Franklin & Marshall College

German and German Studies

A list of regularly offered courses follows. The indication of when a course will be offered is based on the best projection of the department and can be subject to change.

Please note the key for the following abbreviations: (A) Arts; (H) Humanities; (S) Social Sciences; (N) Natural Sciences with Laboratory; (LS) Language Studies requirement; (NSP) Natural Science in Perspective; (NW) Non-Western Cultures requirement.

German Studies in English Translation

All readings, lectures and discussions in these courses are in English. There are no prerequisites.

115. First-Year Seminar: Teutonic or Demonic: ‘Beyond Good and Evil’ in German Literature and Thought. (H) (W) Fall 2012

In this class, we will study how a number of German writers have challenged us to rethink the relationship between good and evil in their philosophical and literary works. We will use Nietzsche’s philosophical work Beyond Good and Evil to give more critical readings of masterpieces like Goethe’s Faust, Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, Richard Wagner’s operas in the “Ring” cycle and Herman Hesse’s Demian. Same as LIT 115. Bentzel

117. German Secrets: Germany Concealed and Revealed. (H) (W) Fall 2011

Secrets—concealed events, qualities, realities – personal, social, national. From Siegfried the Dragon-Killer’s mortal spot through the dark forests of fairytales, the revelations after the Third Reich and the Cold War, the course will examine the management of secrets, taboos and concealment in Germany’s cultural and political narrative in writing and film. Students will consider the role of secrecy and revelation in defining the stories that people, nations, and whole societies tell about themselves and their histories. Same as WGS 117. Zorach

Courses in German Language

101. Elementary German I. Every Fall

For students with no knowledge of German. Introduction to basic grammar and vocabulary of contemporary idiomatic German with equal emphasis on speaking, writing, reading and aural comprehension. Audio and video exercises, simple readings, short compositions, conversational drills. Staff

102. Elementary German II. Every Spring

Continuation of Elementary German I. Prerequisite: GER 101 or placement. Staff

201. Intermediate German I. (LS) Every Fall

Review of basic grammar and development of vocabulary. Reading of short stories. Development of oral communicative skills through individual and group assignments. Prerequisite: GER 102 or placement. Bentzel

202. Intermediate German II. (H) Every Spring

Presentation of and practice with more sophisticated grammatical principles and vocabulary. Introduction to the civilization of Germany, Austria and Switzerland through literary and journalistic texts. Extensive work in speaking and writing German to improve style and word usage. Prerequisite: GER 201 or placement. K. Campbell

301. German Conversation and Composition. (H) Every Fall

Various topics from contemporary life and letters furnish the material for this course. Frequent oral reports, written essays and group projects. Prerequisite: GER 202 or placement. Staff

302. German Civilization and Culture. (H) Every Spring

Develops material from German 301 with emphasis on more sophisticated syntax, idioms and vocabulary. Reading includes a short novel. Audio-visual material features unedited, colloquial speech. Staff

Courses in German Culture and Civilization

The following courses are taught in English with a special G section for all German majors and minors. Students in the G section will read some of the assigned material in German and will participate in one alternate weekly discussion in German. In consultation with the instructor, each student will choose either the G or E section.

341 G/E. Early German Culture and Literature. (H) 2011 – 2012

Introduction to major intellectual and artistic achievements of German civilization from the early Middle Ages to the end of the Enlightenment. Emphasizes the interrelationship among the arts against the background of political-historical developments. Prerequisite for 341G: GER 202 or 301. K. Campbell

342 G/E. Modern German Culture and Literature. (H) 2012 – 2013

Introduction to intellectual and cultural currents in German civilization from the Enlightenment to the present, emphasizing the arts in the context of history and philosophy. Readings include excerpts from such thinkers as Kant, Hegel, Marx, Freud and Einstein as well as poetry and short fictional works. Prerequisite for 342G: GER 202 or 301. K. Campbell

343 G/E. 20th-Century German Culture. (H) 2011 – 2012

Introduction to 20th-century German culture from the Wilhelmine era through the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, the division of Germany, the Economic Miracle and the Cold War and Reunification. Examines what has it meant to be “German” in the 20th century using various media and various genres. Note: Students electing this course for the major or minor may substitute HIS 355. Staff

For the following courses readings and discussions are in German. Papers and exams are in German or English as appropriate.

370 – 379. G. Topics in German Civilization and Culture.

A topic of special interest to students after consultation with the faculty. Topics include The Heritage of Potsdam and Weimar, History of German Cinema, Issues of Contemporary West German Culture, The East-West Split. Prerequisite: GER 202 or 301. Staff

Courses and Seminars in German Literature

General prerequisite is at least one course from the 300 series. The subject and emphasis for a seminar may vary each time it is offered; therefore, with permission from the departmental chairperson, students may take each seminar more than once. Students majoring in German Studies may elect the E option, writing papers in English. Students majoring in German Literature choose the G option, completing all writing in German.

340. Introduction to the Study of Literature. (H)

Introduction to the basic vocabulary for discussion of literature. Covers four major genres and their accompanying subgenres: Lyric poetry (and other poetic modes); drama (comedy and tragedy); narrative (Novelle and Erzählung); and essay. Concepts from metrics, rhetoric and genre to discover specific qualities of the texts. Prerequisite: GER 202 or 305.

482. German Literature and Thought before Classicism. (H)

Course will focus on one pre-Classical period: Middle Ages, Renaissance-Reformation, Baroque or Enlightenment.

483. German Classicism. (H)

Study of the writings of Goethe, Schiller, Holderlin, Herder, Wilhelm von Humboldt and others in various genres (drama, Novelle, Lyric, epic, essay).

484. 19th-Century German Literature and Thought. (H)

Examination of one topic, genre or period, e.g., Romanticism, Heine and Young Germany, poetic realism, the Novelle, drama, literature and the visual arts.

485. 20th-Century German Literature and Thought. (H)

Examination of a topic, genre, period or author, e.g., The Artist and Society, Literature of Exile, East German Literature, Lyric Poetry, Expressionism, Kafka, Brecht.

470 – 479 G/E. Topics Seminar in German Literature and Thought.

A special comparative problem that spans the centuries, genres or cultures. Offered upon demand.

490 G. Independent Study.

Independent study directed by the German staff. Permission of the chairperson.