GERMAN COURSES FALL 2023

(4 credits)

• Section 001: MTWRF 9:55-10:45 am
• Section 002: MTWRF 11:00-11:50 am
• Section 003: MTWRF 12:05-12:55 pm
• Section 004: MTWRF 1:20-2:10 pm
• Section 005: MWR 3:30-4:50 pm

Instructor: Jeanne Schueller 

Course Description: German 101/401 is an introductory course designed for beginners in German who have no previous knowledge of the German language. By the end of the first semester, you should be able to communicate effective with others in German on a variety of topics, such as personal and public identity, family, education, career goals, and sport culture. This class will expose you to authentic texts from a variety of sources in different genres and modes, for you to develop your reading, viewing, and listening skills and engage in critical thinking. Grammar and vocabulary will be introduced in context. Assessments focus on all skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). Throughout the semester, you will learn more about yourself and deepen your linguistic and culture knowledge of the German-speaking world. You will also improve your language-learning strategies. To be successful and achieve course learning outcomes, you will be expected to complete homework on time and participate in class. Attendance is required. This course cannot be audited. The textbook, Augenblicke: German through Film, Media, and Texts, is available at the UW Book Store for $40 and is used in first-, second-, and third-semester German. Contact the course supervisor, Dr. Jeanne Schueller (jmschuel@wisc.edu), with any questions about the course or appropriate placement.

Prerequisites: None.

(This course is also offered to graduate students for 3 credits as GERMAN 401.)

(4 credits)

• Section 001: MTWRF 12:05-12:55 pm
• Section 002: MWR 3:30-4:50 pm

Instructor: Jeanne Schueller 

Course Description: German 102/402 is a continuation of German 101. Students need to have completed German 101 or achieve an appropriate score on the placement exam to enroll. By the end of the second semester, you should be able to communicate effective with others in German on a variety of topics, such as sport and fitness culture, travel, technological innovations, and migration. This class will expose you to authentic texts from a variety of sources in different genres and modes, for you to develop your reading, viewing, and listening skills and engage in critical thinking. Grammar and vocabulary will be introduced in context. Assessments focus on all skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). Throughout the semester, you will learn more about yourself and deepen your linguistic and culture knowledge of the German-speaking world. You will also improve your language-learning strategies. To be successful and achieve course learning outcomes, you will be expected to complete homework on time and participate in class. Attendance is required. This course cannot be audited. The textbook, Augenblicke: German through Film, Media, and Texts, is available at the UW Book Store for $40 and is used in first-, second-, and third-semester German. Contact the course supervisor, Dr. Jeanne Schueller (jmschuel@wisc.edu), with any questions about the course or appropriate placement.

Prerequisites: GERMAN 101 or appropriate score on the placement exam.

(This course is also offered to graduate students for 3 credits as GERMAN 402.)

(4 credits)

• MTWR 9:55-10:45 am

Course Description: One of the advantages of studying at the UW is being able to take courses in Dutch. Although the study of Dutch linguistics and literature has steadily expanded at major American universities in recent years, many universities do not offer this language. Since Dutch is a Germanic language—linguistically related to both German and English—and since the Dutch have always had close ties, Dutch is a logical choice as an additional language for American students from a range of majors or areas of interest.

Prerequisites: None

(This course is also offered to graduate students for 3 credits as GERMAN 311.)

(4 credits)

• Section 001: MTWR 9:55-10:45 am
• Section 002: MTWR 11:00-11:50 am
• Section 003: MTWR 12:05-12:55 pm
• Section 004: MW 3:30-5:10 pm

Instructor: Jeanne Schueller 

Course Description: German 203/403 is a continuation of German 102. Students need to have completed German 102 or achieve an appropriate score on the placement exam to enroll. By the end of the third semester, you should be able to communicate effective with others in German on a variety of topics, such as traditions and celebrations, city and rural life, the concept of home, and migration, immigration, and integration. This class will expose you to authentic texts from a variety of sources in different genres and modes, for you to develop your reading, viewing, and listening skills and engage in critical thinking. Grammar and vocabulary will be introduced in context. Assessments focus on all skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). Throughout the semester, you will learn more about yourself and deepen your linguistic and culture knowledge of the German-speaking world. You will also improve your language-learning strategies. To be successful and achieve course learning outcomes, you will be expected to complete homework on time and participate in class. Attendance is required. This course cannot be audited. The textbook, Augenblicke: German through Film, Media, and Texts, is available at the UW Book Store for $40 and is used in first-, second-, and third-semester German. Contact the course supervisor, Dr. Jeanne Schueller (jmschuel@wisc.edu), with any questions about the course or appropriate placement.

Prerequisites: GERMAN 102 or appropriate score on the placement exam.

(This course is also offered to graduate students for 3 credits as GERMAN 403.)

(4 credits)

• Section 001: MTWR 11:00-11:50 am
• Section 002: MW 3:30-5:10 pm

Instructor: Jeanne Schueller 

Course Description: German 204/404 builds on third-semester German and prepares students for our fifth-semester German skills courses. Students need to have completed German 203 or achieve an appropriate score on the placement exam to enroll. The course is designed to help you develop your reading, viewing, and listening skills and engage in critical thinking by exploring language as it is embedded in the cultures of the German-speaking world. Four thematic units cover questions related to belonging, migration, study abroad, sports and sports culture in the US and Europe, environmentalism and sustainability, and rural and urban life and communities. You will engage with these topics through multiple genres and multimodal texts, including short literary stories, non-fiction texts, a novel, and feature-length films and videos. Assessments focus on all skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). This course reviews grammar in context but prior introduction to most grammar concepts is assumed. This course prepares you to further your studies in German, should you decide to pursue the Certificate in German or a major.
Class participation is expected, and attendance is required. This course cannot be audited. Required materials will be available at the UW Book Store and on Canvas. Contact the course supervisor, Dr. Jeanne Schueller (jmschuel@wisc.edu), with any questions about the course or appropriate placement.

Prerequisites: GERMAN 203 or appropriate score on the placement exam.

(This course is also offered to graduate students for 3 credits as GERMAN 404.)

(4 credits)

• MTWR 12:05-12:55 pm

Course Description: One of the advantages of studying at the UW is being able to take courses in Dutch. Although the study of Dutch linguistics and literature has steadily expanded at major American universities in recent years, many universities do not offer this language. Since Dutch is a Germanic language—linguistically related to both German and English—and since the Dutch have always had close ties, Dutch is a logical choice as an additional language for American students from a range of majors or areas of interest.

Prerequisites: GERMAN 112 or appropriate score on placement exam. Open to First-Year Students.

(This course is also offered for graduate students as GERMAN 313.)

(3 credits)

• TR 11:00 am – 12:15 pm

Instructor: Hannah Eldridge

Course Description: Mind and body, devastating plagues, or gruesome crimes, we look for explanations that make sense of how and why such events take place. But often enough, attempts to rationalize frightening or confusing events reveal how hard it is to draw the boundaries between “extreme” and “normal,” showing just how slippery our categories of sickness and health, guilt and innocence are. This course looks at fictional texts (including films and plays) and legal, psychological, and medical cases to examine critically the different ways we try to make sense of these experiences. In paying special attention to the way writers, scientists, lawyers, psychologists, and filmmakers are challenged, inspired, or confounded by these extreme stories, we will: look at early case studies published in in the eighteenth century, watch as practitioners try to explain mental illness at the birth of psychoanalysis (including Freud’s famous case study “The Wolf Man”), read autobiographical narratives of mental and physical illness (such as Audre Lorde’s Cancer Journals) and consider criminal cases (e.g. Leopold and Loeb). We will look further at fictionalized ‘cases,’ such as Nunally Johnson’s film The Three Faces of Eve, Friedrich Schiller’s adaptation of a legal case, “The Criminal of Lost Honour,” and Edgar Allen Poe’s short story “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” to see what these stories about the extremes of the human condition can tell us about what it means to be human and healthy.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of or exemption from first communication course. Courses designated as satisfying Part A of the requirement may not be used to satisfy Part B of the requirement. Open to Freshmen.

(3 credits)

 Instructor: Julie Larson-Guenette      

Course Description: Drawing mainly on contemporary audio and video materials from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, students will explore linguistic and cultural variation of German by learning how native speakers vary their use of sound structures, vocabulary, and grammar according to speech situation.

Learning Outcomes: By the end of the course, the aim is for students to:

• improve their comprehension and production of spoken German via exposure to the language in use in audio and video formats and through use of the International Phonetic Alphabet;
• develop communication strategies to increase oral fluency;
• promote their awareness of how spoken German varies according to speech situation and region mainly in terms of sound structures, vocabulary, and pragmatics of speech;
• enhance their understanding of contemporary German-speaking cultures in Europe and the central role that language plays in shaping these cultures.

Prerequisites: GERMAN 204 or appropriate score on placement exam or consent of the course supervisor. This course can be taken subsequent to, prior to, or concurrent with GERMAN 262, GERMAN 258, and GERMAN 285. Open to first-year students.

(3 credits)

• MWF 9:55 – 10:45 am
• MWF 11:00 – 11:50 am

Instructors: Jeanne Schueller, Mary Hennessy 

Course Description: This course is designed to acquaint you with German literary, cultural, and historical texts and provide an overview of cultural developments in German-speaking countries. An important goal of this course is to offer explicit instruction on reading strategies to help students improve their comprehension of a range of texts. In German 258, you will recognize different genres (text types) and identify applicable reading strategies; implement critical reading skills for reading and comprehending different genres and written registers; identify, define, and implement vocabulary related to the topics covered in class; situate a text within its cultural and historical contexts in the German-speaking world; demonstrate the ability to read autonomously; and select and interpret a text based on individual academic interests. Two books and a course pack are required and can be purchased at the UW Book Store. All other materials will be available on Canvas.

Prerequisites: GERMAN 204 or placement into GERMAN 249, 258, 262, or 285. This course can be taken subsequent to, prior to, or concurrent with GERMAN 249 and GERMAN 262. Open to first-year students.

(Fulfills Literature Breadth)

(3 credits)

• TR 9:30 – 10:45 am
• TR 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
• TR 1:00 – 02:15 pm

Instructor: Melissa Sheedy

Course Description: Fairytales, murder mysteries, film reviews, and … resumes? Welcome to Intermediate German Writing! In this class, students will expand and enhance their writing skills in German by exploring a variety of different text types and genres reflecting the diversity of the German-speaking world. Daily course participation will involve active in-class discussion as well as collaborative and individual writing activities. Learners will work with authentic texts, music, and film, and they will also engage with synonyms, regional variations, and register to develop the skills to express themselves effectively and creatively in German. Through the composition of a variety of text types, from the practical to the fanciful, course participants will expand their individual comfort zone and improve their own communication skills as well as comprehension of written texts. Materials and in-class discussions will be in German.

Prerequisites: German 204 or appropriate score on placement exam or consent of instructor. This course can be taken subsequent to, prior to, or concurrent with German 249 and German 258.

(Counts as LAS credit (L&S))

(3-4 credits)

• Section 1: M 1:20 – 2:10 pm
• Section 2: M 1:20 – 2:10 pm
• Section 3: M 12:05 – 12:55 pm
• Section 4: M 12:05 – 12:55 pm

Instructor: Pamela Potter

Course Description: Using the medium of Yiddish song to explore the culture and history of Jews in the diaspora, we will focus on their experience as a minority first in Europe and then in the United States. Facing discrimination, oppression, and marginalization on both sides of the Atlantic, Jews used Yiddish song as a vehicle to express their pain as well as their pride. The goals of this course are to increase students’ capacity to value the unique qualities of Yiddish song as a reflection of the Jewish experience by appreciating the depth of expression conveyed in its sounds and its lyrics, as well as to gain insight into the process of immigration and acculturation in the United States from the perspective of a persecuted group, the challenges it faced in confrontation with new forms of discrimination and marginalization, and the outlet this group found in the performing arts for documenting their struggles and for finding a creative niche in their new surroundings. The experiences of the Jews in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries are then used as a basis for comparison for the experiences of migrants and the state of antisemitism in America today. The format of this course is blended/flipped: students will work through on-line modules and assessments on their own and meet once a week for in-class activities in the multifunctional WisCEL classroom. Those who opt for Comm-B will attend an additional section once a week and receive an additional credit. There is no text required for purchase for this course.

Prerequisites: None

(Disc 301, 302 have Comm-B designation and enroll into Lec 002. Disc 303, 304 have Comm-B designation and enroll into Lec 004.)

(3 credits)

Instructor: Katerina Somers

Course Description: This course is about Germanic barbarians as they have been imagined and reimagined in Europe and North America. Our origins story for the barbarian is Tacitus’s Germania, in which the Roman senator created the fierce and wild-eyed savages who destroyed three Roman legions at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 CE. In the medieval Lay of the Nibelungs, these same barbarians acquire the civilized veneer of courtly manners and opulent wardrobes, but retain their propensity for brutal acts of violence. They are more thoroughly rehabilitated in the centuries to follow, when German-speaking intellectuals cultivate and promote a sense of nationalism in the absence of a German nation. During this time, the barbarian attains a new status, embodied in characters like Siegfried and Brünhilde in Wagner’s four-opera cycle The Ring of the Nibelung and Hermann the German in Heinrich von Kleist’s play, The Battle of Hermann. Yet the myth of the German barbarians, their imagined indigeneity and racial purity, their supposedly ancient and uniquely German culture that reflects the true nature of the Volk, is treated as fact. Even worse, it becomes the template for what all Germans should strive to be. Finally, we investigate the migration of the Tacitean ideal to North America, where it appears in the form of the liberty-loving Anglo-Saxon. We end the course by tracing its influence in the formation of a US-American national identity.

Prerequisites: None.

(Breadth – Literature. Counts toward the Humanities requirement)

(3 credits)

• TR 9:30 – 10:45 am

 Instructor: Zach Fitzpatrick

Course Description: Spanning the late 1700s to the 2020s, this course provides a survey of different forms of alterity within German literature, including subjects “othered” according to racial/ethnic, gender/sexual, religious, national/cultural, and class affiliations. Because hegemonic status—whether white, Western, Christian, heterosexual, bourgeois, and often male in the German context—depends on the exclusion of an Other, we will analyze how authors write Otherness: disparagingly, sympathetically, exotically, “objectively”? Moreover, where do marginalized authors’ self-representations fit in this spectrum? In considering all of the course’s texts, whether canonical or lesser known, we will ask: what aesthetic techniques are utilized to represent the Other? To what extent can one attribute certain tropes to historical context, genre, or literary periodization? Investigating the ever-changing definition of Otherness over time will provide just as much insight into Germany’s perceived sense of “Self” at various points from the Enlightenment to the 21st century. The course and all materials will be in English. Prior knowledge of German is welcome but not required.

(3 credits)

 Instructor: Sabine Mödersheim

Course Description: “Climate Fiction “ is an emerging genre of literature, graphic novels, and film exploring the consequences of climate change in the age of the “Anthropocene”, the epoch in which human impacts on the planet’s ecological systems reach a dangerous tipping point. The aim of this course is to discuss the human experience of climate change on a global scale through analyses of works by German authors such as Christa Wolf, Yoko Tawada, Ilija Trojanow as well as writers from around the world, including Margaret Atwood, Octavia E. Butler, Amitav Ghosh, and others. We will explore dystopian, and apocalyptic stories but also works that imagine a more just future of resilience and social equality.

All materials will be in English translations or with English subtitles. Lectures and discussions will be in English. Prior knowledge of German welcome but not required.

Prerequisites: None.

(Level: Intermediate. Breadth: Literature. L&S credit type: Counts as LAS credit (L&S))

(3 credits)

• TR 1:00 – 2:15 pm

 Instructor: Salvatore Calomino

Course Description: In this course students will have the opportunity to read and discuss significant narrative works from the German medieval period. Stories of heroes, knights, and courtly women were found in various medieval cultures with motifs being shared or typical of individual areas. German epics and romances from this time represent both important adaptations and original compositions. Narrative works of both types to be read will include classic Arthurian romances, Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival, Gottfried von Strassburg’s Tristan, and the Nibelungenlied. Students will write mid-semester and final examinations.

Upon completion of the course participants will
1. Have a strong background in significant genres of early literature.
2. Have developed an appreciation for the role of the court and patronage in the production of literary texts.
3. Have developed an understanding for borrowing and adaptations between medieval cultures.
4. Have developed an understanding for the unique feudal relationships within medieval societies and their representation in literary texts.

No knowledge of German required; open to all levels of registered students. Taught in English.

Contact for questions: calomino@wisc.edu or SCalomino@aol.com
Regular attendance is expected (or contact via email or telephone if attendance not possible)
Please note the following guidelines on academic honesty: http://students.wisc.edu/saja/misconduct/UWS14.html#points

(3 credits)

• TR 9:30 – 10:45 am

Instructor: Nalan Erbil 

Course Description: Love Berlin and Istanbul but cannot travel? Here is a course for you! This course is about two great cities: one entirely in Europe and one half in Europe and half in Asia. Berlin and Istanbul are connected by histories of political power, cultural exchange, and in the twentieth century by Turkish migration into Germany. The course starts with post WWII guest worker movement into West Germany and spans what is now the fourth generation of Turkish-Germans making Berlin the third largest Turkish city in the world after Ankara and Istanbul.

We will focus on Turkish-German food such as Döner kebab, Turkish-German rap and hip-hop, films, literature, sports (soccer), and social media influencers from the Turkish-German community. The course will offer students the opportunity to understand how the Turkish presence has influenced and transformed the German-speaking world and more generally how migration from outside Europe shapes the cultures of European cities.

To this end, we will watch and discuss films like Kebab Connection, artists such as Eko Fresh, film makers such as Fatih Ak n, controversial soccer players such as Mesut Özil and many more. Berlin and Istanbul will form the backdrop of our course, and guest speakers (virtual) from Germany will enrich our discussion.

All materials will either be in English translations or with English subtitles. Lectures and discussions will be in English. Prior knowledge of German and Turkish appreciated but not required. This course may be counted as a cognate toward the German major. It satisfies Humanities Credit and counts towards European Studies Certificate and Middle East Studies Certificate.

Prerequisites: None.

(This is a Comm B course.)

(This course meets with GNS 270.)

(3 credits)

• T 2:30 – 3:45 pm
• R 2:30 – 3:45 pm

Instructor: Jolanda Vanderwal Taylor

Course Description: Anne Frank counts as one of the most widely read writers in recent world history, and yet some wonder whether she should be called a writer. Her work is widely loved. It has been the inspiration for many other cultural artifacts and institutions: editions; biographies; works of fiction and non-fiction; plays; autobiographies (e.g. by friends of Anne Frank); scholarly research: literary-, cultural-, historical-, as well as research in the various sciences of manuscript authentication; exhibitions; museums; foundations. In this course we will study the context in which the Diaries were written and consider the various ways in which they were received. We will look at what was done with the Diaries and with Anne Frank: how they have been read, interpreted, used, and argued about. We will engage in critical thinking, asking not just: what? but also: why? We will consider what her work and life have to say to us as we face the legacy and continued scourge of racism. We will certainly consider some of her laments as we consider out own, somewhat confined, existence. We will take Anne seriously as a writer by reading her works (the Diaries and other short texts) attentively. And then we will also think about the nature of literature: is what Ms. Frank wrote literature? Why, or why not?

Prerequisites: Satisfied Communications A requirement.

(Dutch-language section. Students will do much of their reading and writing in Dutch.)

(3 credits)

Instructor: Julie Larson-Guenette

Course Description: German 337 is designed to synthesize and advance language skills building on previous German coursework with specific aims to enhance and improve speaking, listening, reading and writing of German. Course content covers a range of topics related to contemporary German society and culture along with grammar review. Texts span a range of topics and genres to include short stories, poetry, news articles, cartoons, music, documentaries, podcasts, contemporary film, and a novel.

Prerequisites: (GERMAN 249, 258, and 262) or (GERMAN 249 and 285)

(3 credits)

• MWF 1:20 – 2:10 pm

Instructor: Mark Louden

Course Description: In this course, which is taught in German, students will learn to analyze how sounds, words, and sentences are formed in German and how these structures vary regionally. The focus in the first half of the course will be mainly on the sounds of German: how they are produced and how we transcribe them. We then consider how these sounds have changed over the history of German as reflected in both the standard language and modern dialects. In the second half of the course we will look at processes involved with forming German words. We will then look at how words are combined to form phrases and sentences in German. The course will conclude by examining topics broadly dealing with contact between the German and English languages, including what is popularly known as “Denglisch” (English-influenced German) and German varieties spoken in the United States.

Prerequisites: GER 249+258+262 or 249+285, completed before fall 2023

(Humanities; LAS Credit Type C)

(3 credits)

• Section 1: MWF 11:00 – 11:50 am         

Instructor: Jeanne Schueller

Course Description: This course is designed to broaden your knowledge of German language and culture through the analysis and interpretation of film. We will consider the historical and cultural contexts of each film and read thematically related texts. The course will introduce you to several critically acclaimed German-language films that explore a range of topics and genres. I will provide you with materials to help you better understand the films, but I am also interested in your reactions to them – what you enjoy, how they make you feel, what you discover about the German-speaking world, and what you learn about yourself through the process and the semester. Film-specific terminology and aspects of film analysis will be introduced at the beginning of the semester to facilitate our discussion of the films. Films and readings will be in German. Some films have German or English subtitles, and others are in German with no subtitles. Assessments include two reflective essays, a film review, an in-class presentation of your film review, and active class participation. Regular homework to prepare for class will be assigned. Partner, small-group, and whole-class discussions will be in German. Class materials will be available for download from Canvas. Feature-length films will be viewed outside of class; some short films will be viewed together in class.

Prerequisites: Completion of German 249, 258, and 262; or 249 and 285; or consent of instructor.

(3 credits)

• TR 11:00 am – 12:15 pm         Instructor: Julia Goetze

Course Description: International soccer tournaments and the Olympic Games often serve as a catalyst to examine the relationship between sports and society and Germany is no exception. During these events, Germany’s public discourses regularly buzz with themes like nationalism, racism, ableism, and sexism in both elite and amateur sports. Should Germans wave a national flag to express their fandom given their nationalist past? Is public outrage justified whenever athletes with migration background do not sing the national anthem? How successful are the German Soccer Federation’s efforts to promote values of diversity, tolerance, and inclusion when Black German soccer players endure pervasive racism and racist attacks on and off the soccer field? How can it be that the women’s soccer national team only earns a fraction of the men’s team albeit having a greater success rate at international tournaments? Why are Olympic athletes publicly criticized for a lack of success when the government fails to adequately support them, leaving them to work (multiple) full-time jobs while simultaneous maintaining an elite sports career? Why do we continue to compare women’s athletic abilities against those of men’s? This seminar adopts these questions as instructional units and explores each of them through a critical lens. The course is taught in German.

Prerequisites: GER 249, 258 and 262 or GER 249 and 285

(3 credits)

• T 2:25 – 5:25 pm                     

Instructor: Melissa Sheedy

Course Description: From Aristoteles to Brecht to Hamilton, the magic of the theater has captivated audiences and inspired artists for centuries. In this interactive, performance-centered course on German-language theater, the classroom is your stage! You will read (excerpts from) plays, perform individual scenes, and use and improve your German to engage creatively and adventurously with the language. Alongside occasional mini-lectures and periods of discussion in German, most classroom sessions will have a workshop character and will include regular group work. Together, we will play with genre and medium, explore sound and language, and laugh – a lot! We’ll delve into the history of German-language theater with an eye to race, gender, and queer theory and the politics of drag, all while building vocabulary and confidence in your German.

This course will also feature a special guest, Berlin-based director Jürgen Kuttner, who will work with students to rehearse and perform part of J. M. R. Lenz’s drama Der Hofmeister (famously adapted by Bertolt Brecht) during week 10 of the semester (performance on November 11th, 2023). This incredible opportunity to work with a real theater director will let you see the German stage from behind the scenes and show you that drama is not just for theater kids – it is for everyone. While you will spend extra time outside of class during the week of November 5th – 11th, we will have time off near the end of the semester to make up for it. Assessment in this class will be based entirely on participation, small group and individual projects, and effort and engagement (no exams).

No acting or theater background is needed for this course: all you need is in a willingness to take risks, engage creatively with language and text, and explore your theatrical side!

Prerequisites: (German 249, 258, and 262) or (German 249 and 285)

(Breadth: Humanities. Counts as LAS credit (L&S). 

(3 credits)

• TR 4:00 – 5:15 pm

Instructor: Adam Stern

Course Description: What is the relationship between “God” and “money”? Why is the market guided by an “invisible hand”? And who in heaven and earth decided to stamp the dollar bill with the phrase: “In God we trust”? These questions will guide us as we explore the relationship between capitalism and religion. From Karl Marx to Walmart, and from the factory to the cubicle, we will think about the recurring interaction of these two seemingly separate domains. Did religion sow the seeds of capitalism? Does it support the reproduction of social inequalities, unjust labor practices, and exploitative economies? How have religious traditions and practices contributed to the critique of capitalism and the culture it created? In answering these questions, we will pay close attention to the historical specificity of capitalism, the conditions of its emergence in the Christian West, and the effects of its globalization on non-Christian traditions, including Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam. Areas covered include classical social theories of religion and capitalism; contemporary examples of religious practice and capital accumulation; and the relationship between religious movements and social- economic justice.

Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or the consent of the instructor.

(Humanities. Counts as Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S. Level— Intermediate. Taught in English.)

(3 credits)

• TR 11:00 am – 12:15 pm           

Instructor: Salvatore Calomino

Course Description: This course is intended for those who wish to develop primarily reading skills in German.  A thorough presentation of German grammar will be coupled, from the start, with regular practice in reading and translation.  Various levels of academic prose will be covered with a twofold goal: (1) participants will develop skills at comprehension in reading expository German in general; and (2) individuals will have the opportunity to begin reading German in their own research areas as well. 

Prerequisites: Senior standing.

(3 credits)

• Section 001: MTWRF 9:55-10:45 am
• Section 002: MTWRF 11:00-11:50 am
• Section 003: MTWRF 12:05-12:55 pm
• Section 004: MTWRF 1:20-2:10 pm
• Section 005: MWR 3:30-4:50 pm

Course Description: German 101/401 is an introductory course designed for beginners in German who have no previous knowledge of the German language. By the end of the first semester, you should be able to communicate effective with others in German on a variety of topics, such as personal and public identity, family, education, career goals, and sport culture. This class will expose you to authentic texts from a variety of sources in different genres and modes, for you to develop your reading, viewing, and listening skills and engage in critical thinking. Grammar and vocabulary will be introduced in context. Assessments focus on all skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). Throughout the semester, you will learn more about yourself and deepen your linguistic and culture knowledge of the German-speaking world. You will also improve your language-learning strategies. To be successful and achieve course learning outcomes, you will be expected to complete homework on time and participate in class. Attendance is required. This course cannot be audited. The textbook, Augenblicke: German through Film, Media, and Texts, is available at the UW Book Store for $40 and is used in first-, second-, and third-semester German. Contact the course supervisor, Dr. Jeanne Schueller (jmschuel@wisc.edu), with any questions about the course or appropriate placement.

Prerequisites: None.

(This course is also offered to undergraduate students for 4 credits as GERMAN 101.)

(3 credits)

• Section 001: MTWR 11:00-11:50 am
• Section 002: MW 3:30-5:10 pm

Course Description: German 204/404 is a continuation of German 203. You need to have completed German 203 or achieve an appropriate score on the placement exam to enroll. This course reviews German grammar but prior knowledge of these concepts is assumed. The course is designed to give you the opportunity to explore language as it is embedded in the culture. You will explore mostly contemporary but also historical aspects of the cultures of the German-speaking world through a journey through major cities and regions of Austria, Germany, or Switzerland. Testing consists of chapter quizzes – there is no midterm or traditional final exam. You will complete writing and reading assessments, as well as oral projects. During the second half of the semester, you will sign up for a “mini- seminar” of your choice. These weeklong seminars substitute for regular class meetings and permit students to explore specific interests in German language, linguistics, literature, and culture/history. Class participation is expected, and attendance is required. This course cannot be audited. See the UW Book Store for required materials (Stationen, 4th edition with access to MindTap). Contact the course supervisor, Dr. Jeanne Schueller (jmschuel@wisc.edu), with any questions about the course or appropriate placement.

Prerequisites: GERMAN 203 or appropriate score on placement exam. Open to First-Year Students.

(This course is also offered to undergraduate students for 4 credits as GERMAN 204.)

(3 credits)

• T 2:30 – 3:45 pm
• R 2:30 – 3:45 pm

Instructor: Jolanda Vanderwal Taylor 

Course Description: Anne Frank counts as one of the most widely read writers in recent world history, and yet some wonder whether she should be called a writer. Her work is widely loved. It has been the inspiration for many other cultural artifacts and institutions: editions; biographies; works of fiction and non-fiction; plays; autobiographies (e.g. by friends of Anne Frank); scholarly research: literary-, cultural-, historical-, as well as research in the various sciences of manuscript authentication; exhibitions; museums; foundations. In this course we will study the context in which the Diaries were written and consider the various ways in which they were received. We will look at what was done with the Diaries and with Anne Frank: how they have been read, interpreted, used, and argued about. We will engage in critical thinking, asking not just: what? but also: why? We will consider what her work and life have to say to us as we face the legacy and continued scourge of racism. We will certainly consider some of her laments as we consider out own, somewhat confined, existence. We will take Anne seriously as a writer by reading her works (the Diaries and other short texts) attentively. And then we will also think about the nature of literature: is what Ms. Frank wrote literature? Why, or why not?

Prerequisites: Satisfied Communications A requirement.

(3 credits)

Instructor: Katerina Somers

Course Description: This course will introduce you to the field of historical Germanic linguistics. It examines the Indo-European origin and subsequent development of the German language in changing cultural and social settings. We examine the origin of standard varieties of German at different periods as well as their relationship to non-standard or regional varieties. You will also become familiar with the various areas of scholarly activities in the field, their basic research methods and bibliographical resources. In this course you will deepen your understanding of how Modern German works by learning about its history. In addition to informing your own study of the language and its structure, what we learn in this course will make you a more effective teacher of German.

Prerequisites: Senior standing

(3 credits)

 Instructor: Sabine Mödersheim

Course Description:Für Veränderung kämpfen: Protestbewegungen in Deutschland In diesem Seminar besprechen wir Protestbewegungen in Deutschland seit 1945, von der Friedensbewegung und 1968er Studentenbewegung über die Anti-Atomkraft-Bewegung und die Montagsdemonstrationen bis hin zu den Fridays for Future-Demonstrationen und Anti-Rassismus-Demonstrationen heute. Was treibt die Protestierenden an? Wer ist aktiv? Wie organisieren sie sich? Welche Veränderungen haben sie erreicht? Wie haben sie die politische Landschaft und das Demokratieverständnis geprägt?

Prerequisites: Senior standing and GERMAN 337 or consent of instructor

(3 credits)

 Instructor: Sabine Mödersheim

(Meets with German 676)

Course Description: In diesem Seminar besprechen wir Protestbewegungen in Deutschland seit 1945, von der Friedensbewegung und 1968er Studentenbewegung über die Anti-Atomkraft-Bewegung und die Montagsdemonstrationen bis hin zu den Fridays for Future-Demonstrationen und Anti-Rassismus-Demonstrationen heute. Was treibt die Protestierenden an? Wer ist aktiv? Wie organisieren sie sich? Welche Veränderungen haben sie erreicht? Wie haben sie die politische Landschaft und das Demokratieverständnis geprägt? Texte und Materialien werden auf Canvas bereitgestellt.

Honors-Projekt:

Honors students will prepare a project connected to the course topic that will be designed in individual consultation with the instructor.

Prerequisites: For students in the L&S Honors Program with senior standing + German 337

(3 credits)

• MWF 12:05 – 12:55 pm

Instructor: Mark Louden

Course Description: This course, which will be taught in German, will provide students with a foundation in the basic structures of contemporary German from a descriptive linguistic perspective. We will begin with an overview of the major phonetic and phonological features of spoken German, then proceed to explore derivational morphological, syntactic, and semantic structures. We will consider regiolectal patterns of variation across German-speaking Central Europe. Although this is a linguistics course, students working in all subfields in German studies are welcome. No background in German linguistics is presumed, but the course is organized to complement any prior coursework students may have from other synchronic, historical, and applied linguistic courses.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing; advanced undergraduate students may enroll with permission of the instructor

(3 credits)

• M 4:00 – 6:30 pm

Instructor: Hannah Eldridge

Course Description: The beginnings of the modern period (roughly 1750-1800) represent a turning point for the exceptionally powerful social construction we now call “race.” The shift from many groups or peoples to a few “races” (one or two per continent) focused on skin color happened to a perhaps surprising extent in German-speaking lands. We examine work by theorists such as Immanuel Kant, Johann Gottfried Herder, Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, Samuel Thomas Soemmerring, Georg Forster, and Christoph Meiners as well as contemporary theorists such as Peggy Piesche, Maisha Auma, Terence Keel, and Hito Steyerl plus litearry authors and activists including May Ayim, Audre Lorde, and Toni Morisson, all of whom show how 18th Century German race thinking is still effective for literature and culture today. Readings and discussion will be in English, so that students from all disciplines who are curious about the ongoing impact of this thinking can participate.

(3 credits)

• T 4:00 – 6:30 pm

Instructor: Sonja Klocke

Course Description: Recently, the bygone socialist GDR (German Democratic Republic) and its cultural products have received new attention. This includes, for example, the widely discussed movie In einem Land, das es nicht mehr gibt (2022; director Aelrun Goette) that portrays the GDR not only as a country policed by the Stasi, but also as a space in which excellent fashion was designed. Given the present-day shortage of housing in Germany, a current exhibition in Dessau looks at GDR housing and building politics of the 1960s to 1980s, in particular the Stadtwende-Bewegung for ideas to build environmentally friendly and cost-effective edifices today. Halle, the industrial city in Saxony-Anhalt infamous for its rather inclement air quality in the GDR, was recently designated the site for the new Zukunftszentrum: Deutsche Einheit und Europäische Transformation, which aims to foster the coalescence not only of Eastern and Western Germany, but also of Eastern and Western Europe. The list goes on – and demonstrates the significance of the GDR for our present in the 21st century.

Given these lates developments, it is time to revisit the GDR, its culture, and its politics; to review post -1990 cultural products that imagine the GDR from a post-Wall perspective and inform an “imagined GDR;” to examine recent publications by historians and sociologists that teach us about the hegemonic ways the GDR has been remembered, imagined, and reconstructed – with lasting effects for our present in the third decade of the 21st century. To this end, we will return to select canonical works of GDR literature, film, and art, and consider them within the most significant events and turning points in GDR cultural politics. Based on this knowledge, we will examine literature, film, and art produced by East German artists post-1989 and look for effects of socialization in the GDR, and of experiences during the so-called Wende as well as the ongoing aftermath of unification. This analysis will be conducted within the framework of recent historical and sociological research that can support our understanding of both the GDR and the effects of the unification process for East Germans today; and that allows us to reevaluate the significance of the socialist state for our contemporary world.

Prerequisties: Graduate/professional standing