German Course Descriptions for Fall 2017

Please see our advising sheet for information about course selection in German.

GERMAN 101/401 – First Semester German

Section 001, MTWRF   8:50 – 9:40, instructor: TBD
Section 002, MTWRF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 003, MTWRF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 004, MTWRF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)
Section 005, MTWRF   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: TBD
Section 006, MTWRF   1:20-2:10, instructor: TBD
Section 007, MTWRF   2:25 – 3:15, instructor: TBD
Section 008, MWR   3:30 – 4:50, instructor: TBD
Section 009, MWR   7:00 – 8:20, instructor: TBD (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)

Prerequisites: None
Language of Instruction: German

Presumes no knowledge of the German language. In the course students learn basic vocabulary around topics such as classroom objects, daily routines, descriptions of people and objects, simple narration in present time, etc. German 101 covers material presented in the textbook VORSPRUNG from Kapitel 1 to Kapitel 6. Students read and discuss “real” texts (written by and for native) speakers from the start. Grammar is explained using examples from these texts as well as from a graphic novel, told in installments, that traces the journey of an American exchange student, Anna Adler, to the university in Tübingen as well as her adventures once there. The course also offers basic cultural insights and comparisons that are further elaborated on in second-year courses. Testing is done in increments of chapter quizzes; there is no mid-term and no traditional final exam. Students also complete writing & reading assignments as well as matching assessments, all with a take-home component. There are two oral projects. Class participation is encouraged and an attendance policy is in place. This course cannot be audited.

Required Texts:
Lovik, Guy, and Chavez. Vorsprung, 3rd edition (Cengage) and bundled e-book license(access to iLrn). Check the course Learn@UW site for information on options for purchasing the required materials.

Recommended Texts:
Cecile Zorach and Charlotte Melin. English Grammar for Students of German. Olivia & Hill Press (latest edition) and a good German/English English/German dictionary.

Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 102/402 – Second Semester German

Section 001, MTWRF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)
Section 002, MTWRF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 003, MTWRF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)
Section 004, MTWRF   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: TBD
Section 005, MTWRF   1:20-2:10, instructor: TBD (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)
Section 006, MWR   3:30 – 4:50, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: GERMAN 101 or appropriate score on placement exam
Language of Instruction: German

Continuation of German 101. Students learn to narrate using past time markers, to express wishes and conditional ideas, to expand on their ability to describe, and to understand and produce extended texts on everyday topics. German 102 covers material presented in the textbook VORSPRUNG from Kapitel 7 to Kapitel 12. Students read and discuss “real” text (written by and for native) speakers from the start. Grammar is explained using examples from these texts as well as from a graphic novel, told in installments, that traces the journey of anAmerican exchange student, Anna Adler, to the university in Tübingen as well as her adventures once there. The course also offers basic cultural insights and comparisons that are further elaborated on in second-year courses. Testing is done in increments of chapter quizzes; there is no mid-term and no traditional final exam. Students also complete writing& reading assignments as well as matching assessments, all with a take-home component. There are two oral projects. Class participation is encouraged and an attendance policy is in place. This course cannot be audited

Required Texts:
Lovik, Guy, and Chavez. Vorsprung, 3rd edition (Cengage) and bundled e-book license(access to iLrn). Check the course Learn@UW site for information on options for purchasing the required materials.

Recommended Texts:
Cecile Zorach and Charlotte Melin. English Grammar for Students of German. Olivia & Hill Press (latest edition).

Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 111/311 – First Semester Dutch

Section 001, MTWR   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 002, MTWRF   8:50 – 9:40, instructor: TBD (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)

Prerequisites: None
Language of Instruction: Dutch

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 Dutch culture and literature have always had close ties to a number of international cultures, Dutch is a logical choice as an additional language for American students of German language, literature and culture, and for those from a range of other majors or areas of interest.

Required Texts will be provided:
Code Plus 
Cursistenpakket deel 1, 0-A1, ThiemeMeulenhoff. ISBN 9789006815153

Please contact jvtaylor@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 203/403 – Third Semester German

Section 001, MTWR   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 002, MTWR   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 003, MTWR   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: TBD (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)
Section 004, MTWR   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)
Section 005, MTWR   1:20-2:10, instructor: TBD
Section 006, MW  3:30 – 5:10, instructor: TBD
Section 007, MTWR   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: TBD (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)

Prerequisites: GERMAN 102 or appropriate score on placement exam
Language of Instruction: German

German 203, like German 204, reviews German grammar but (a) prior knowledge of these concepts is assumed and (b) the sequence of grammar forms to be reviewed differs from that of first-year curricula (in other words, the grammar focused on in 203 is not identical to that dealt with in 101). The primary objective of the course is to give students the opportunity to explore language as it is embedded in the culture. Students will explore mostly contemporary but also historical aspects of the cultures of the German-speaking countries through a journey through the Stationen (stations) of which each stands for a major city in Austria, Germany, or Switzerland and the region that it represents. Testing is done in increments, with chapter quizzes instead of mid-terms or a traditional final exam.Students complete writing and reading assessments, all with a take-home component.There are two oral projects (not traditional exams). Mid-semester, students will have the opportunity to sign up for a mini seminar of their choice.  These three-class-period events substitute for regular class meetings and permit students to explore specific interests, ranging from cultural products such as food and drink or literary periods to cultural practices, such as the “rules of appropriate interactions” and how they are different from American practices, to cultural perspectives, such as the history of the language or regional differences in dialects. This course cannot be audited.

Required Texts:
Augustyn and Euba, Stationen, 3rd edition (Cengage) and bundled e-book license (access to iLrn). Check the course Learn@UW site for information on options for purchasing the required materials.

Recommended Texts:
Cecile Zorach and Charlotte Melin. English Grammar for Students of German. Olivia & Hill Press (latest edition).

Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 204/404 – Fourth Semester German

Section 001, MTWR   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 002, MTWR   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)
Section 003, MTWR   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 004, MTWR   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: TBD (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)
Section 005, MW   3:30 – 5:10, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: GERMAN 203 or appropriate score on placement exam
Language of Instruction: German

German 204, like German 203, reviews German grammar but (a) prior knowledge of these concepts is assumed and (b) the sequence of grammar forms to be reviewed differs from that of first-year curricula (in other words, the grammar focused on 204 is not identical to that dealt with in 102). The primary objective of the course is to give students the opportunity to explore language as it is embedded in the culture. Students will explore mostly contemporary but also historical aspects of the cultures of the German-speaking countries through a journey through the Stationen (stations) of which each stands for a major city in Austria, Germany, orSwitzerland and the region that it represents. Testing is done in increments, with chapter quizzes instead of mid-terms or a traditional final exam. Students complete writing and reading assessments, all with a take-home component. There are two oral projects (not traditional exams). Mid-semester, students will have the opportunity to sign up for a mini seminar of their choice.  These three-class-period events substitute for regular class meetings and permit students to explore specific interests, ranging from cultural products such as food and drink or literary periods to cultural practices, such as the “rules of appropriate interactions” and how they are different from American practices, to cultural perspectives, such as the history of the language or regional differences in dialects. This course cannot be audited.

Required Texts:
Augustyn and Euba, Stationen, 3rd edition (Cengage) and bundled e-book license (access to iLrn). Check the course Learn@UW site for information on options for purchasing the required materials.

Recommended Texts:
Cecile Zorach and Charlotte Melin. English Grammar for Students of German. Olivia & Hill Press (latest edition).

Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 213/313 – Third Semester Dutch

Section 001, MTWRF   2:25 – 3:15, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: Dutch 112 or 312 or consent of instructor
Language of Instruction: Dutch

Required Texts will be provided:
Code Plus Cursistenpakket deel 3, A2-B1, ThiemeMeulenhoff. ISBN 9789006815177

Please contact jvtaylor@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN/LITTRANS 236 – From Gutenberg to the iPad: Books, World, Literature

Section 001, TR   9:30 – 10:45, instructor: Mani, B. Venkat

 Students seeking to enroll in this course should enroll via the LITTRANS 236 (course number 65252).

Prerequisites:
Successful completion of or exemption from Com A requirement. Open to Freshmen. Fulfills Com B Requirement

Language of instruction: English

If you love (and/or hate) books and libraries, this is a course for you! This is a course about the social lives of books, libraries, and readers like you. How do we read literature in an age of electronic reading devices and social media? What is a book? Is it merely a medium of access to the printed matter it carries within its covers, or something bigger? What is a library? Is it merely a collection of books, or something larger? What is a reader? Someone who turns the pages of a hefty volume or scrolls on a smartphone? How do we understand books, libraries, and readers in our current times, whereby advancement in digital technologies have led to a new kind of “Bibliomigrancy”—the migration of books and libraries into a virtual space? How does the transformation of books and libraries impact our access to literature? What is the relationship between the book, the library, the reader, and literature?

These and other questions will fuel our discussions in the course “From Gutenberg to the iPad.”  In this course we shall discuss books and libraries as material and cultural artifacts, as political and historical institutions, which have played an influential role in the circulation, distribution, and reception of literature.

The course begins with a discussion of stone tablets and ends in our current age of electronic reading devices. Considering the mass-print circulation in Europe with Gutenberg’s printing press in the 15th century as a turning point, we will try to understand ways in which books and libraries facilitate our access to literature. To this end, we will be reading literary works (and watching films) where books, libraries, and readers play a central role in the narrative. The authors chosen for this course include Tsitsi Dangarembga (English), Umberto Eco (Italian), Thomas Mann (German), Ulrich Plenzdorf (German), Peter Manseau (English), Haruki Murakami (Japanese), Bernhard Schlink (German), Orhan Pamuk (Turkish), Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Spanish), as well as theorists such as Roger Chartier, Robert Darnton, Alberto Manguel, and Andrew Piper. We will also discuss digital public libraries such as Europeana, the Digital Public Library of America, institutions such as Nobel Prize and Booker Prize, controversies in the book industry, book fairs and literary festivals, as well as new electronic reading media.

Course Requirements:
The final grade will be based on the following factors:
Attendance and Class Participation [includes a bi-weekly Blog: 400 words; two weekly “tweets” on twitter.com] (30%)
One presentation (10%)
Mid-term Project (paper or multimedia) (30%)
Final Project (paper or multimedia) (30%)

Specific COMM B Objectives (see http://www.ls.wisc.edu/gened/CoursesNew.htm for detailed information):

  • critical reading, logical thinking, and the use of evidence
  • the use of appropriate style and disciplinary conventions in writing and speaking
  • the productive use of core library resources specific to the discipline

Required Texts:
Texts in bold can be accessed at the Memorial, or College Library (as Reserves) or purchased as print or e-books from a bookstore or an online vendor of your choice. For Kindle and other electronic editions please check relevant websites. All other texts listed below will be made available through learn@uw [See the notation “learn@uw” on the course calendar]. Films will be made available through password protected streaming.

Dangarembga, Tsitsi. Nervous Conditions. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2004. ISBN: 9780954702335
Eco, Umberto. The Name of the Rose. William Weaver (trans.). New York: Harvest Books, 1994. ISBN: 978-0156001311
Mani, B. Venkat. Recoding World Literature. New York: Fordham University Press, 2017. ISBN: 9780823273409
Manseau, Peter. Song for the Butcher’s Daughter. New York: Free Press, 2009. ISBN: 9781416538714
Plenzdorf, Ulrich. The New Sufferings of Young W. Prospect Heights, Ill. : Waveland Press. 9780881338911
Schlinck, Bernhard. The Reader. Carol Brown Janeway (trans.) New York: Vintage International, 1995. ISBN: 0375707972
Zafón, Carlos Ruiz. The Shadow of the Wind. Lucia Graves (trans.). New York: Penguin Books, 2005. ISBN: 978-0143034902

GERMAN 249 – Intermediate German-Speaking & Listening

Section 001, MWF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 002, MWF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 003, MWF   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: TBD
Section 004, MWF   1:20-2:10, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: German 204, appropriate score on the UW System German placement test, or consent of instructor. This course can be taken subsequent to, prior to, or concurrent with German 262, German 258, and German 274/284. Open to first-year students.

Language of Instruction: German

Drawing mainly on contemporary audio and video materials from German-speaking countries, including podcasts, video clips from German-language television, and two contemporary films (“Das Wunder von Bern” and “Vitus”), this course is intended to deepen students’ appreciation of German as a spoken language by making them more aware of how native speakers adapt their German to fit the contexts in which they use it. The main objectives of the course are:

• to improve students’ comprehension and production of spoken German via exposure to the language in use in audio and video formats;
• to promote students’ awareness of how spoken German varies according to speech situation and region, mainly in terms of sound structures (pronunciation) and vocabulary;
• to enhance students’ understanding of contemporary German-speaking cultures in Europe and beyond and the central role that language plays in shaping these cultures.

Required Work and Grading:
On Fridays students will receive a Wochenplan outlining required work for the coming week that will include in-class activities and homework assignments. A main component of these Wochenpläne will be tasks to promote development of effective pre- and post-listening/viewing strategies for the various audio and video clips we will work with. Since an important aspect of the course is making students not only more aware of how native speakers pronounce German, but also the ways in which their pronunciation may differ from native norms, they will be recording themselves for most homework assignments using the free software Audacity. We will also work quite a bit with phonetic transcriptions of German to understand better how spoken German corresponds to or deviates from the written language. Finally, in order to expand their vocabulary and heighten their awareness of variation in spoken German, students will be required to create a “personal dictionary” over the course of the semester. Most weeks they will be asked to write down at least 10 new words and phrases they learn and note information about pronunciation and usage. Students will be asked to submit their personal dictionary installments to their instructor on Fridays. In-class work will be centered on activities spelled out in the Wochenpläne and sometimes supplemented by audio-visual materials, but it is expected that students will access these materials (on multiple occasions) mostly outside of class. All audio-visual materials will be accessible electronically over the 249 Learn@UW Web site, Learning Support Services, or online. In terms of cultural content, we will be working with sources that address topics such as the impact of the World War II and post-war eras; East/West differences and reunification; language use in Austria and Switzerland; and youth speech and popular culture

The final grade for the course will be determined as follows: 4 quizzes @ 10% = 40% 12 homework exercises @ 2.5% = 30% 10 personal dictionary installments 10% final pronunciation assignment 5% preparation before and participation during class 5% five-minute oral presentation (Referat) 10%.

There is no required textbook for this course; all materials will be accessible over Learn@UW.

Please contact mllouden@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 258 – Intermediate German-Reading

Section 001, MWF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 002, MWF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: Schueller, Jeanne
Section 003, MWF   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: TBD
Section 005, MWF   1:20-2:10, instructor: TBD (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)

Prerequisites: GERMAN 204 or consent of instructor. This course can be taken subsequent to, prior to, or concurrent with German 249 and German 262. Open to Freshmen with appropriate placement score.

Language of Instruction: German

This course is designed to acquaint students with German literary and non-literary texts from 1871 to the present and to situate these texts against the backdrop of major historical and cultural developments in German-speaking countries. An important goal of this course is to provide explicit instruction on reading strategies to help students improve their comprehension of a variety of authentic texts and text types (genres). The main objectives of this course are to enhance students’ awareness of reading styles and strategies and how to apply them while reading; improve use of reading strategies to help students become more autonomous readers; to develop critical reading skills for reading and comprehending different text types; and to expose students to a range of German-language texts from approximately 1871 to the present.

Required Texts:
A photocopied course reader
Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Die Physiker (The Physicists, drama)
Thomas Brussig, Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee (novel)
All assignments will be available to download via the UW course management system.

Course Requirements and Assignments:
Much of the required work for this course will involve tasks to promote the development of effective pre-, during-, and post-reading strategies for the diverse texts and genres with which we will work. Graded and non-graded assignments consist of in-depth activities that guide students through the readings. Pre-reading tasks focus on expanding students’ general background and vocabulary knowledge pertaining to the topics and grammatical structures prevalent in the texts. During- and post-reading exercises encourage students to summarize as they read, ask and answer questions about their comprehension, test hypotheses, and create a visual representation (such as a word map, drawing, chart, or timeline) of the text.

Students are expected to prepare readings and accompanying exercises in advance of class and to participate fully in whole-class discussions and small-group/partner work. Class discussions will be conducted in German.

The final grade for the course will be determined by weekly graded assignments, short vocabulary quizzes, 3 tests (no final exam), and preparation of all non-graded assignments & class participation.

Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 262 – Intermediate German Writing

Section 001, TR   9:30 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 003, TR   11:00 – 12:15, instructor: TBD (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)
Section 004, TR   1:00 – 2:15, instructor: TBD

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

Languages of instruction: German and English.

This course will strike a balance between individual and collaborative writing and between teacher- and student-guided writing activities. Students’ writings will rely on authentic text models, many with German-specific cultural connotations. Longer-term writing projects will alternate with short-term writing assignments.

Please contact mmchavez@wisc.edu with any questions

GERMAN 266 – Topics in Yiddish Culture: Dead Yiddish Poet Society

Section 001, MWF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: Zilbergerts, Marina

Students must enroll in this course via JEWISH 230 section 003 or LITTRANS 247 section 001.

Prerequisites: Open to all students
Language of Instruction: English

With this new course we will take the art of poetry out of the lecture-hall and into the world.
Our material? The avant-garde masterpieces of Yiddish poetry and their influences.
Our place? Eastern Europe, New York, Tel Aviv, Wisconsin.
Our game? Words.
Our end? Sacred meanings, profane meanings, meanings that go beyond time and place; beauty; structure; new ideas.
The course will train you to experience poetry through speech, performance and writing. We will also take part in the local poetry scene in Madison.

Course Requirements and Assignments:
Weekly assignments: short reflection paragraphs
Midterm and final: essays with an option for creative writing
Events: Attendance of a local poetry reading and a final literary salon

GERMAN 267 – Yiddish Song and Jewish Experience

Section 001, M   1:20-2:10, instructor: Potter, Pamela
Section 002, M   1:20-2:10, instructor: Potter, Pamela
Section 301, W   1:20-2:10, instructor: TBD
Section 302, F   1:20-2:10, instructor: TBD

The course is BLENDED, requiring you to come to class on Mondays (with additional work to be completed online). If you are in a Comm-B section, you are required to attend an additional class on Wednesday or Friday and will receive 4 credits instead of 3.

Prerequisites: Open to all students; students enrolling in Com-B sections must have completed Com-A requirement. Fulfills Ethnic Studies requirement. Does not fulfill foreign language requirement and cannot be applied towards German major but may be counted toward the major as cognate course.
Language of Instruction: English

The format of this course is blended: students will work through on-line modules and discussion forums 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 4 credits. 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.

Required Texts: 
There is no text required for purchase for this course.

Course Requirements and Assignments: 
Course requirements differ depending on whether students take the Comm-B option or not.

GERMAN 269 – Yiddish Literature & Culture, Europe

Section 001, TR   1:00 – 2:15, instructor: Hollander, Philip

Prerequisites: Open to all students, knowledge of Yiddish is useful, but not required
Language of Instruction: English

This course investigates how Yiddish culture gave European Jewish life its distinctive stamp. After a brief introduction to Yiddish language and Pre-ModernYiddish culture, it concentrates on the modern period (1864- 1945). In this period, advocates of Yiddish turned it into an independent vehicle describing and detailing every aspect of Jewish life and experience. Focus on this period enables student appreciation of the aesthetic merits of modern literary and filmic texts. Introduction to the work of Yiddish literary pioneers Sholem Yankev Abramovitsh, Yitzhok Leibush Peretz and Sholem Aleichem precedes exploration of Interwar Polish andSoviet Yiddish cultural expression and how divergent cultural contexts produced divergent Yiddish cultural forms. The course concludes with Yiddish literary responses to the Holocaust. Following the persecution and brutal murder of millions of Yiddish speakers, European Yiddish culture withered.

Required Texts:
Singer, Isaac Bashevis. Satan in Goray. Trans. Jacob Sloan. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1996.
All other texts will be made available of Learn@UW.

Course Requirements and Assignments:
Student evaluation is based on five activities: Students take proficiency quizzes and write short response papers testing their knowledge of assigned readings and their ability to analyze them; they draft and revise two 2-4 page papers intended to develop their ability to analyze texts; they review their peers’ work to improve their ability to judge writing and improve it through revision; they write a final exam testing their analytical and synthetic skills; they attend class and participate.

Please contact Philip Hollander (phollander@wisc.edu) with any questions.

GERMAN 274/284 – Intro to German Literature

Section 001, MWF   9:55 – 11:50, instructor: Eldridge, Hannah

Prerequisites: GERMAN 204 with an A, or placement at 5th-semester level and consent of the instructor
Language of Instruction: German

GERMAN 274 and 284 meet together.

Would you like to improve your German and deepen your knowledge of German culture in a special 6-credit intensive course? Then this course is for you! This intermediate German course meets three times weekly (6 hours per week) and substitutes for German 258 and German 262, putting you on track for rapid completion of the major or certificate. You will improve your language skills and work on gaining the intercultural competence valued by employers in a globalized world. 

In this course we will combine reading and writing with in-depth discussions of texts, images, popular culture, elements of everyday life, and works of art with the intense development of language skills. We will try to understand how a whole variety of cultural documents function and how they exercise an influence on history and society: Novels, newspapers, diaries, dramas, films, TV shows, poetry, short stories, and a lot more.

Required Texts:
Kästner, Erich: Emil und die Detektive. ISBN: 3791530127 
Tawada, Yoko: Talisman. ISBN: 3887690966
All other texts are available via links or scans on Learn@UW.

Course Requirements and Assignments:
Regular preparation (reading, watching films, at-home exercise) and participation (whole-class discussion, partner work, and group work). Assignments include short papers (with opportunities for revision and targeted grammar review), vocabulary building, and creative writing.

Please contact heldridge@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 284 – Honors Introduction to German Literature

Meets with GERMAN 274 (see above for description)

GERMAN 305 – Literatur des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts

Section 001, TR   9:30 – 10:45, instructor: Adler, Hans

Prerequisites: German 249, 258, and 262; or German 249 and 274 or 284; or cons inst
Language of Instruction: German

Meets with GERMAN 385

This course is a journey through a bit more than a century of literature and culture in German, and it provides an overview over new and most-recent literature in German within its historical and cultural contexts. We will read selected texts—fiction, drama, and poetry—by important authors from Germany,Austria, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, and Turkey. Moreover, we will watch and listen to documents of pop music and its texts in German, singers such as Lale Andersen, Zarah Leander, Catarina Valente, Georg Kreisler, Udo Lindenberg, Wolf Biermann, Ina Müller, Herbert Grönemeyer, Peter Fox.Simultaneously to our discussion of texts, we will learn how to access and interpret literary texts and music and what is specific for literature as opposed to other language-using discourses. Among others, we will focus on texts by Franz Kafka, Bertolt Brecht, Wolfgang Borchert, Ingeborg Bachmann, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Emine Özdamar, Bernhard Schlink, and Thomas Brussig, and we will watch and discuss two films that are based on novels., Each participant will give a short presentation on their reading of and research on a specific text in class, and all participants will write a short scholarly paper at the end of the semester. Lectures providing in-depth information about historical and theoretical background knowledge will alternate with discussions. The course will be conducted in German.

Required Texts (print, no electronic versions; additional texts will be provided on D2L):
– Borchert, Wolfgang, Draussen vor der Tür. Reinbek: Rowohlt. ISBN 3-499-10170-X
– Schlink, Bernhard, Der Vorleser. Zürich: Diogenes. ISBN 3-257-22953-4
– Dürrenmatt, Friedrich, Der Richter und sein Henker. Reinbek: Rowohlt. ISBN 978-3499101502
– Brussig, Thomas, Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee. Frankfurt am Main: Fischer Taschenbuch. ISBN 3-596-14847-2

Please contact hadler@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 337 – Advanced Composition & Conversation

Section 001, TR   4:00 – 5:15, instructor: Klocke, Sonja

Prerequisites: German 249, 258, and 262; or German 249 and 274 or 284; or cons inst; may be repeated once only for credit
Language of Instruction: German

This class requires advanced German skills, and it aims at practicing and further improving your speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills within a range of situations and contexts. To this end, we will discuss current topics in German society, practice essay writing, train vocabulary, and repeat select advanced grammar topics. We will cover a variety of texts, among others stories, reports, newspaper articles, advertisements, various literary texts, everyday as well as formal conversations, and interviews. In addition to the required books, we will work with a variety of texts that will be made available on learn@uw. You will be graded based on regular attendance and participation, several written tests, homework, essays, and an oral presentation.

Required Texts:
1. Reimann, Monika. Essential Grammar of German mit integriertem Lösungsschlüssel und CD-Rom. HUEBER. ISBN: 9783192015755
2. A good German-English Dictionary.
3. Texts made available on learn@uw

Please contact sklocke@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 351 – Introduction to German Linguistics

Section 001, TR   1:00 – 2:15, instructor: Louden, Mark

Prerequisites: German 249, 258, and 262; or 249 and 274/284; open to undergraduates
Language of Instruction: German

In this course students 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 is 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. This half of the course wraps up with a week devoted to learning about where German personal, family, and place names come from. In the second half of the course we look at a number of productive processes involved with the formation of German words. Many of the examples we consider are words that have entered the language in the last twenty years. We then look at how words are combined to form phrases and sentences in German. The course concludes by examining topics dealing with distinctive use of vocabulary, including youth speech and what is popularly known as “Denglisch,” English-influenced German.

Required Texts:
There is no text required for purchase for this course.

Course Requirements and Assignments:
The final grade is determined as follows: 10 Übungen (practice assignments) 20%; 10 Hausaufgaben (50%); 3 in-class tests (30%).

Please contact mllouden@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 372 – Topics in German Culture: Deutscher Film und deutsche Kultur

Section 001, MWF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: Schueller, Jeanne

Prerequisites: German 249, 258, and 262; or 249 and 274 or 284; or consent of instructor.
Language of Instruction: German

The primary goal of this course is to broaden students’ knowledge of German culture through the analysis and interpretation of film. Eight contemporary films serve as a springboard for our discussions on a range of cultural topics. We will consider the historical and cultural contexts of each film and read thematically related fiction and non-fiction texts. Film-specific terminology will be introduced to facilitate our discussion and analysis of the films. The films also provide ample authentic language to help students improve their comprehension of spoken German in various contexts and registers.

Course evaluation will include in-class discussion, participation, and preparation; a film analysis journal (“Filmtagebuch”) for each film; three quizzes; a film review; a short in-class presentation, and one paper. Partner, small-group, and whole-class discussions will be in German. Class materials (assignments and readings) will be available for download via the Learn@UW course website. Films will be viewed outside of class. All films will be available to stream on any device via the UW course management system.

For more information or with any questions, please email the instructor, Jeanne Schueller (jmschuel@wisc.edu).

GERMAN 372 – Topics in German Culture: China from the German Point of View

Section 003, MWF   1:20-2:10, instructor: Li, Weijia

Prerequisites: German 249, 258, and 262; or 249 and 274 or 284; or consent of instructor; open to all undergraduates
Language of Instruction: German

In addition to cultivating students’ German language skills at the advanced level, this course will improve and expand students’ knowledge of German culture and German intellectual history from a unique point of view. Specifically, we will be dealing with the German imagination and perception of China and the Chinese culture that are reflected in German literary texts, mass media, and art history. We will engage in seeking answers to inquiries like: Why did German philosopher Leibniz (1646-1716) believe that Chinese emperor Kangxi should be a role model for the European monarchy? Why did the stereotype of the Chinese culture as “submissiveness to authority” begin in the 19th century? How and why were German writers in the 20th century like Hermann Hesse, Bertolt Brecht, and Anna Seghers fascinated by Chinese philosophy?  Last but not least, how and why did the theme of “Gelbe Gefahr” (Yellow Peril) often appear in German contemporary mass media?

By successfully completing this course, students will be able to comprehend and discuss in depth texts concerned with German and East Asian cultural encounters. Students will also be able to participate in conversations on complex topics involving transcultural and transnational aspects. This course also aims to help students act with a heightened awareness of the long-standing and contemporary cultural issues in German-speaking countries.

The final grade is determined as follows: Class Participation 20%; Homework 20%; 2 exams 30%; Independent Research Project 30%

Required texts: Course material will be available online via Learn@UW.

Please contact Prof. Weijia Li at wli255@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 372 – Topics in German Culture: Luther und die Reformation

Section 004, TR   2:30 – 3:45, instructor: Moedersheim, Sabine

Prerequisites:  German 249, 258, and 262; or 249 and 274 or 284; or consent of instructor.
Language of Instruction: German

Course may be taken with honors option (%).

Die sozialen Medien der Reformation: How Luther went viral

Im Oktober 2017 ist es 500 Jahre her, seit Luther seine berühmten 95 Thesen veröffentlichte, mit denen wir den Beginn der Reformation und einer gewaltigen religiösen, sozialen und politischen Umwälzung in Deutschland, Europa und der Welt markieren. Die Erfindung des Buchdrucks mit beweglichen Lettern durch Gutenberg um die Mitte des 15. Jahrhunderts schuf die Bedingungen für eine schnelle Ausbreitung dieser Ideen und bedeutete eine technische und kultuelle Revolution, die kaum zu überschätzen ist. Die Möglichkeit, Texte schnell, effizient und relativ billig zu vervielfältigen und zu vertreiben, veränderte die Grundlagen der Kommunikation nachhaltig. Informationen und Meinungen, also die Schriften Luthers oder Flugblätter zu aktuellen politischen Ereignissen, konnten sich weiter und schneller verbreiten als je zuvor. Mehr Menschen als je zuvor hatten Zugang zu Wissen und Meinungen. In diesem Kurs untersuchen wir die Ausbreitung der Reformation unter dem Aspekt der zeitgenössischen Medien und interpretieren Texte verschiedener Gattungen dieses Zeitraums.

Requirements and Assignments:
Anforderungen: Sie werden Texte lesen und analysieren, Hintergründe recherchieren und insgesamt einen Eindruck der Epoche erhalten. Sie werden ein mündliches Referat zu einem vereinbarten Thema halten und auf der Basis dieser Recherche sowie der Diskussion im Kurs eine Seminararbeit verfassen. Es wird erwartet, dass Ergebnisse und Einsichten aus den Diskussionen, der Gruppenarbeit und aus den Referaten in die Ausarbeitung der Seminararbeit einfließen. Anwesenheit in jeder Stunde, gute Vorbereitung auf die Analysen und Diskussionen sowie aktive Teilnahme werden vorausgesetzt und bilden die Bewertungsgrundlage für die mündliche Note. Die Noten setzen sich folgendermaßen zusammen: 40% mündliche Mitarbeit und Vorbereitung; 10% mündliches Referat und Thesenpapier und 50% schriftliche Seminararbeit

Required Texts will be made available on Canvas.

German 385 – Honors Seminar: German Literature: Lit des 20. & 21. Jahrhunderts

Section 001, TR   9:30 – 10:45, instructor: Adler, Hans

Prerequisites: Declared in honors program; German 284 or one of 302-305 or cons inst. Students may receive degree credit for no more than one of the following courses: German 375 & 385.
Language of Instruction: German

Meets with GERMAN 305

This course is a journey through a bit more than a century of literature and culture in German, and it provides an overview over new and most-recent literature in German within its historical and cultural contexts. We will read selected texts—fiction, drama, and poetry—by important authors from Germany,Austria, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, and Turkey. Moreover, we will watch and listen to documents of pop music and its texts in German, singers such as Lale Andersen, Zarah Leander, Catarina Valente, Georg Kreisler, Udo Lindenberg, Wolf Biermann, Ina Müller, Herbert Grönemeyer, Peter Fox.Simultaneously to our discussion of texts, we will learn how to access and interpret literary texts and music and what is specific for literature as opposed to other language-using discourses. Among others, we will focus on texts by Franz Kafka, Bertolt Brecht, Wolfgang Borchert, Ingeborg Bachmann, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Emine Özdamar, Bernhard Schlink, and Thomas Brussig, and we will watch and discuss two films that are based on novels., Each participant will give a short presentation on their reading of and research on a specific text in class, and all participants will write a short scholarly paper at the end of the semester. Lectures providing in-depth information about historical and theoretical background knowledge will alternate with discussions. The course will be conducted in German.

Required Texts (print, no electronic versions; additional texts will be provided on D2L):
– Borchert, Wolfgang, Draussen vor der Tür. Reinbek: Rowohlt. ISBN 3-499-10170-X
– Schlink, Bernhard, Der Vorleser. Zürich: Diogenes. ISBN 3-257-22953-4
– Dürrenmatt, Friedrich, Der Richter und sein Henker. Reinbek: Rowohlt. ISBN 978-3499101502
– Brussig, Thomas, Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee. Frankfurt am Main: Fischer Taschenbuch. ISBN 3-596-14847-2

Please contact hadler@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 391 – German for Graduate Reading I

Section 001, TR   9:30 – 10:45, instructor: Calomino, Salvatore

Prerequisites: No previous knowledge of German required.  Open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates.

Language of Instruction: Taught in English

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: participants will develop skills at comprehension in reading expository German in general; individuals will have the opportunity to begin reading German in their own research areas as well.

Required Texts:

Jannach, Hubert and Richard A. Korb, German for Reading Knowledge.  Cengage.  Most recent ed

Cassell’s German-English / English-German Dictionary.  Cassell & Co./ MacMillan. (or other equivalent dictionary)

GERMAN 612 – Literary Movements Since 1750

Section 001, TR   11:00 – 12:15, instructor: Adler, Hans

Prerequisites: German 305 or consent of instructor
Language of Instruction: German

This course provides a concise overview over the history and development of German literature and culture from the 18th century to the present. It is tailored for advanced undergraduate and for graduate students. We will read and discuss exemplary texts from four centuries; analyze the structure and historical particularity of these texts; contextualize them, and draw lines of connections to our present times. The course will be very reading-intensive. Our readings will be accompanied by lecture-type modules presenting background knowledge about the political and social history; history of ideas; elements of literary theory, and information about existing research. The fundamental question about the function and specifity of literature within human culture will accompany our work throughout the entire semester. The course will be conducted in German.

Required Texts (print, no electronic versions; more texts will provided on D2L):
G.E. Lessing, Die Juden
J.W. Goethe, Die Leiden des jungen Werther
Novalis, Heinrich von Ofterdingen
Büchner, Lenz
Th. Storm, Der Schimmelreiter
Hauptmann, Vor Sonnenaufgang

For more information contact hadler@wisc.edu

GERMAN 650 – History of the German Language, 3 credits

Section 001, MWF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: Howell, Robert

Prerequisites: Knowledge of German

This course is designed to introduce students to the field of historical Germanic linguistics. It examines the Indo-European origin and the 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. In addition, the course provides an introduction to historical linguistics and to various areas of scholarly activities in the field, as well as familiarizing students with basic research methods and bibliographical resources. No prior background in linguistics is assumed.

Required Texts:
Salmons, Joseph. Forthcoming.  A History of German: What the Past Reveals about Today’s Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

GERMAN 676 – Advanced Seminar in German Studies: Migration, Exil, Asylum

Section 001, M   3:30 – 5:30, instructor: Mani, B. Venkat
Prerequisites: German 337 and two additional advanced German courses or consent of Instructor

Language of Instruction: Primarily German (with some readings in English).

Meets with GERMAN 683 and 948

In the aftermath of the violent political crisis in Syria, hundreds of thousands of Syrian citizens arrived in Germany. The summer and early Fall of 2015 brought countless images and stories of a “foreigner-friendly” Germany. International media was replete with pictures of Germans standing at train-stations with placards saying “Foreigners Welcome” in German, English, and Arabic. Chancellor Angela Merkel—who in Fall 2010 declared that the idea of a “Multikulti” German society “had utterly failed”—transformed her political stance with an open door policy on immigrants. This led to her recognition as Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year 2015.”

A closer look at recent events reveals the differences of opinion that are slowly emerging in German national, and European regional politics. The cost of absorbing Germany’s newest migrants has become a major issue for protests and public debates. Nationalist groups such as PEGIDA are once again expressing concerns about the “rapid decline” of an (ethnic-)German culture. Conservatives frequently reference the fact that already by 2014, the number of German residents born outside of Germany had reached a record high of 16.4 Million, a drastic change since 1974, when the number of foreign-born residents of Germany reached 400,000 because of the presence of guest-workers from Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey and the former Yugoslavia. In current discussions, the figure of the refugee—stereotyped as the young Muslim asylum seeker—has acquired special relief, creating a greater need to understand the differences between “willful” and “forced” migrations.

With the current political and cultural debates serving as our point of departure, in this seminar we will explore the complex history of asylum seekers, exiles, and migrants in Germany within the larger migratory contexts of Europe, especially after the Second World War. The aim of the seminar is threefold: first, we will investigate how the transformation of labor migrants to cultural and (since 2000) political citizens of Germany has been one marked with accomplishments and positive developments, but also fraught with anxiety, tensions, and discrimination. Second, we will evaluate state-sponsored German models of multiculturalism (Multikulti), integration, and assimilation in the larger framework of the cultural politics of the European Union. Third, and most importantly, we will examine the artistic, cultural, historical, linguistic, political, and religious “contexts” of migrants’ lives through a variety of “texts”: film, media (print and electronic), literary works, and academic scholarship.

The seminar includes works by literary authors such as Lena Gorelik, Navid Kermani, Nicol Ljubic, Emine Sevgi Özdamar; films by directors such as Kutlug Ataman, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Xavier Koller; essays by controversial public figures such as the politician Thilo Sarazzin, sociologist Necla Kelek, the feminist lawyer Seyran Ates, among others.

By focusing on literature and cinema, we will explore the ever-changing form and function of aesthetic expressions of migration. One of the central tasks of the seminar is to fortify an interdisciplinary examination of concepts such as home, belonging, borderlands, citizenship, cosmopolitanism, diaspora, hospitality, and migration through theoretical frameworks developed in scholarship on multiculturalism, bi- and multilingualism, queer and gender studies, postcolonial studies, and transnational studies. Our discussions will therefore draw on works by literary and cultural scholars such as Daniela Berghahn, Leslie Adelson, and Azade Seyhan; cultural anthropologists such as Ruth Mandel; historians such as Rita Chin and Sebastian Conrad; and political theorists such as Theodor Adorno, Hannah Arendt, Seyla Benhabib, Jürgen Habermas, and Judith Shklar, among others.

Assignments:

  • Attendance and Active Participation in the Seminar (Reading and Discussion): 25%
  • Short Presentation: 5%
  • Mid-Term Paper (8 Pages, in German): 25%
  • Final Paper (12 Pages, in German): 25%

Required Texts:
Available for purchase at the University Bookstore AND on reserve at College Library:
Bota, Alice et. al. Wir neuen Deutschen: Wer wir sind, was wir wollen. 9783498006730
Gorelik, Lena. Lieber Mischa. 9783862200122
Kermani, Navid. Einbruch der Wirklichkeit. 9783406692086
Ljubic, Nicol. Meeresstille. 9783423141307
Özdamar, Emine Sevgi. Die Brücke vom goldenen Horn. 9783462031805
Pamuk, Orhan. Snow. 9780375706868
Schneider, Peter. Der Mauerspringer. 9783499135323

GERMAN 683 – Sr Honors Seminar inGerman Literature: Migration, Exil, Asylum

Section 001, M   3:30 – 5:30, instructor: Mani, B. Venkat

Prerequisites: Declared in honors program; German 385 or cons inst. Stdts may receive degree cr for no more than one of the following: German 673 or 683

Meets with GERMAN 676 and 948

GERMAN 727 – (Topics in Applied German Linguistics): The ‘Language’ in Language Teaching

Section 001, TR   9:30 – 10:45, instructor: Chavez, Monika
Prerequisites: Grad and Professional students

As the title suggests, in this course we will critically examine how ‘language’ and its putative uses are conceived of in so-called ‘foreign (second) language’ instruction, especially at the college level.  We will examine and compare conceptions of language (a) as they are implicit in recent and, for comparative purposes, early published research in second language acquisition, with a focus on leading journals in the field; (b) as the object of teaching/study as evidenced in foreign language textbooks; (c) as the central concern in undergraduate and graduate departmental curricula in the foreign languages (course offerings and rationales given for the purpose of language study) as well as in graduate programs that focus on research into language learning & teaching; (d) as explicitly and implicitly defined in the labeling of teaching practices (e.g., ‘the communicative approach’; ‘teaching for literacy/ies’) and professional standards (such as the World Readiness Standards issued by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages or reports issued by the Modern Language Association); (e) as described by language learners (‘what is that you believe you are/should be studying?’) and language teachers, respectively; and, for comparative purposes, (f) L1-focused publications in linguistics, psychology, communication studies, and related fields.

In short, we will examine how ‘language’ in the context of FL/L2 is implicitly or explicitly defined – and what alternative definitions are possible although they are not apparently or consistently applied. We will further explore how assumptions about FL/L2 learning processes & teachability and about goals & motivations can account for contradictions within the field of FL/L2 as well as for differences between L1 and L2 notions of what ‘language’ and ‘language learning’ are about.

Assignments will include mediated (via reading guides) readings and class discussions; material/research-analytic projects (individual as well as collaborative projects in which the analytic work of individuals will be collated into broader insights); interviews & surveys; and the description of possible/needed future research studies.

All required texts will be available for download from the course website.

GERMAN 755 – Old Germanic Languages: Palaeography of Medieval and Early Modern German

Section 001, TR   1:00 – 2:15, instructor: Calomino, Salvatore
Prerequisites: Grad and Professional students; reading knowledge of German and an older Germanic dialect helpful. Taught in English.

The goal of this seminar is to introduce students to the techniques and practice of German palæography and its traditions from the early nineteenth century to the present day.  As an introduction to varying methodologies and transcription, participants in the seminar will work with reproductions and facsimiles of (primarily) German manuscripts from the ninth through the eighteenth centuries.  Further, in addition to gaining familiarity with scribal practice and handwriting in major geographical regions, seminar discussions will concentrate on specific problems in the transcription and edition of medieval, early modern, and later literary records as well as charters, civic documents, etc.  Topics will include the influence of Latin script, multiple transmissions of individual texts, and possibilities for the dating and identification of regional dialects based on manuscript evidence.  The mutual transmission of late medieval manuscripts and early printed books will also be treated. The evolution of concepts in textual editing of medieval and early modern or later documents, and implications for the critical reception of these materials, will be a concern throughout the semester.  Participants will complete an edition of representative manuscripts as a seminar project.  Materials for photocopying, including facsimile and manuscript reproductions, will be provided by the instructor.  Internet and other supplementary resources, e.g. the used of digitized manuscripts from major European and American archives, will be used as well.

Required Texts:
Schneider, Karin.  Paläographie und Handschriftenkunde für Germanisten.  Tübingen: Max Niemeyer, 1999.  Latest edition.
Clemens, Raymond and Timothy Graham.  Introduction to Manuscript Studies.  Ithaca:  Cornell Univ. Press, 2007.  Latest edition.
Bischoff, Bernhard.  Latin Palæography.  Antiquity & the Middle Ages.  2nd ed.  Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1993.

GERMAN 758 – Topics in Contemporary German: German Sociolinguistics

Section 002, TR   11:00 – 12:15, instructor: Louden,Mark

Prerequisites: Graduate Standing
Language of Instruction: German

In this seminar we will explore variation in contemporary German-speaking Europe according to a number of factors including but not limited to medium, region, and social group. Some specific questions to be investigated will include differences between speech and writing, the emergence of regiolects through the interaction of traditional dialects and the standard language, and the role of social networks in defining sociolinguistic identities. We will also explore the subjective attitudes of speakers toward contemporary German, including stereotypes about “correctness,” the supposed influence of English on the language, youth speech, and the speech of migrants and Germans “with a migration background.” While much of the focus will be on the sociolinguistic situation in Germany, we will not overlook interesting patterns of variation in Austria and Switzerland, as well as German-speaking communities outside of Central Europe.

Required Texts: TBD

Course Requirements and Assignments:
The final grade is determined as follows: 10 Hausaufgaben (50%); 1 midterm (15%); 1 Referat (10%)t; 1 Seminararbeit (25%).

Please contact mllouden@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 758 – Topics in Contemporary German: Yiddish for Reading & Research

 

This course has been CANCELLED.

GERMAN 948 – Seminar in German Literature & Culture: Migration, Exil, Asylum

Section 001, M   3:00 – 5:30, instructor: Mani, B. Venkat

Prerequisites: Graduate standing
Language of Instruction:  Primarily German (with some readings in English).

Meets with GERMAN 676 and 683

In the aftermath of the violent political crisis in Syria, hundreds of thousands of Syrian citizens arrived in Germany. The summer and early Fall of 2015 brought countless images and stories of a “foreigner-friendly” Germany. International media was replete with pictures of Germans standing at train-stations with placards saying “Foreigners Welcome” in German, English, and Arabic. Chancellor Angela Merkel—who in Fall 2010 declared that the idea of a “Multikulti” German society “had utterly failed”—transformed her political stance with an open door policy on immigrants. This led to her recognition as Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year 2015.”

A closer look at recent events reveals the differences of opinion that are slowly emerging in German national, and European regional politics. The cost of absorbing Germany’s newest migrants has become a major issue for protests and public debates. Nationalist groups such as PEGIDA are once again expressing concerns about the “rapid decline” of an (ethnic-)German culture. Conservatives frequently reference the fact that already by 2014, the number of German residents born outside of Germany had reached a record high of 16.4 Million, a drastic change since 1974, when the number of foreign-born residents of Germany reached 400,000 because of the presence of guest-workers from Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey and the former Yugoslavia. In current discussions, the figure of the refugee—stereotyped as the young Muslim asylum seeker—has acquired special relief, creating a greater need to understand the differences between “willful” and “forced” migrations.

With the current political and cultural debates serving as our point of departure, in this seminar we will explore the complex history of asylum seekers, exiles, and migrants in Germany within the larger migratory contexts of Europe, especially after the Second World War. The aim of the seminar is threefold: first, we will investigate how the transformation of labor migrants to cultural and (since 2000) political citizens of Germany has been one marked with accomplishments and positive developments, but also fraught with anxiety, tensions, and discrimination. Second, we will evaluate state-sponsored German models of multiculturalism (Multikulti), integration, and assimilation in the larger framework of the cultural politics of the European Union. Third, and most importantly, we will examine the artistic, cultural, historical, linguistic, political, and religious “contexts” of migrants’ lives through a variety of “texts”: film, media (print and electronic), literary works, and academic scholarship.

The seminar includes works by literary authors such as Lena Gorelik, Navid Kermani, Nicol Ljubic, Emine Sevgi Özdamar; films by directors such as Kutlug Ataman, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Xavier Koller; essays by controversial public figures such as the politician Thilo Sarazzin, sociologist Necla Kelek, the feminist lawyer Seyran Ates, among others.

By focusing on literature and cinema, we will explore the ever-changing form and function of aesthetic expressions of migration. One of the central tasks of the seminar is to fortify an interdisciplinary examination of concepts such as home, belonging, borderlands, citizenship, cosmopolitanism, diaspora, hospitality, and migration through theoretical frameworks developed in scholarship on multiculturalism, bi- and multilingualism, queer and gender studies, postcolonial studies, and transnational studies. Our discussions will therefore draw on works by literary and cultural scholars such as Daniela Berghahn, Leslie Adelson, and Azade Seyhan; cultural anthropologists such as Ruth Mandel; historians such as Rita Chin and Sebastian Conrad; and political theorists such as Theodor Adorno, Hannah Arendt, Seyla Benhabib, Jürgen Habermas, and Judith Shklar, among others.

Assignments:
• Attendance and Active Participation in the Seminar (Reading and Discussion): 20%
• Short Presentation: 5%
• Conference Abstract: 5%
• Grant Proposal: 5%
• Course materials for an undergraduate course on Asylum, Exile, or Migration: 10%
• Mid-Term Paper (8 Pages, in German or English): 25%
• Final Paper (15-20 Pages, in German or English): 25%

Required Texts:
Available for purchase at the University Bookstore AND on reserve at College Library:
Bota, Alice et. al. Wir neuen Deutschen: Wer wir sind, was wir wollen. 9783498006730
Gorelik, Lena. Lieber Mischa. 9783862200122
Kermani, Navid. Einbruch der Wirklichkeit. 9783406692086
Ljubic, Nicol. Meeresstille. 9783423141307
Özdamar, Emine Sevgi. Die Brücke vom goldenen Horn. 9783462031805
Pamuk, Orhan. Snow. 9780375706868
Schneider, Peter. Der Mauerspringer. 9783499135323