Germanic Languages and Literatures
The Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures offers language courses in German, Dutch, Finnish, Swedish, and Yiddish. The department also offers courses in German literature, Scandinavian literature, Weimar cinema, Scandinavian drama and film, Goethe, and Kafka.
For questions about specific courses, contact the department.
Conversation Courses
Students who wish intensive oral practice in German may take, in addition to Language Laboratory work, one of the 2-point conversation courses offered as parallels to the elementary and intermediate courses.
For questions about specific courses, contact the department.
Courses
This course explores fascism through an interdisciplinary, trans-historical lens. Beginning with Germany’s Third Reich, we will examine fascism’s history and foundations in social, political, religious, and scientic developments. We will explore various theories—ranging from psychoanalytic to philosophical—which try to explain the rise and spread of fascism. To help conceptualize fascism, we will analyze its complex relationship with race, ideology, and nationalism, and in particular, its deployment of technology, aesthetics, and propaganda. We will apply our own working denition of fascism to the contemporary moment by analyzing current populist, authoritarian movements around the globe. Taught in English.
Course Number
CLGR3252W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 14:40-15:55We 14:40-15:55Section/Call Number
001/12849Enrollment
7 of 50Instructor
Annie PfeiferNetflix Culture
“Whether you are in Sydney or St. Petersburg, Singapore or Seoul, Santiago or Saskatoon, you now can be part of the internet TV revolution. No more waiting. No more watching on a
schedule that’s not your own. No more frustration. Just Netflix.” (Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, 2016)
The word “Netflix” refers not simply to the American online video store that became a streaming service in the twenty-first century's first decade and an international production company in the
second. It is a synecdoche for the widespread popularization of Internet TV seen in the success of SVODs (subscription video-on-demand services) like Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Apple TV+. The course will focus on the pioneering role of the Netflix streaming service and its dominant role in the creation and distribution of popular film and television content. In recent years, the success of internationally acclaimed productions has signaled a renewed interest in global histories and cultures, many of which were produced by Netflix and made available worldwide through its streaming service. The course discusses how processes of distribution and redistribution set in motion by the streaming service call for us to reconsider and reapproach ideas advanced by cultural studies that now seem unsuitable for delineating the full scope of Internet TV’s proliferation. We analyze Netflix series in the global scene and examine how global contents are tied to the emergence of unique genres. How do recent Netflix productions change, modify, or reimagine the narratives of national histories and cultures globally? Has the international online platform and film market more generally changed national images and stereotypes? More specifically, which genre conventions emerge from global politics and these new modes of streaming services? How have the series assimilated to international market conditions and audiences? Has the serial dispositive of television (as opposed to film), as well as the different viewing venues (private space of one’s home) and mode of consumption (binging), changed how global contents are presented?
Each week will focus on a different genre and analyze central episodes from two different series.
Course Number
CLGR3458W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Tu 10:10-12:00Section/Call Number
001/14818Enrollment
30 of 30Instructor
Oliver SimonsJeremy DauberNearly fifty years after the publication of Edward Said’s groundbreaking work Orientalism, the book is as relevant as ever. At the same time, there have been countless attempts to broaden the scope of inquiry to explore constructions of the Middle East and Asia from different cultural, historical, and theoretical perspectives, including feminist and Marxist revisions of Said’s conceptualization as well as important work examining the role of race and religion.
Focusing on the Germanophone context, this seminar traces the interrelationship between Orientalism—the study of the Orient—and the evolution of German scholarship and empire. Without having an imperial presence in the Middle East, Germany quickly developed an authoritative role in the study of many Orientalist fields, prompting several questions. Can Said’s framework be used to describe the experience of non-colonial powers in the Middle East? To what extent was German Orientalism informed by Germany’s colonial experiences—its belated acquisition of overseas colonies and its quasi-colonial relationship with Eastern European states? How does Orientalism reflect Germany’s own nation-building efforts to fabricate a mythic,
ancient past? How did Nazi Orientalism perpetuate and exploit these myths?
With the contemporary resurgence of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in the Middle East and West, these questions take on renewed importance. Concluding with a discussion of the “migrant crisis” in Europe, this seminar proposes that a historical study of Orientalism can increase sensitivities to the cultural complexities of today’s global environment. Through an interdisciplinary focus on literature, visual arts, and theory, this seminar critically examines the role of scholarship and academia in exploring how humanities can shape and alter such perceptions. Does the study of Orientalism unwittingly contribute to the problem by perpetuating stereotypes and myths while undermining the agency of colonized or non-Western peoples?
Course Number
CLGR4271W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Tu 16:10-18:00Section/Call Number
001/12863Enrollment
13 of 25Instructor
Annie PfeiferComparative media is an emergent approach intended to draw upon and interrupt canonical ideas in film and media theory. It adopts a comparative approach to media as machines and aesthetic practices by examining contemporary media in relation to the introduction of earlier technologies. The class also extends our focus beyond the U.S. and Europe by examining other cultural locations of media innovation and appropriation. In doing so, it decenters normative assumptions about media and media theory while introducing students to a range of media practices past and present.
Course Number
CMPM8483G001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 12:10-14:00Section/Call Number
001/13068Enrollment
0 of 15Instructor
Zeynep Celik AlexanderStefan AndriopoulosCourse Number
DTCH1101W001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Tu 18:10-20:00Th 18:10-20:00Section/Call Number
001/11773Enrollment
20 of 20Instructor
Wijnie de GrootCourse Number
DTCH1101W002Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 16:10-18:00We 16:10-18:00Section/Call Number
002/11774Enrollment
13 of 12Course Number
DTCH2101W001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Tu 16:10-18:00Th 16:10-18:00Section/Call Number
001/11775Enrollment
22 of 20Instructor
Wijnie de GrootCourse Number
DTCH2101W002Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 18:10-20:00We 18:10-20:00Section/Call Number
002/11777Enrollment
2 of 12This advanced course is a content-based language course, and is centered around the history of the Low Countries. Each week focuses on a specific era, such as the counts of Holland in the 13th century and the Reformation in the 16th century. Students will read texts about history and literature of the historical periods.
Students will read texts at home and discuss them in class, explore history-related websites and watch short video clips.
Attention will be paid to advanced grammar issues and vocabulary.
Course Number
DTCH3101W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Tu 13:15-14:30Th 13:15-14:30Section/Call Number
001/11780Enrollment
3 of 10Instructor
Wijnie de GrootCourse Number
FINN1101W001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 16:10-18:00We 16:10-18:00Section/Call Number
001/12908Enrollment
0 of 15Instructor
Heli SirvioePrerequisites: No prior German.
German 1101 is a communicative language course for beginners, taught in German, in which students develop the four skills -listening, speaking, reading, and writing- and a basic understanding of German-speaking cultures. Emphasis is placed on acquiring the four language skills within a cultural context. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to understand, speak, read, and write German at a level enabling them to communicate with native speakers and provide basic information about their background, family, daily activities, student life, work, and living quarters. Completion of daily assignments, which align with class content, and consistent work are necessary in order to achieve basic communicative proficiency. If you have prior German, the placement exam is required.
Course Number
GERM1101V001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Tu 10:10-11:25Th 10:10-11:25Fr 10:10-11:25Section/Call Number
001/11723Enrollment
0 of 15Instructor
Isabel BlankfieldPrerequisites: No prior German.
German 1101 is a communicative language course for beginners, taught in German, in which students develop the four skills -listening, speaking, reading, and writing- and a basic understanding of German-speaking cultures. Emphasis is placed on acquiring the four language skills within a cultural context. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to understand, speak, read, and write German at a level enabling them to communicate with native speakers and provide basic information about their background, family, daily activities, student life, work, and living quarters. Completion of daily assignments, which align with class content, and consistent work are necessary in order to achieve basic communicative proficiency. If you have prior German, the placement exam is required.
Course Number
GERM1101V002Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 11:40-12:55We 11:40-12:55Th 11:40-12:55Section/Call Number
002/11724Enrollment
2 of 15Instructor
Ethan FraenkelPrerequisites: No prior German.
German 1101 is a communicative language course for beginners, taught in German, in which students develop the four skills -listening, speaking, reading, and writing- and a basic understanding of German-speaking cultures. Emphasis is placed on acquiring the four language skills within a cultural context. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to understand, speak, read, and write German at a level enabling them to communicate with native speakers and provide basic information about their background, family, daily activities, student life, work, and living quarters. Completion of daily assignments, which align with class content, and consistent work are necessary in order to achieve basic communicative proficiency. If you have prior German, the placement exam is required.
Course Number
GERM1101V003Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 14:40-15:55We 14:40-15:55Th 14:40-15:55Section/Call Number
003/11725Enrollment
5 of 15Instructor
Simona VaideanPrerequisites: No prior German.
German 1101 is a communicative language course for beginners, taught in German, in which students develop the four skills -listening, speaking, reading, and writing- and a basic understanding of German-speaking cultures. Emphasis is placed on acquiring the four language skills within a cultural context. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to understand, speak, read, and write German at a level enabling them to communicate with native speakers and provide basic information about their background, family, daily activities, student life, work, and living quarters. Completion of daily assignments, which align with class content, and consistent work are necessary in order to achieve basic communicative proficiency. If you have prior German, the placement exam is required.
Course Number
GERM1101V004Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 16:10-17:25We 16:10-17:25Th 16:10-17:25Section/Call Number
004/11726Enrollment
3 of 15Instructor
Simona VaideanPrerequisites: No prior German.
German 1101 is a communicative language course for beginners, taught in German, in which students develop the four skills -listening, speaking, reading, and writing- and a basic understanding of German-speaking cultures. Emphasis is placed on acquiring the four language skills within a cultural context. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to understand, speak, read, and write German at a level enabling them to communicate with native speakers and provide basic information about their background, family, daily activities, student life, work, and living quarters. Completion of daily assignments, which align with class content, and consistent work are necessary in order to achieve basic communicative proficiency. If you have prior German, the placement exam is required.
Course Number
GERM1101V005Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 17:40-18:55Tu 17:40-18:55Th 17:40-18:55Section/Call Number
005/11727Enrollment
3 of 15Instructor
Xuxu SongPrerequisites: No prior German.
German 1101 is a communicative language course for beginners, taught in German, in which students develop the four skills -listening, speaking, reading, and writing- and a basic understanding of German-speaking cultures. Emphasis is placed on acquiring the four language skills within a cultural context. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to understand, speak, read, and write German at a level enabling them to communicate with native speakers and provide basic information about their background, family, daily activities, student life, work, and living quarters. Completion of daily assignments, which align with class content, and consistent work are necessary in order to achieve basic communicative proficiency. If you have prior German, the placement exam is required.
Course Number
GERM1101V006Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Tu 18:10-20:00Th 18:10-20:00Section/Call Number
006/11728Enrollment
0 of 15Prerequisites: GERM UN1101 or the equivalent. If you have prior German outside of Columbia’s language sequence, the placement exam is required. German 1102 is the continuation of Elementary German I (1101). It is a four-skill language course taught in German, in which students continue to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in German and an understanding of German-speaking cultures. Emphasis is placed on acquiring the four language skills--listening, speaking, reading and writing--within a cultural context. Students expand their communication skills to include travel, storytelling, personal well- being, basic economics, recent historical events, and working with movie segments. Completion of daily assignments, which align with class content, and consistent work are necessary in order to achieve basic communicative proficiency.
Course Number
GERM1102V001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 11:40-12:55We 11:40-12:55Th 11:40-12:55Section/Call Number
001/11729Enrollment
10 of 15Instructor
Simona VaideanPrerequisites: GERM UN1101 or the equivalent. If you have prior German outside of Columbia’s language sequence, the placement exam is required. German 1102 is the continuation of Elementary German I (1101). It is a four-skill language course taught in German, in which students continue to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in German and an understanding of German-speaking cultures. Emphasis is placed on acquiring the four language skills--listening, speaking, reading and writing--within a cultural context. Students expand their communication skills to include travel, storytelling, personal well- being, basic economics, recent historical events, and working with movie segments. Completion of daily assignments, which align with class content, and consistent work are necessary in order to achieve basic communicative proficiency.
Course Number
GERM1102V002Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 14:40-15:55Tu 14:40-15:55Th 14:40-15:55Section/Call Number
002/11730Enrollment
7 of 15Instructor
Patrick WoodardPrerequisites: GERM UN1101 or the equivalent. If you have prior German outside of Columbia’s language sequence, the placement exam is required. German 1102 is the continuation of Elementary German I (1101). It is a four-skill language course taught in German, in which students continue to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in German and an understanding of German-speaking cultures. Emphasis is placed on acquiring the four language skills--listening, speaking, reading and writing--within a cultural context. Students expand their communication skills to include travel, storytelling, personal well- being, basic economics, recent historical events, and working with movie segments. Completion of daily assignments, which align with class content, and consistent work are necessary in order to achieve basic communicative proficiency.
Course Number
GERM1102V003Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Tu 18:10-20:00Th 18:10-20:00Section/Call Number
003/11731Enrollment
3 of 15Instructor
Xuxu SongPrerequisites: GERM UN2101 or the equivalent. If you have prior German outside of Columbia’s language sequence, the placement exam is required.
Intermediate German UN2102 is conducted entirely in German and emphasizes the four basic language skills, cultural awareness, and critical thinking. A wide range of topics (from politics and poetry to art) as well as authentic materials (texts, film, art, etc.) are used to improve the 4 skill. Practice in conversation aims at enlarging the vocabulary necessary for daily communication. Grammar is practiced in the context of the topics. Learning and evaluation are individualized (individual vocabulary lists, essays, oral presentations, final portfolio) and project-based (group work and final group project).
Course Number
GERM2101V001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 10:10-11:25Tu 10:10-11:25Th 10:10-11:25Section/Call Number
001/11732Enrollment
6 of 15Instructor
Romney Walker WoodPrerequisites: GERM UN2101 or the equivalent. If you have prior German outside of Columbia’s language sequence, the placement exam is required.
Intermediate German UN2102 is conducted entirely in German and emphasizes the four basic language skills, cultural awareness, and critical thinking. A wide range of topics (from politics and poetry to art) as well as authentic materials (texts, film, art, etc.) are used to improve the 4 skill. Practice in conversation aims at enlarging the vocabulary necessary for daily communication. Grammar is practiced in the context of the topics. Learning and evaluation are individualized (individual vocabulary lists, essays, oral presentations, final portfolio) and project-based (group work and final group project).
Course Number
GERM2101V002Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 11:40-12:55We 11:40-12:55Th 11:40-12:55Section/Call Number
002/11733Enrollment
9 of 15Prerequisites: GERM UN2101 or the equivalent. If you have prior German outside of Columbia’s language sequence, the placement exam is required.
Intermediate German UN2102 is conducted entirely in German and emphasizes the four basic language skills, cultural awareness, and critical thinking. A wide range of topics (from politics and poetry to art) as well as authentic materials (texts, film, art, etc.) are used to improve the 4 skill. Practice in conversation aims at enlarging the vocabulary necessary for daily communication. Grammar is practiced in the context of the topics. Learning and evaluation are individualized (individual vocabulary lists, essays, oral presentations, final portfolio) and project-based (group work and final group project).
Course Number
GERM2101V003Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 16:10-17:25We 16:10-17:25Th 16:10-17:25Section/Call Number
003/11734Enrollment
15 of 15Instructor
Jutta Schmiers-HellerPrerequisites: GERM UN2101 or the equivalent. If you have prior German outside of Columbia’s language sequence, the placement exam is required.
Intermediate German UN2102 is conducted entirely in German and emphasizes the four basic language skills, cultural awareness, and critical thinking. A wide range of topics (from politics and poetry to art) as well as authentic materials (texts, film, art, etc.) are used to improve the 4 skill. Practice in conversation aims at enlarging the vocabulary necessary for daily communication. Grammar is practiced in the context of the topics. Learning and evaluation are individualized (individual vocabulary lists, essays, oral presentations, final portfolio) and project-based (group work and final group project).
Course Number
GERM2101V004Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 18:10-20:00We 18:10-20:00Section/Call Number
004/00181Enrollment
6 of 15Instructor
Irene MotylPrerequisites: GERM UN2101 or the equivalent.
Intermediate German UN2102 is conducted entirely in German and emphasizes the four basic language skills, cultural awareness, and critical thinking. A wide range of topics (from politics and poetry to art) as well as authentic materials (texts, film, art, etc.) are used to improve the 4 skill. Practice in conversation aims at enlarging the vocabulary necessary for daily communication. Grammar is practiced in the context of the topics. Learning and evaluation are individualized (individual vocabulary lists, essays, oral presentations, final portfolio) and project-based (group work and final group project).
Course Number
GERM2102V001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 11:40-12:55We 11:40-12:55Th 11:40-12:55Section/Call Number
001/11735Enrollment
9 of 15Prerequisites: GERM UN2101 or the equivalent.
Intermediate German UN2102 is conducted entirely in German and emphasizes the four basic language skills, cultural awareness, and critical thinking. A wide range of topics (from politics and poetry to art) as well as authentic materials (texts, film, art, etc.) are used to improve the 4 skill. Practice in conversation aims at enlarging the vocabulary necessary for daily communication. Grammar is practiced in the context of the topics. Learning and evaluation are individualized (individual vocabulary lists, essays, oral presentations, final portfolio) and project-based (group work and final group project).
Course Number
GERM2102V002Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Tu 18:10-20:00Th 18:10-20:00Section/Call Number
002/11736Enrollment
7 of 15Instructor
Young NaAn intensive study of key features of German grammar, with an emphasis on skill-building exercises and practical solutions to common problems of writing and speaking on the intermediate level; aims at building confidence in using simple and more complex sentence structures.
Course Number
GERM2210X001Format
In-PersonPoints
2 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Tu 16:10-18:00Section/Call Number
001/00183Enrollment
1 of 12Instructor
Irene MotylAn intensive study of key features of German grammar, with an emphasis on skill-building exercises and practical solutions to common problems of writing and speaking on the intermediate level; aims at building confidence in using simple and more complex sentence structures. For an additional point, students will hand in a weekly 150-200 word summary in German in which they highlight what they have learned, explain the rules and applications of the linguistic feature on hand. In the last portion of the summary students will reflect on their learning process during each week to document their progress. Individual meetings with the Professor to clarify and practice student specific grammar issues will be scheduled.
Course Number
GERM2212X001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Tu 16:10-18:00Section/Call Number
001/00184Enrollment
0 of 12Instructor
Irene MotylPrerequisite: Completion of 1102 or equivalent. If you have prior German outside of Columbia's language sequence, the placement exam is required.
Desire to speak lots of German! Students in Intermediate Conversation should have completed the equivalent of two semester of college German or placed at the Intermediate level at Columbia. This conversation group is designed for students are either taking Intermediate German I or II and would like additional practice or who take only this class because they wish to maintain their spoken German.
The course is designed to improve your ability to speak and understand and manage German in everyday situations; to provide opportunities to participate in conversational situations on any topics you are interested in; to strengthen and acquire skills to understand German spoken at normal conversational speed; to expand active and passive vocabularies speaking skills; and to maintain a certain level of written German through short written activities. This is a 2-point course and does not count towards the language requirement.
Course Number
GERM2520W001Format
In-PersonPoints
2 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 10:10-11:25We 10:10-11:25Section/Call Number
001/11737Enrollment
6 of 15Instructor
. FACULTYPrerequisites: GERM UN2102. If you have prior German outside of Columbia’s language sequence, the placement exam is required. Note: UN3001 and UN3002 are not sequential.
German UN3001 is an ambitious socio-cultural exploration of Berlin. Designed to follow up the language skills acquired in first- and second-year language courses (or the equivalent thereof), this course gives students greater proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing German while focusing on topics from German society today through various German media, such as internet, film, and literature through the lens of Germany’s capital, Berlin. Topics discussed include: cultural diversity in Berlin's multi-cultural neighborhoods; questioning and reflecting upon Berlin's recent past; developing your own Berlin experience and presenting your interests in various forms, such as presentations, an essay, your CV, an application letter and interview for an internship in Berlin. The course represents a gateway class to literature courses and counts towards the major and concentration in German. Taught in German.
Course Number
GERM3001V001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 11:40-12:55We 11:40-12:55Section/Call Number
001/11738Enrollment
8 of 15Instructor
Jutta Schmiers-HellerThis German-language course for students on the Advanced proficiency level will offer students the opportunity to improve their comprehension of German media language through viewing, reading, writing and digital film production. Course materials will be drawn from German-language periodicals, newspapers, TV newscasts, TV documentaries and features digitally available. Students will hone their media competence by analyzing the material at hand and write, film and edit their own digital newscasts and documentaries in German. Through this process students will acquire the media literacy needed to understand cultural differences in media production and presentation and how to successfully communicate and convey messages in a digital format. Finally, students will familiarize themselves with the technical aspects of filming and will learn how to edit digital material. The cultural aspect of the course will give students greater insight into current issues and discourses in German-speaking countries and in the U.S. In the final project students apply their skills and findings, after conducting research in German and working with German, Austrian and Swiss cultural institutions, newspapers, companies, cultural centers located in New York. At the end of the semester, students will create and write their own German-language documentary film, edit the documentary and present it to the class and other students of German.
Course Number
GERM3009X001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 16:10-17:25We 16:10-17:25Section/Call Number
001/00185Enrollment
10 of 12Instructor
Irene MotylCourse Number
GERM3224X001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Tu 14:40-15:55Th 14:40-15:55Section/Call Number
001/00182Enrollment
4 of 20Instructor
Erk GrimmCourse Number
GERM3333W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 10:10-11:25We 10:10-11:25Section/Call Number
001/11739Enrollment
10 of 25Instructor
Stefan AndriopoulosPrerequisite OR Corequisite: GERMUN3333
This class will provide an introduction to the rich and varied forms of literary production between 1750 and 1900 by focusing on the culture of Sensibility, the Enlightenment, Storm and Stress, Romanticism, the “Vormärz” and Realism. We will situate major literary innovations of the 18th century in the context of changing reading and theater cultures and focus primarily on Lessing’s innovative domestic tragedy, and on poems and an epistolary novel by Goethe. Then we will discuss the literary production of the 19th century by analyzing changing concepts of art, music and literature during those times of great social and political change. We will study (and translate) poems, and read pamphlets and novellas by Tieck, Kleist, Hölderlin, Novalis, Brentano, Eichendorff, Günderrode, Droste-Hülshoff, Heine, Büchner, Mörike, Keller and Fontane.
**This course is taught entirely in German.
Course Number
GERM3442W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 11:40-12:55We 11:40-12:55Section/Call Number
001/12857Enrollment
5 of 25Instructor
Dorothea von MueckeThis introduction to German film since 1945 (in its European contexts) deploys a focus on feelings as a lens for multifaceted, intersectional investigations of cinematic history. We will explore how feelings have been gendered and racialized; how they overlap with matters of sex (as closely associated with political revolt in Western Europe, while considered too private for public articulation in the socialist East, especially when queer); and how they foreground matters of nation and trauma (for example via the notions of German ‘coldness’ and inability to mourn the Holocaust). Simultaneously, the focus on feelings highlights questions of mediality (cinema as a prototypically affective medium?), genre and avant-garde aesthetics: in many films, ‘high-affect’ Hollywood cinema intriguingly meets ‘cold’ cinematic modernism. In pursuing these investigative vectors through theoretical readings and close film analysis, the course connects affect, gender, queer, and cultural studies approaches with cinema studies methodologies. The films to be discussed span postwar and New German Cinema, East German DEFA productions, the ‘Berlin School’ of the 2000s, and contemporary transnational cinema.
Course Number
GERM4350G001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Tu 14:10-16:00Section/Call Number
001/12858Enrollment
15 of 25Instructor
Claudia BregerProseminar for Graduate Students only.
Course Number
GERM8121G001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 16:10-18:00Section/Call Number
001/13982Enrollment
4 of 25Instructor
Dorothea von MueckeCourse Number
SWED1101W001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 10:10-12:00We 10:10-12:00Section/Call Number
001/12918Enrollment
10 of 15Instructor
Heli SirvioeThis course offers an introduction to the language that has been spoken by the Ashkenazi Jews for more than a millennium, and an opportunity to discover a fabulous world of Yiddish literature, language and culture in a fun way. Using games, new media, and music, we will learn how to speak, read, listen and write in a language that is considered one of the richest languages in the world (in some aspects of vocabulary). We will also venture outside the classroom to explore the Yiddish world today: through field trips to Yiddish theater, Yiddish-speaking neighborhoods, Yiddish organizations, such as YIVO or Yiddish farm, and so on. We will also have Yiddish-speaking guests and do a few digital projects. At the end of the two-semester course, you will be able to converse in Yiddish on a variety of everyday topics and read most Yiddish literary and non-literary texts. Welcome to Yiddishland!
Course Number
YIDD1101W001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Mo 18:10-20:00We 18:10-20:00Section/Call Number
001/12835Enrollment
3 of 15Instructor
Joshua BeirichPrerequisites: YIDD UN1101-UN1102 or the instructor's permission. This year-long course is a continuation of Elementary Yiddish II. As part of the New Media in Jewish Studies Collaborative, this class will be using new media in order to explore and research the fabulous world of Yiddish literature, language, and culture, and to engage in project-oriented activities that will result in creating lasting multi-media online presentations. In addition to expanding the command of the language that has been spoken by the Ashkenazi Jews for more than a millennium, i.e. focusing on developing speaking, reading, writing and listening skills, and on the acquisition of more advanced grammatical concepts, students will also get some video and film editing training, and tutorials on archival research. The class will continue to read works of Yiddish literature in the original and will venture outside of the classroom to explore the Yiddish world today: through exciting field trips to Yiddish theater, Yiddish-speaking neighborhoods, YIVO, Yiddish Farm, and so on. And we will also have the Yiddish native-speaker guest series. Welcome back to Yiddishland!
Course Number
YIDD2101W001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2024
Times/Location
Tu 12:10-14:00Th 12:10-14:00Section/Call Number
001/12833Enrollment
6 of 15Instructor
Agnieszka LegutkoPrerequisites: YIDD UN2101-YIDD UN2102 or the instructor's permission. Reading of contemporary authors. Stress on word usage and idiomatic expression, discussion.