Below you fill find a list of all courses the German department is offering. A subset of these courses will be taught every year. Please consult the yearly schedule for more information. The early schedule is subject to change.
COURSES AND PREREQUISITES FOR THE GERMAN DEPARTMENT (Printable PDF Version )
German 101-1,2,3 Beginning German
The Beginning German sequence offers students a systematic introduction
to German language and culture emphasizing the four modalities:
speaking, listening comprehension, reading and writing. Prerequisite
in German: None.
The Intermediate German sequence offers students a systematic review of German language and culture. The pedagogy fosters learning in the four modalities: speaking, listening comprehension, reading and writing. Prerequisite in German: 101-3 or equivalent.
German 111-1,2,3 Beginning Yiddish
The Beginning Yiddish sequence offers students a systematic introduction
to Yiddish language and culture emphasizing the four modalities:
speaking, listening comprehension, reading and writing. Prerequisite
in Yiddish: None.
German 197-0 Focus Reading: Perspectives
in Yiddish Life and Culture
This course is for students in beginning Yiddish who would like
to explore Yiddish texts in addition to taking a language course.
Provides an overview of Jewish life in Eastern Europe. Prerequisite
in Yiddish: Yiddish 112-2. Will not count for the language requirement.
German 199-0 Focus Reading: Perspectives
on German Life and Culture; The Voice of the Outsider
This course is for students in intermediate German who would like
to explore German texts in addition to taking a language course.
Examines contemporary German culture. Prerequisite in German: German
102-1. Will not count for the language requirement. Not open for
students beyond German 102-3.
German 203-1 Focus Speaking: Current
German-American Images
Practical training in communication skills with sole emphasis on
listening comprehension and speaking. Course focuses on descriptions
and comparisons. Prerequisite in German: German 102-2. Will not
count for the language requirement.
German 203-2 Focus Speaking: Documenting
Past, Present and Future
Practical training in communication skills with sole emphasis on
listening comprehension and speaking. Course focuses on retelling
past, present and future events. Prerequisite in German: German
102-2. Will not count for the language requirement.
German 205-1 Focus Writing: Berlin
- Faces of the Metropolis
This course is designed for students who wish to further written
proficiency in German. The course will focus on the analysis and
production of portraits, descriptions of places, narratives, newspaper
reports. Prerequisite in German: German 102-3.
German 205-2 Focus Writing: East
and West – Identities in Flux; German, European,
and Transatlantic Perspectives
This course is designed for students who wish to further written
proficiency in German. Students will work with reviews of
films and cultural events, reports, argumentative essays, advertisements,
and interpretations of literary works. Prerequisite in German:
German 102-3.
German 207-0 Current Events in
German Media
Exploration of current events in a variety of German media (newspapers,
TV, Internet, etc.). Topics include politics, music, film, sports,
and literature. Prerequisite in German: German 102-3.
GERMAN 209-0 German in the Business
World
German language study oriented toward business. Emphasizes business-related
communicative situations such as social interactions with customers,
business travel, basic business letters. Prepares students for
the Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf exam. Prerequisite
in German: one 200 level course in German.
German 211-0 German Culture Through
Film
Introduction to 20th-century German cinema. Discussion of German
identity, culture, history, and politics. Course emphasizes cultural
knowledge and German language skills. Prerequisite in German: One
200 level course in German. (Distro Area VI)
German 221-1 Introduction to Literature:
1800-1900
Introduces students to representative texts and writers of 19th
century German literature and familiarizes them with literary analysis
and literary genres. Prerequisite in German: One 200 level course
in German.(Distro Area VI)
German 221-2 Introduction to Literature:
1900-1945
Introduces students to representative German texts and German writers
of the first half of the 20th century marked by the demise of the
German Empire in the course of the First World War, the Weimar
Republic (1918-1933), and the Rise and Fall of the “Third
Reich”. Prerequisite in German: One 200 level course in German.(Distro
Area VI)
German 221-3 Introduction to Literature:
1945-today
Introduces students to representative short stories by major German-speaking
authors’ writing from 1945 through the present. The stories
selected are representative of a dynamic period in German literature
and highlight important social, political, and intellectual issues. Prerequisite
in German: German 102-3.(Distro Area VI)
German 223-0 Contemporary Austrian
Literature
Overview and introduction to contemporary Austria: the land, its
people, and cultural institutions through newer writers such as
Hackl, Handke, Haslinger, Helfer, Jelinek, Nöstlinger, Reichart,
Schlag, and Turrini. Prerequisite in German: One 200 level course
in German.(Distro Area VI)
German 225-0 Contemporary Swiss
Literature
Overview and introduction to Switzerland: the land, its people,
and cultural institutions through various Swiss authors such as
Frisch, Dürrenmatt, Muschg, Hohler, Lötscher, Bichsel.
Prerequisite in German: One 200 level course in German.(Distro
Area VI)
German 227-0 Popular Literature
as Cultural History
Study of popular German texts of the last 100 years. Course provides
insights into the cultural and historical fabric of 20th and 21st
century Germany; discussion of popular culture’s role in
society and introduction to theories of popular literature. Prerequisite
in German: One 200 level course in German.(Distro Area VI)
German 245-0 Special Topics in
German Literature and Culture
Studies of a major author, a prominent theme in German literature
or culture, a movement, or a genre. May be repeated for credit
with different topic. Prerequisite in German: One 200 level course
in German.
German 303-0 Speaking as Discovery:
Exploring Standpoints, Developing Arguments, Expressing
Points of View
A course to improve listening comprehension and speaking skills
to the advanced level of German. Content focuses on exploring standpoints,
developing arguments, and expressing points of view through current
cultural texts and news broadcasts. Prerequisite in German: High
Intermediate skills in listening, reading, and speaking.
German 305-0 Writing as Discovery:
Communicating Correctly, Clearly, and Persuasively
Practice of advanced and sophisticated structures of written German
through a series of linguistic exercises. Students will work on
a biographical piece of writing over the length of the quarter.
Prerequisite in German: High intermediate skills in reading, writing,
and speaking.
German 307-0 Current Events and
Issues in German-Language Media
Current political, socioeconomic, and cultural events in Germany
and Europe. Topics from German-language media, including newspapers,
magazines, Internet sources, and news broadcasts. Discussion of
journalistic differences among media sources. Prerequisite: high-intermediate
skills in listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
German 309-1 Advanced Business
German: Understanding the German Economy
Students will acquire a solid understanding of Germany’s
economy, its current problems, German business practices, and differences
to the US system. This course starts preparing students for the
internationally recognized exam Prüfung Wirtschaftsdeutsch
International. Prerequisite in German: High intermediate skills
in reading, writing and speaking.
German 309-2 Advanced Business
German: German for Marketing and Management
Students will gain skills to function in a multitude of German
business contexts such as management or marketing. They will also
increase their cross-cultural knowledge and intercultural competency.
Course prepares students for the internationally recognized Prüfung
Wirtschaftsdeutsch International. Prerequisite in German:
High intermediate skills in reading, writing and speaking.
German 311-0 Business Dynasties
in Germany
Examination of representative entrepreneurial families in Germany
since 1800 and the means by which they built their firms’ and
nation’s still disproportionately significant place in the
world economy. Prerequisite in German: High Intermediate skills
in writing and speaking, advanced skills in reading. (Distro Area
IV)
German 321-1 Reason, Revolution,
and Despair: Lessing to Büchner
Discussion of key texts in German intellectual history from the
Enlightenment to the pre-revolutionary period in the 1830s. Prerequisite
in German: High Intermediate skills in speaking, advanced skills
in reading and writing. (Distro Area IV and VI)
German 321-2 Myth and Disenchantment:
Nietzsche to Brecht
Discussion of key texts to acquaint students with the literature
and thought as well as the events and ideologies that helped shape
the cultural, political and social life in Germany during a period
that saw the rise and final collapse of the imperial
tradition, a short-lived experiment with democracy during the Weimar
Republic (1918-1933), and the rise of the Nazi state. Prerequisite
in German: High Intermediate skills in speaking, advanced skills
in reading and writing. (Distro Area IV and VI)
German 321-3 Recoveries and Transitions:
Böll to Now
Examination of relationship of literature (and film) with socio-political
sphere post 1945. Prerequisite in German: High Intermediate skills
in speaking, advanced skills in reading and writing. (Distro Area
IV and VI)
German 323-0 Rhyme and Reason:
German Poetry since 1700
Introduces students to German poetry from the early 18th century
to the present. Concentrates on main formal categories of poetry
(meter, rhyme, verse, and poetic genres) as well as main topics
and themes of German poetry. Prerequisite in German: High Intermediate
skills in speaking, advanced skills in reading and writing. (Distro
Area VI)
German 325-0 The Greeks in German
Culture
Analysis of the extraordinary importance of ancient Greek art and
philosophy for German culture from 1750 to the present. Prerequisite
in German: High Intermediate skills in speaking, advanced skills
in reading and writing.(Distro Area IV, V, and VI)
German 327-0 Expressionism: Modernity,
Madness; Eros and Revolution
Focuses on German Expressionism in its most extreme literary and
artistic reactions to the impact of modernity, war, and revolution
and on the individual and collective experience in Berlin from
1910-1920. Prerequisite in German: High Intermediate skills in
speaking, advanced skills in reading and writing. (Distro Area
VI)
German 329-0 Brecht: Theater,
Film, and Media in the 20s
Introduction to Bertolt Brecht’s theatre in the 1920s and
early 1930s during the Weimar Republic. Historical critical
review of the still evolving media of film and radio. Prerequisite
in German: High Intermediate skills in speaking, advanced skills
in reading and writing. (Distro Area VI)
German 331-0 Memory and Representation
in Postwar Literature
Examination of the role of German literature and art in creation
of historical consciousness in postwar period. Prerequisite in
German: High Intermediate skills in speaking, advanced skills in
reading and writing. (Distro Area VI)
German 333-0 Post-War to Post-Wall
GDR Literature
Study of literature and culture of the German Democratic Republic
(GDR) within the social, political, and historical context. Prerequisite
in German: High Intermediate skills in speaking, advanced skills
in reading and writing. (Distro Area VI)
German 335-0 Minority Voices in
Germany
Study of minority literatures in Germany (including Turkish, Italian,
Afro German, and Jewish discourses) within social, political and
historical context. Prerequisite in German: High Intermediate skills
in speaking, advanced skills in reading and writing. (Distro Area
VI)
German 337-0 Science and Culture
in Germany 1780 - 1880
Exploration of key texts popularizing major scientific innovations,
such as rational mechanics, analytical chemistry, thermodynamics,
and evolutionary biology, in their cultural context. Prerequisite
in German: High Intermediate skills in speaking, advanced skills
in reading and writing. (Distro Area IV and V)
German 345-0 Topics in German
Literature and Culture
In-depth study of topics in German literature and/or pivotal periods
in German culture. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
Prerequisite in German: Advanced skills in speaking, reading and
writing.
German 398-0 Undergraduate Seminar
(1–3 units)
Advanced work through supervised reading, research, and discussion.
Prerequisite in German: Advanced skills in speaking, reading and
writing.
German 399-0 Independent Study
Open to outstanding German majors with senior standing. Prerequisite
in German: Advanced skills in speaking, reading and writing.
COURSES WITH READING
AND DISCUSSION IN ENGLISH
No prerequisite in German required
German 222-0 German History 1789-1989
Survey of German political, economic, social, intellectual, and
diplomatic history from the consolidation of the nation in the
aftermath of the French Revolution to reunification at the end
of the Cold War. Prerequisite: None. (Distro Area IV)
German 224-0 Contemporary Germany
German political, social, and cultural scene after 1945. May be
repeated for credit with different readings. Prerequisite: None.
German 226-0 New Voices in German
Literature
An introduction to contemporary German literature in English translation.
Topics may vary and may include the contemporary historical novel,
short story, novel, and/or memoir. Prerequisite: None. (Distro
Area VI)
German 228-0 The German Film
In-depth study of German films and cultural background. Topics
may vary: for example, the pioneer film, “new” German
cinema. May be repeated for credit with different topic. Prerequisite:
None. (Distro Area VI)
German 230-0 Existentialist Thought
and Fiction
Traces the development of the Existentialist movement in the 19th
and 20th centuries. Readings may include selections from Nietzsche,
Heidegger, Sartre, Mann, Kafka, and Rilke. Prerequisite: None.
(Distro Area VI)
German 232-0 The Theme of Faust
through the Ages
Faust theme in literature and music through shifting intellectual
and social climates from the 16th century to the present. Prerequisite:
None. (Distro Area VI, V, and VI)
German 234-1 Jews and Germans:
An Intercultural History I
Exploration of Jewish encounter with German culture. German Jewry
from the 18th century to the end of the 19th century, when Jews
were granted legal standing as German citizens. Prerequisite: None.
(Distro Area VI, V, and VI)
German 234-2 Jews and Germans:
An Intercultural History II
Exploration of Jewish culture–German culture. German-speaking
Jewry from the late-19th century to 1935. Prerequisite: None. (Distro
Area VI, V, and VI)
German 236-0 Kafka and Nietzsche
Exploration of two key figures in German modernity. Analysis of
the relation between philosophy and literature, inquiry into
the idea of the “ascetic ideal.” Prerequisite: None.
(Distro Area V and VI)
German 238-0 Turn-of-the-Century
Vienna: In Search of New Values
Literature and thought of fin de siècle Vienna and their
impact on modern consciousness. Fiction, poetry, essays, and plays
by Freud, Schnitzler, Wittgenstein, Hofmannsthal, Musil, Karl Kraus,
and Schoenberg. Prerequisite: None. (Distro Area VI)
German 240-0 Berlin: Weimar Culture
Literature, philosophy, fine arts, and architecture of the Weimar
Republic (1918–33) as expressions of its intellectual debates
and social upheavals. Remarque, Piscator, Mann, Spengler, the
Bauhaus. Prerequisite: None. (Distro Area VI)
German 246-0 Special Topics in
German Literature and Culture
Topics vary: for example, the fairy tale, Germanic mythology. May
be repeated for credit with different topic. Prerequisite: None.
German 322-0 German Contributions
to World Literature
Topics vary: for example, Rilke’s poetry; Nietzsche’s
influence on literature; Thomas Mann; Hesse, the German novel,
and the mystic tradition; German intellectual history. May be repeated
for credit with different topic. Prerequisite: None. (Distro Area
VI)
German 324-0 Modern German Drama
From the perspective of the stage as a “moral institution,” plays
by authors ranging from Heinrich von Kleist to Peter Weiss. Prerequisite: None.
(Distro Area VI)
German 326-0 German Cultural Studies
Exploration of key concepts, major figures, and cultural and literary
themes in German studies and interdisciplinary fields such as
music, art, political science, media studies, and popular culture.
Prerequisite: None.
German 328-0 German Cultural Criticism
from Kant to Kluge
Exploration of major texts in German cultural criticism form the
late18th to early 21st century, including philosophical, philological,
scientific, and essayistic texts. Prerequisite: None. (Distro Area
IV and V)
German 330-0 Intro to Yiddish
Literature in Translation
Traces the history of Yiddish literature from the seventeenth to
the late twentieth century focusing on three Yiddish “classic” writers:
Sh. Y. Abramovish (“Mendele the Bookseller”), Y.L.
Peretz and Sholem Aleichem. The course provides insight into
Jewish life in Eastern Europe. Prerequisite: None. (Distro Area
VI)
