Courses Offered
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.
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. Bentzel, Campbell
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. Redmann
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. Staff
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. Zorach
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)
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. Staff
342 G/E. Modern German Culture and Literature. (H)
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. Staff
343 G/E. 20th-Century German Culture. (H)
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 302.
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
