1. Introductory German
10F: 9S, 10 11W: 9L 11S: 9S 11F: 9S, 10 12W, 12S: 9S
Introduction to written and spoken German. Intensive study of basic grammar and vocabulary through readings, oral and written drills, composition exercises, conversation, and practice in the virtual laboratory. Never serves in partial satisfaction of the Distributive or World Culture Requirement. The staff.
2. Introductory German
10F: 9S 11W, 11S, 11F: 10 12W: 9L, 10 12S: 10
Continuation of German 1. Continued intensive work on the fundamentals of oral and written German. Never serves in partial satisfaction of the Distributive or World Culture Requirement. The staff.
3. Intermediate German
10F: 9S 11S: 10, D.L.S.A. 11X: D.L.S.A. 11F: 9S 12S: 10
Continuation of German 2. A continued intensive study of basic grammar and vocabulary through readings, oral and written drills, composition exercises, conversation, and practice in the virtual laboratory. Completion of this course constitutes fulfillment of the language requirement. Never serves in partial satisfaction of the Distributive or World Culture Requirement. The staff.
5. Aspects of Contemporary German Culture
11S, 11X: D.L.S.A.
Using the city of Berlin itself as a site and object of study, students will explore contemporary German culture in its widest sense. Visits to religious, architectural, scientific, and industrial sites will acquaint them with multiple aspects of life in Berlin today.
Prerequisite: acceptance into the Dartmouth Language Study Abroad Program. WCult: W.
6. Readings in German Literature
11S, 11X: D.L.S.A.
This course introduces students to the interpretation of stories, poems, and articles from various periods of German history. Depending on availability, we will also read plays and view their performances in some of the many theaters in Berlin.
Prerequisite: acceptance into the Dartmouth Language Study Abroad Program. Dist: LIT; WCult: W.
7. First-Year Seminars in German Literature
Consult special listings
8. Advanced Language Skills
11X:9
Designed to develop facility in oral expression and writing; emphasis on vocabulary expansion and reinforcement of grammatical structures. The course will draw much of its material from the web, as well as from television, films, and more traditional print media. These works will serve as a basis for discussion and frequent writing assignments about contemporary linguistic, cultural, social, and political issues. Not open to returning FSP participants. WCult: W. Fuechtner (2011), Duncan (2012).
9. Introduction to German Studies: From the Reformation to Reunification
10F: 9 11F:10
This introduction to German cultural history examines social and historical developments as they are reflected in literature, art, music, and philosophy from the age of Martin Luther to the unification of Germany in 1990. Emphasis is placed on Germans’ growing awareness of nationhood and on analysis of aesthetic and intellectual accomplishments representative of major periods in their history. May be elected as a prerequisite for the Foreign Study Program. Conducted in German.
Dist: SOC; WCult: W. Komska, Kenkel 2012.
10. German Culture and Society before 1900
11W, 12W: 12
Before Germany became a nation state in 1871, language and culture defined its identity. Courses under this rubric will explore various ways in which writers, philosophers, politicians, and artists created and criticized different aspects of this identity. Figures treated will range from Goethe to Freud and from Beethoven to Nietzsche.
In 11W, 12W Enlightenment, Emotion, and Emancipation: German Life and Literature, 1750-1900. An introduction to the lives, times, and main works of major writers of German literature. Readings include plays, poems, and prose ranging from fairy tales and other short fiction to aesthetic, philosophical, and political treatises. Structured around a series of videos, this course focuses on important periods in German cultural and intellectual history. Essays, oral reports, and a final exam encourage students to hear, read, speak, and write educated German. Conducted in German.
Prerequisite: German 3, or equivalent. Open to all classes. Dist: LIT; WCult: W. Mladek.
11. German Culture and Society in the Twentieth Century
11S: 9L 12S:10
In the course of the twentieth century, Germany has undergone changes with global implications. Courses under this rubric will explore important moments in the cultural history of German-speaking countries in the twentieth century, from the Weimar Republic to the Holocaust, and from the Cold War to the fall of the Berlin Wall and beyond.
In 11S Pre-War, Inter-War, Post-War: German Literature, 1900-1950. An introduction to the lives, times, and works of major German-speaking authors active in the first half of the twentieth century, e.g., Rilke, Kafka, and Trakl; Tucholsky, Brecht, Thomas Mann, Döblin, Remarque, and Fallada; Böll, Borchert, Eich, Schnurre, Kästner, and Andersch. Readings are taken from these authors’ plays, poems, and prose and are complemented by audio-visual as well as vocabulary aids. Students study these literary works against the historical background of the First World War, the Weimar Republic, Hitler’s seizure of power, the Second World War, and the division of Germany in 1949. They also learn about concepts such as Expressionism and Trümmerliteratur. Essays and a take-home final exam help them improve their linguistic skills while they develop the ability to read literature ranging from early modernism to the Gruppe 47. Prerequisite: German 3, or equivalent. Open to all classes. Dist: LIT WCult: W. Conducted in German. Shookman.
13. Beyond Good and Evil
11S, 12S: 12
Borrowing its title from Nietzsche, this course examines some of the most famous and infamous figures—mythological, fictional and historical—that have profoundly shaped German identity. As we explore the actual lives, works, and influence of the likes of Luther, Faust, and Leni Riefenstahl, you will not only develop a greater understanding of Wagner’s question “What is German?” but also learn how the answer to that question has come to epitomize notions of good and evil in general. Conducted in English.
Open to all classes. Dist: WCult: CI. Mladek.
29. A Cultural Studies Approach to Contemporary Germany and Berlin
10F, 11F: D.F.S.P.
Introduction to contemporary German culture, identity and everyday life through close analysis of literary, visual (including filmic), architectural, political and other texts. Assignments to gain skills in analyzing visual material, construction of identity, and expressing sophisticated ideas in written and spoken German. Carries major or minor credit. Prerequisite: acceptance into the Dartmouth Foreign Study Program. Dist: ART; WCult: CI or W;
30. Studies in German History
10F: D.F.S.P.
More than any other German city, Berlin encapsulates Germany’s complex recent past. From the Brandenburg Gate to the Olympic Stadium and from the Wannsee to Alexanderplatz, every corner of the capital evokes memories of industrialization, Nazi rule, World War II, Cold War divisions, or Unification. This course addresses significant aspects of German history and cultural memory. In-depth studies of important developments will be complemented by visits to museums and historical sites.
Prerequisite: acceptance into the Dartmouth Foreign Study Program. Dist: SOC; WCult: W.
31. Studies in German Theater
10F: D.F.S.P.
Berlin is one of the culturally most vibrant cities in Europe. There are over a hundred theaters and several opera houses with performances that range from classical drama to vaudeville and from musicals to serious opera. For the FSP literature course, students will view stage productions and read, discuss, and write weekly essays about the plays. The repertory varies from year to year.
Prerequisite: acceptance into the Dartmouth Foreign Study Program. Dist: LIT; WCult: W.
42. Topics in German Civilization (in English translation)
11F:2
43. History and Theory of German Film (in English translation)
11S: 2A
In 11S, The Berlin School. This seminar, which is offered in conjunction with a special film series at the Loews, examines the contemporary German film movement known as the “Berlin School,” a group of approximately a dozen filmmakers with more than 40 features to their credit. Dissecting the everyday reality of post-wall Germany, this counter cinema draws on Italian Neo-Realism, the French Nouvelle Vague, and the New German Cinema of the 1970s to advocate radical notions of realism and narrative conventions, challenging viewers to rethink political filmmaking in a national and transnational environment. Screenings will also include films by Alfred Hitchcock, Robert Bresson, and Jean-Luc Godard.
German majors can take this course for major credit if they do additional work in German and participate in a German discussion section
Open to all Classes. Dist. ART; WCult: CI. Gemünden.
44. Topics in German Civilization (in English Translation)
11W, 12S: 10A
In 11W The Faust Tradition. Faust’s famous story of selling one’s soul to the devil in return for wealth, power, knowledge, love, freedom, or youth has been told in many ways and diverse media. This course concentrates on the life and times of the actual Johann Faustus and their first literary treatment, The Damnable Life and Deserved Death of Dr. John Faust; on two dramatic classics, Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragicall History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus and Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s Faust; and on two twentieth-century novels, Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita and Thomas Mann’s Doctor Faustus. Representations of Faust in the visual arts, music, film, and other national literatures will also be regarded. In comparative breadth as well as critical depth, the course thus surveys the enduring fascination with Faust (and his sidekick Mephistopheles) from the Renaissance and the Reformation, through both the Enlightenment and Romanticism, and down to the present day. By special arrangement, this course can also be used to count toward a German Studies major or minor. Open to all classes. Dist: LIT; WCult: W. Shookman.
45. The Burden of the Nazi Past: World War, Genocide, Population Transfer, and Firebombing (in English translation) (Identical to Jewish Studies 37.2 and Comparative Literature 64)
Not offered in the period from 10F through 11S
46. The German Novel (in English translation)
11X: 10
The 20th-Century German Novel. An introduction in translation to some of the finest German, Austrian, and Swiss novels of the 20th century, as well as some of their film adaptations: Rainer Maria Rilke’s The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, Robert Musil’s The Confusions of Young Törless, several of Kafka’s shorter prose works, Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain, Max Frisch’s Homo Faber, Günter Grass’s Cat and Mouse, and Christa Wolf’s The Quest for Christa T. To discover what is modern (or pre-postmodern), German, and novelistic about the 20th-century German novel, the course will explore how these works treat broad topics like alienation, class, gender, adolescence, disease, death, memory, myth, and history as reflected in the protagonists’ quest for self-knowledge, aesthetic fulfillment, or spiritual salvation. Conducted in English. By special arrangement, this course can also be used to count toward a German Studies major or minor. Open to all classes. Dist: LIT; WCult: W. Duncan.
47. German Drama (in English translation)
Not offered in the period from 10F through 12S
61. The Age of Goethe: (1749-1832)
10F: 10
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was the most notable creative force of the period that bears his name, but his contemporaries included an astonishing number of other great geniuses in literature, music, philosophy, etc. Together they developed many of the concepts that define modern consciousness. Exploring "The Rise and Fall of the Humanitätsideal," the course will examine representative works by Goethe, Hoffmann, Kant, Kleist, Lessing, Mendelssohn, Schiller, and Tieck. Conducted in German. Open to all classes. Dist: LIT. WCult: W. Miller.
62. Literature of the Romantic Period
Not offered in the period from 10F through 12S
64. Literature of the Modern Period
Not offered in the period from 10F through 12S
65. Topics in Twentieth Century German Cultural Studies
11W: 2A 12W:10A
In 11W, Major Transformations. This seminar will introduce students to four major issues in German culture during the twentieth century: Grossstadt, Gewalt und Antisemitismus; Stunde Null; Multikulturalismus; and Die Berliner Republik. Through primary readings in German and study of visual and musical material, students will become familiar with the methods of cultural studies, with the use of different media to explore a topic, and will improve their spoken and written German. The course includes oral presentations of paper topics. Conducted in German.
German majors take this course for Senior Seminar credit by doing additional work.
Open to all classes. Dist: LIT; WCult: W. Kacandes.
In 12W, Masterpieces of German Drama. This course treats eight of the greatest plays ever written in German, paired to highlight historical links, thematic continuities, and formal innovations persisting throughout the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. Lessing’s Nathan der Weise and Frisch’s Andorra address issues of religious and racial tolerance; Goethe’s Iphigenie and Kleist’s Penthesilea analyze attitudes toward women; Schiller’s Wallenstein and Brecht’s Mutter Courage examine the causes of history; Büchner’s Dantons Tod and Weiss’s Marat/Sade debate the reasons for revolution. Aided by audio and visual means, students also read theoretical texts concerning theater as practiced in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Conducted in German.
German majors may take this course for Senior Seminar credit by doing additional work.Open to all classes. Dist: LIT; WCult: W. Shookman.
67. German Drama
Not offered in the period from 10F through 12S
81. Seminar
Not offered in the period from 10F through 12S
82. Seminar in German Media
11S, 12S: Arrange
Seminar conducted in German. Bodrozic.
84. Seminar in
Not offered in the period from 10F through 12S
85. Independent Study
All terms: Arrange
87. Honors Thesis
11S: Arrange
See German Honors Program..
The Department encourages students to consider the following courses in related disciplines:
Art History 43: Northern Renaissance Art
Art History 51: Visions of Modernity: The Nineteenth Century
Art History 53: Classic Modernism: Painting and Sculpture, 1900-1914
Government 41: European Politics
Government 64: Modern Political Thought
History 48: European Society in the Industrial Age
History 51: Modern European Intellectual History, 18th and 19th Centuries
History 52: Modern Germany, 1800-1945
History 65: Europe in the Twentieth Century
Music 32: Western Art Music from the Early Baroque through Beethoven
Music 33: Western Art Music from Early Romanticism to the Late 20th Century
Music 35: Beethoven in Context
Philosophy 15: Modern Philosophy: Hume and Kant
Philosophy 16: Modern Philosophy: Nineteenth Century Continental
Philosophy 17: Phenomenology and Existentialism
GERMANIA
Germania, the German club, is open to all students interested in German language, literature and culture. Members meet for informal discussions and special events.