a better understanding of recent German history and of films as an artistic medium. Filmmakers to be studied include Friedrich Murnau, Fritz Lang, Leni Riefenstahl, Volker Schlöndorff, Helma Sanders-Brahms, Wim Wenders, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and Wolfgang Becker. All films are subtitled; the course is taught in English. [German 340 is reserved for majors and minors, who will do substantial portions of the work for the course in German.]
Fall, Spring. Credits 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F2, F9.
Examination of such topics as the origins and expressions of Anti-Semitism in central Europe, the political events and structures of the Holocaust, the reality of ghettos and concentration camps, the impact of technological modernization on the Final Solution, and resistance to the Nazis. Materials will include non-fictional texts, literature, art, and music. All materials and discussions in English. [German 342 is reserved for majors and minors, who will do substantial portions of the work for the course in German.]
244/344. German Fairy Tales.
Fall, Spring. Credits 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F2, F4.
Emphasis on the Grimms’ tales: theoretical approaches to the tales from the late 19th and early 20th centuries; perversions of these traditional tales by the National Socialists (Nazis), as well as later adaptations. All materials and discussions in English. [German 344 is reserved for majors and minors, who will do substantial portions of the work for the course in German.]
Fall, Spring. Credits 4.
This course introduces students to the works of Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud. Discussions will center on materialism and its significance for concepts of history and progress, and on the status of the self in society. Discussions of contemporary cultural theory and of popular culture will test the continued relevance of these thinkers. All materials and discussions in English. [German 346 is reserved for majors and minors, who will do substantial portions of the work for the course in German.]
248/348. Special Topics in German Literature.
Fall, Spring. Credits 4.
Degree Requirements: F4.
Emphasis on a specific author, group of authors, or theme. Course topics may vary, and students may repeat the course with a different topic. All materials and discussions in English. [German 348 is reserved for majors and minor, who will do substantial portions of the work for the course in German.]
Fall. Credits: 4.
Emphasis on the development of reading skills through a variety of text types.
Prerequisites: German 202 or permission of instructor.
302. Composition and Conversation.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Advanced training in written and oral German expression.
Prerequisites: German 202 or 301 or permission of instructor.
Summer. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F11.
An intensive study of advanced German in Germany.
310. Readings (Advanced Level).
Fall, Spring. Credits: 1-4.
Readings designed to meet individual interests and needs. May be taken more than once for credit with new topics.
Prerequisites: German 202 or permission of instructor.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 1.
This readings course is reserved for majors and minors enrolled in German 320 or 321. It is designed to give them opportunities to read, write, and speak in German in conjunction with the coursework in English. May be repeated once.
409. Special Topics.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
Intensive study of some aspect or theme of German literature, culture or society in German. May be taken more than once for credit with new topics.
Spring. Credits: 2.
Independent study designed to give students the opportunity to apply their knowledge of the discipline in a full-length research paper.
495-496
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.