German

Closed to students with any knowledge of German. Enables students to understand, speak, read and write simple, idiomatic German by introducing them to the sounds, word forms, sentence structures and basic vocabulary of German. Sections of German 1001 may use different texts and approaches. No prerequisite.

Continuation of GER 1001 .

Closed to students with any knowledge of German. Designed to enable students to read German texts in their respective fields of interest. Based on contrastive grammar, it requires no previous knowledge of German. Students soon learn to understand German texts in their disciplines. No prerequisite. Students who are taking or have previously taken GER 2001 / 2002 or equivalent (e.g., GER 2013 and GER 2023 ) cannot take this course. 

Continuation of GER 1033 (Reading German for Beginners I). Designed to enable students to read more sophisticated German texts than the ones they dealt with in GER 1033 .

Starting with a review of the fundamentals of GER 1001 and 1002 , this course develops a larger vocabulary and deals with more complex sentence structures. It enables the student to read and write German with greater ease and to understand and speak the language more competently. 

Continuation of GER 2001 . 

This course provides students with the opportunity to explore German culture and language in the community through learning activities outside of the classroom. The objective is to apply knowledge and to develop skills in projects such as organizing cultural events (e.g. Oktoberfest, German Day) and in authentic situations (e.g., meeting native speakers, interacting with the German Society, reviewing films, etc.). Students will complete a variety of writing assignments for a portfolio and/or publication in suitable venues as well as opportunities for public presentations. Students register following a meeting with the director of the German program or the first-year German co-ordinator. All the coursework will be approved by the program director or the first-year German co-ordinator. Limited enrolment. Open to students of all years. 

This course is the continuation of GER 2003 . It deepens the experience of independent study and learning activities outside the classroom. The organization of and participation in a German immersion weekend and a Language Awareness Day are two core activities which provide opportunity for employing professional skills: designing, marketing, running and documenting an event. Students will complete a variety of writing assignments for a portfolio and/or publication in suitable venues as well as opportunities for public presentations. Students register following a meeting with the director of the German program or the first-year German co-ordinator. All the coursework will be approved by the program director or first-year German co-ordinator. Limited enrolment. Open to students of all years.

By discussing contemporary topics, both in the classroom and assignments, the students' competence in German is improved and their skills in idiomatic and written usage are developed.

The course explores the role of memory and cultural policy in the process of renewal which encompassed Berlin with an extraordinary surge of creativity and reconstruction after Germany's reunification. Students will study Berlin's cultural topography, examine the physical face of the city as well as living environment of its population, and investigate how places and spaces embody and narrate a story of national pasts and future. What does it mean to be German? How is history remembered or forgotten? What role do literature, film, images, media, and objects play in the practice and politics of cultural memory and cultural creation and branding? We will focus on manifestations of culture including subculture, in literature, film, architecture, memorials, museums, city design, and neighbourhoods. Topics may include: Walter Benjamin, Franz Kafka, Christa Wolf, Walther Ruttmann, Rainer Werner, Fassbinder, Wim Wenders; the Brandenburg Gate, the memorialisation of the Holocaust, remnants of the GDR, Europe and Berlin, immigration and multiculturalism, Kreuzberg, Jewish culture, gay culture, music culture, youth culture. Students will be introduced to theories and methodologies of memory culture research and will carry out case studies. They can expect to obtain an understanding of the transhistorical and transcultural significance of Berlin.

Continuation of GER 3011 .

An examination of the life and work of Kurt Weill focusing on his contribution to the theatre culture of Berlin in the twenties and to Broadway in the forties. We will read selected stage works by Weill and his renowned literary collaborators such as B. Brecht and W. Anderson and I. Gershwin, discuss their social relevance, theatrical power, and reception and explore the interplay between the various media: text, music and stage. Emphasis will be placed on the urban cultural context of Berlin, and the history of the genres musical theatre and Broadway musical, including current trends. The goal of the course is to provide students with the opportunity to study theatre composer in depth, to foster a critical appreciation of Weill's unique place in music theatre, and to enrich their understanding of material, cultural and performative aspects of musical theatre. Stage works by Weill may include The Threepenny Opera, Happy End, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, Lady in the Dark, Street Scence, Lost In the Stars. Other musicals to be discussed Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, Sweeney Todd, In the Woods . The course and all readings are in English. Open to students who have completed at least 30ch of university courses or by permission of the instructor. Students with credit in WLCS 4033 may not take this course for credit. 

This course offers an in-depth study of the life and the dramatic works of 20th-Century German playwright Bertoit Brecht as well as an exploration of the mechanics of theatre itself. Students will be introduced to the concept of epic theatre, and to aspects of performance and audience studies. They will also discuss the dramatic texts. Readings may include The Threepenny Opera, Life of Galileo, The Good Person of Szechuan, Mother Courage and Her Children, and The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Texts are read in English translation. There will be opportunities to read out and, if desired, act out selected scenes. No previous experience with drama required. Conducted in English. Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of the instructor. Students with credit for GER/WLCS 4033 may not take this course for credit. 

Examines a representative selection of German literary masterpieces from various periods and literary genres.

Introduces students to some of the major figures and trends in twentieth-century German literature to the end of World War II. Examines different types of prose narratives, drama, and poetry in the context of the main intellectual, social, and political forces and concerns of the period. Conducted in English. Texts are read in English translation. Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of the instructor. 

Examines a representative selection of German literary masterpieces from various periods and literary genres. 

An investigation of the themes of crime, murder, and justice in selected literary texts ranging from the late 18th to the 20th century. Prior and parallel to the emergence of the genre of crime fiction, authors have concerned themselves with the portrayal of crime, guilt, redemption, and forgiveness as expression of the ambivalence between man, woman and our world, the frailty of fortune and security, as well as the power of obsession and evil. We will closely read texts, discuss the ensuing moral, ethical, and philosophical questions, and explore how authors use crime fiction to either assert or question moral value systems. Emphasis will be placed on textual analysis and situating the texts in their literary historical context. Includes texts from various genres including film, and literary periods. Authors studied may include: Goethe, E. T. A. Hoffmann, Droste Hülshoff, Büchner, Kaiser, Brecht, Süskind, Arjouni, and Dürrenmatt. Conducted in English. Texts are read in English translation. Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of the instructor. 

Introduces students to some of the major figures and trends in twentieth-century German literature, covering the period from the end of World War II to Germany's reunification. Different types of prose narratives, drama, and poetry are examined and discussed in the context of the main intellectual, social, and political forces and concerns of the period. Conducted in English. Texts are read in English translation. Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of the instructor. 

A survey of German civilization from the time of early European tribal migrations to the rise of nationalism in the nineteenth century. Taking a sociohistorical perspective, students will be acquainted with a selection of key developments within the German-speaking cultures, including aspects of history, literature, music, architecture, and painting. Assigned readings, lectures, and slide shows aim at raising an awareness of the interrelationship between cultural heritage, historical and political developments, and artistic expression. Conducted in English. Open to students of all years. No prerequisites. Restriction: Credit may not be obtained for both GER 1061 and GER 3061 

Addresses questions on a selection of literary and film responses to the Holocaust in various cultures and genres. Includes the perspectives of Jewish and non-Jewish survivors, children of survivors and others more removed. Particular attention is paid to the ethical and aesthetic challenges the Holocaust poses. Topics include: victims and oppressors, and the role of stereotypes in their depictions; the possibilities and limitations of language to express unimaginable horrors; and the role and appropriateness of literature as medium to respond to the historical, cultural, and psychological complexities of the Holocaust. Texts are read in English translation. No prerequisites.

Beginning with the earliest silent movies and concluding with National Socialist propaganda films, this course offers an introduction to a prolific and important era in German film history: the Weimar Republic and pre-WWII period, 1918-1939. Our discussions will situate the films within larger political and cultural discourses. Emphasis will be placed on such topics as the cinematic response to the trauma of WWI; German national identity; expressionism and modernity; the politics of gender and sexuality; the impact of sound on film aesthetics; the relationship between cinema and other media; the ethics of film production. Films to be studied include features by directors such as Lang, Lubitsch, Murnau, Pabst, Riefenstahl, Sagan, von Sternberg and Wiene. In English. 

Significant aspects of German culture from the beginning of the industrial revolution to the end of the 20th century. Topics will vary, but may include: German Impressionism and Expressionism, Early German Film, the Women's Movement, Early German Homosexual Rights Movement, Weimar Culture, Nazi Art, Literature after 1945, Divided and Re-unified Germany, New German Film, and others. Conducted in English. Open to students of all years. No prerequisites. Restriction: Credit may not be obtained for both WLCS 1071 and WLCS 3071 . 

Studies the major accomplishments of East and West German cinema of the postwar period, as well as cinematic trends since German unification. We will consider questions of narrative, genre, and authorship, examine film's relationship to other media, and focus on the dynamic interaction between film history and social history. Films to be studied include features by prominent directors such as Wolf, Fassbinder, Wenders, von Trotta, Carow, Dörrie, and Tykwer.

The development of a particular genre in German literature and an examination of various works in that area.

Development of advanced skills in oral and written expression.

Prerequisite: GER 4013 or departmental approval.

An intensive study of the life and work of a particular author or a number of authors. 

Reading and discussion of a selection of German literary texts.

A course designed to explore the nature of contemporary fiction of extraordinary merit as well as the cultural politics and economics of prize-winning itself. Among German-speaking recipients on the world literature stage are Elfriede Jelinek (2004), Günter Grass (1999), Heinrich Böll (1972), Hermann Hesse (1946), Thomas Mann (1929), and Gerhard Hauptmann (1912). A selection of their major works will be analyzed as an artistic reflection of their socio-critical thoughts on German culture, history, and identity. Special attention will be paid on the way the Nobel prize has been awarded in specific historical situations, recognizing a particular kind of voice at a given moment in history. Conducted in English. Texts are read in English translation. Open to students who have completed at least 30 ch of university courses or by permission of the instructor.