Associate Professor: Günter
Klabesa (Chair); Assistant Professor:
Silke von der Emde (Acting Chair).
Requirements for the German Literature
Concentration: 10 units above the introductory level
including 220, 221, 270, 271, 301, and 2 additional units of
300-level courses in German.
Senior-Year Requirements: 301 and 1 unit at the
300 level.
Requirements for the German Studies Concentration:
12 units: 8 units of German above the introductory level
including 220, 221, 270, 271, 272, 301, and 1 unit of a
300-level literature course in German; 4 units approved by
the German department in related fields.
Senior-Year Requirements: 301 and 1 unit of a
300-level course.
Majors must take courses toward their concentration for a
letter grade once they have declared their major. Students
who wish to be considered for departmental honors must
complete a thesis (300).
Courses are conducted in German except for 101, 244, 260,
and 265.
Recommendations: Vassar summer program in Germany,
Junior Year Abroad, study at accredited summer schools.
Vassar Summer Program in Germany: Vassar College
conducts a summer program in Münster, Germany. Students
who successfully complete the program receive 2 units of
Vassar credit. Minimum requirements are the completion of
German 105106, or 109 and the recommendation of the
instructor.
Course Offerings in English: For those without
sufficient training to take intermediate and advanced level
courses in German, the department offers the following
courses in English: German 101, Freshman Seminar, The
Writing on the Wall; German 244, German Literature in
Translation; German 260, German Cultural Studies in English;
German 265, German Film in English. Consult individual
course listings for descriptions and prerequisites.
Correlate Sequence in German: Students majoring in
other programs may complement their study by electing a
correlate sequence in German. Course selection should be
made in consultation with the department.
Correlate Requirements: 6 graded units, 4 of which
must be taken above the 100 level. Either 220, 221, 271 or
272 and at least one unit at the 300 level must be included.
A maximum of 2 units from the Münster or other program
abroad can be substituted for the 200-level courses, upon
approval of the department. No courses in translation may
count towards the correlate sequence.
Advisers: The department.
I. Introductory
101a. The Writing on the Wall: Tracing the Cultural
Meanings (1)
of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall came tumbling down more than ten years
ago, signaling the end of the Cold War and initiating a
period of euphoria as East and West Germany reunited. Though
the Wall marked the division of Germany and even the split
between Eastern and Western Europe, it also held an
important place in the American imagination. In order to
probe the complex, contradictory and changing meanings of
the Berlin Wall within American and German cultures, we
analyze political speeches, espionage thrillers, love
stories, films, Wall graffiti, interviews, news reports and
other kinds of documents. As part of our focus on writing
and developing critical thinking skills, we may also make
use of new virtual spaces (MOOs) and other educational
technologies.
105a106b. Elementary German (1)
A yearlong study of German language for beginning
students. In addition to introducing basic grammatical
structures, the course focuses on developing the reading,
listening, speaking and writing skills necessary for
advanced study. Classroom activities are designed to promote
practical and active oral and written communication. The
department.
Four 50minute periods and four 30minute drill
sessions.
109b. Intensive Elementary German (2)
A single-semester equivalent of German 105-106. Intensive
training in the fundamental language skills. Designed for
beginning students who wish to accelerate their learning of
German. Ms. von der Emde.
Open to all classes; five 75-minute periods, four
30-minute drill sessions, and computer-assisted
instruction.
II. Intermediate
210a/211b. Intermediate German (1)
Development of all four language skills: listening,
speaking, reading, and writing through the use of
ininovative technology. The course includes a thorough
grammar review and a variety of composition exercises. Ms.
von der Emde, instructor to be announced.
Prerequisite: German 105-106, or the equivalent.
Three 50-minute periods and one conversation session.
[220a. Introduction to German Literature]
(1)
Introduction to the study of literary genres through the
discussion from the Enlightenment to the period of realism.
Representatives studied in their cultural and
historical contexts. The department.
Not offered in 2000/01.
[221b. Introduction to German Literature]
(1)
Introduction to the study of literary analysis through
discussion of texts from the twentieth century.
Not offered in 2000/01.
[244b. German Literature in Translation]
(1)
Prerequisite: Any two literature courses.
Two 75minute periods.
Not offered in 2000/01.
260b. German Cultural Studies in English (1)
Topic for 2000/01: Toward a Culture of Transparency:
Germany in the New Millenium in Literature, Politics, Cinema
and the Arts.
The impulse for showcasing transparency lies at the heart
of German culture in the new millenium. Ten years after its
unification, Germany is on a decidedly transnational course
where writers, artist and politicians are engaged in a
self-critical polemic about the country's new European
identity. This course focuses on some of the ambivalent
visions and public debates of Germany at the crossroads of
European integration. We examine literary works by Grass and
Wolf, Kiefer's art as well as Berlin's new architecture at
Potsdamer Platz and Foster's Reichstag. Classroom
instruction is complemented by trips to New York galleries,
film screenings and stage performances as well as guest
lectures from other disciplines. Mr. Klabes
Course taught in English.
265b. German Film in English (1)
Topic for 2000/01: Fassbinder's Own Private Germany.
Fassbinder was undoubtedly the most famous and most
controversial German artistic talent of the post-war era. In
addition to producing approximately three films a year, he
acted, wrote literature, directed in theaters, and conducted
an intense public life never separated from his personal or
"private" life. Almost two decades after his death, his work
and his person continue to be a locus of both aesthetic and
socio-political controversy. Unlike other internationally
celebrated German artists, Fassbinder resolutely remained a
performer of "German-ness." This course investigates
Fassbinder's film productions along a variety of axes: as
the most famous examples of New German Cinema and its
acclaimed aesthetic project, as a direct intervention in the
political and social life of the West German state, as a
critique of capitalist class structures, as a meditation on
the basic elements of submission and domination in gender,
and as an argument that sexual or romantic love is within
bourgeois society. Instructor to be announced.
Course taught in English.
Prerequisites: Although recommended, no previous
experience with film is necessary.
Two 75-minute periods.
270a. Composition and Conversation (1)
Development of written and oral expression with extensive
discussion and frequent essays based on topics related to
contemporary Germany, such as the new Berlin and
sociopolitical issues between the former East and West.
Required for majors. The department.
Prerequisite: German 210 and 211, or equivalent.
Two 75-minute periods and one 50-minute conversation
period.
271b. German Civilization and Culture (1)
Topic for 2000/01: Constructions of German Identity.
Focusing on the turbulent last 130 years of German
culture and history, this course explores the changing
conceptions of what constitutes German identity. Starting
with the founding of the Second Reich in 1871, we study a
variety of texts and materials to examine how they reflect
the cultural transformations during major historical events.
In addition to examining Austrian national
self-consciousness, we analyze the impact of the changes
that have shaped unified Germany, including the
transformations of Berlin as the German capital at the
threshhold of the new millennium. Materials are drawn from
diverse genres, including historical documents, public
debates, letters, speeches, literary texts, art and film.
Mr. Klabes.
Course taught in German.
Prerequisite: German 220, 221, 271, or equivalent.
272a. Berlin. Where the Wild Things Are (1)
Berlin has recently been declared the city of the
world: Berlin is the place to be for politicians and
profit-seekers, for architects and artists, for the rich and
famous, but also for those seeking new thrills. Will the new
Berlin pulse once again with the energy of the twenties or
become overwhelmed by the baggage of history: the legacy of
fascism and the divided country of the Cold War era? This
course will investigate the emergence of contemporary Berlin
in the context of its history as the capital of Germany.
Using a variety of medialiterature, film, architecture,
music, political documents and the Internetwe investigate
these aspects with the help of different representations of
the city. Instructor to be announced.
Course taught in German.
Prerequisite: German 220, 221, 271, or equivalent.
Summer Program in Germany
250. Intermediate German (1)
An intensive grammar review progressively accentuating
reading skills. Practice in simple essay writing.
Study of idiomatic phrases and synonyms to develop skill
and confidence in discussions.
Intensive oral training in expressing personal and
critical views in idiomatic German. Readings of contemporary
texts provide a background for discussions.
252. Civilization (1)
The political, social, and artistic developments in
Germany from 800-1800. Excursions to cultural sites support
the instruction.
253. Modern German Literature (1)
A study of selected texts by modern German writers.
297.1. The German Novel of the Nineteenth Century
(1/2)
Selections made from a basic reading list in consultation
with an instructor. A written examination. The
department.
Prerequisite: German 220, 221 or equivalent.
297.2. The Modern German Novel
(1/2)
Selections made from a basic reading list in consultation
with an instructor. A written examination. The
department.
Prerequisite: German 220, 221 or equivalent.
298. Independent Work (1/2 or
1)
Program to be worked out in consultation with an
instructor. The department.
Prerequisite: German 220, 221 or by permission.
Prerequisite for all advanced work in German: 220, 221,
270, 271, or equivalent.
An examination of selected topics in German literature
and culture. May be taken more than once for credit when
topic changes.
Topic for 2000/01: Staging Revolution/Revolutionizing
the Stage. This seminar explores nineteenth and
twentieth-century developments in German drama through the
dual context of political and aesthetic revolutions. In our
study of dramas about political revolutions, we focus on
theoretical conceptions of German theater as an institution
for motivating political change. Readings are drawn from
Schiller, Büchner, Hauptmann, Brecht, Handke,
Müller, Bernhard and Jelinek, among others. Instructor
to be announced.
Two 75-minute periods.
355b. Turn of the Century German Literature
(1)
A study of a cross-section of works from the turn of the
century in relation to the effects of dominant cultural
values on modes of identity and sexuality. Such writers as
Theodor Fontane, Thomas Mann, Hugo von Hofmannsthal and
Kafka are studied, as are the milieus in which they worked,
such as the cities of Berlin, Vienna, and Prague. Mr.
Klabes.
Topic for 2000/01 The Weimar Years: Poetic and
Pictorial Images. This course examines movements and
issues central to this turbulent, yet culturally rich and
experimental inter war period. Using an interdisciplinary
approach, we study works by writers, artists, and
filmmakers, such as Kafka, Brecht, Doblin, Grosz,
Heartfield, and Riefenstahl. Topics include: Expressionism
and dada, literary and photomontage, epic theatre and
agitprop, aesthetics. Course taught in German.
One 2-hour period.
399. Senior Independent Work
(1/2 or 1)
Program to be worked out in consultation with an
instructor.
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