GERMAN

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr. G M Sharman

Pre-requisites

None

Notes

This course may not be taken by students who qualify for German Language 1 (GM 1050).

Overview

This course provides an intensive introduction to the German language for students with little or no previous knowledge of German, or with qualifications below the entry requirement for GM1050. It concentrates on the four basic language skills: reading, writing, speaking, listening comprehension. Students attend formal language classes for the introduction of German grammar, and a weekly tutorial in smaller groups, focusing on spoken German. Students are also required to pursue an intensive course of private study and to submit regular written work. The course may be taken alone as a pure language course, or in combination with GM 1049 - Background to German Beginners, and can lead on to a Honours degree in German.

Structure

2 one-hour language classes plus 1 one-hour language practial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and 3 continuous assessment exercises (10% each).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

Regular formative assessments of different aspects of written German language. Continuous formative feedback on spoken German.

Feedback

Written and/or verbal feedback is given on all assessments. Additional informal feedback on performance is also given in both grammar classes and oral classes.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr G M Sharman

Pre-requisites

None

Notes

This course may only be taken in conjunction with German for Beginners 1 (GM 1048) or otherwise by permission of Head of School.

Overview

This course is intended for beginners, wishing to proceed with German Studies beyond level 1. It provides an introduction to cultural, historical and social aspects of 20th-century Germany through the study of a selection of texts, socio-historical documents and films. In addition to formal lectures and tutorials, students are expected to follow a programme of directed reading.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture per week plus 1 two-hour tutorial every fortnight.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment (100%) consisting of one in-class exercise (50%) and one essay of 1,200 words (50%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

1 essay plus 1 in-class exercise.

Feedback

A CAS mark plus written and verbal feedback is given on all assessments. Written assignments are routinely returned on an individual basis.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Normally SCE H in German or equivalent. Students will, however, be allocated to the appropriate level 1 German language course on the basis of a diagnostic test taken at the beginning of the academic year.

Notes

May NOT be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 1048.

Overview

The course will develop receptive and productive language skills through weekly classes which will focus respectively on written language, aural language and oral language. In addition students will complete a structured programme of self learning. The course consists of lectures on aspects of German grammar as well as tutorials in which students practice their oral skils and tutorials in which students complete written German language work, which is supplemented by homework exercises.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 2 one-hour tutorials per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: 2 in-class tests (50%); 1 language test (20%); 1 oral/aural examination (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

Regular homework exercises.

Feedback

The above assessments are given CAS marks, and written or verbal feedback is also given. Additional informal feedback on performance is also given in both written language classes and oral/aural classes.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor G Burgess

Pre-requisites

May only be taken by native speakers of German not intending to go on to German Honours. May not be taken in the same half-session together with GM 1050.

Overview

The course consists of the translation into English of selected modern German texts taken from a variety of sources: literary, political, cultural, etc. Students are encouraged to have an input into the topics of the texts selected. Additionally, students will be required to work on specific aspects of German grammar, and the outcomes of this private study will be both discussed and assessed on a weekly basis. The course is complemented by GM 1551.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture  and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: One in-class assessment (100%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

All translations will be discussed formatively in class. The weekly grammar topic will be formatively assessed by a bespoke written assessment.

Feedback

Feedback will be given on all translation and grammar work prepared each week, together with feedback on the in-class assessment.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Ward

Pre-requisites

SCE H in German or equivalent. May not be taken in the same half-session together with GM 1046 or GM 2043.

Overview

The course consists of the study of selected aspects of modern German culture, involving the close analysis of two modern German texts, together with lectures introducing students to the social, political and cultural context in which the texts were written. The aim of the course is to develop students’ vocabulary and knowledge of German and their stylistic awareness, to provide students with the ability to analyse literary works, including film adaptations, and to apply all these skills to the study of modern texts selected for their literary importance and relevance to modern German society. The texts and lectures are complemented by GM 1545. This course may be taken on its own or together with GM 1050.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture  and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment: two 1,500 word essays (50% each) (100%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

Both essays also provide the opportunity for formative assessment. Further formative assessment is provided in small-group work and group and individual presentations in the tutorials.

Feedback

All essays are handed back individually, on a one-to-one basis, by the course tutor. The above assessments are given CAS marks, and extensive written feedback is also given on each piece of work. Additional informal feedback on performance and tutorial participation is also given in tutorials.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Students will be allocated to this level 1 German language course on the basis of a diagnostic test taken at the beginning of the academic year.

Notes

May NOT be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM1050

Overview

Re Q 20: provided additional fte funding follows increased numbers of students taking the course as Sustained Study.

Re Q23 Yes. In addition to the formal teaching, students are also expected to follow a Self Learning programme. This consists of a structured programme of written exercises. In addition there is a variety of other listening and on-line material which students are encouraged to access in the Language Centre and via the course Web-CT site, selecting whichever types of material seem to them most effective for their own particular needs.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 3 one-hour tutorials per week.

Assessment

In-course assessment:
2 in-class tests (70%) and 1 oral/aural examination (30%)

1 two-hour examination 100%

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment:
Regular homework exercises.

Feedback

Feedback: The above assessments are given CAS marks, and written or verbal feedback is also given. Additional informal feedback on performance is also given in both written language classes and oral/aural classes.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr G M Sharman

Pre-requisites

German for Beginners 1 (GM 1048), or equivalent.

Notes

This course may not be taken by students who qualify for German Language 2 (GM 1550).

Overview

Building on the work done in German for Beginners 1, this course will develop greater receptive and productive German language skills, enabling students to understand authentic spoken and written German and to express themselves in speech and writing with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Students attend formal language classes for the study of German grammar, and a weekly tutorial in smaller groups, focusing on spoken German. Students are also required to pursue an intensive course of private study and to submit regular written work. The course may be taken alone as a pure language course, or in combination with GM1549 - Background to German Beginners 2, and can lead on to a Honours degree in German.

Structure

2 one-hour language classes plus 1 one-hour language practial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) plus continuous assessment exercises (20%), plus an oral examination (10%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

Regular formative assessments of different aspects of written German language. Continuous formative feedback on spoken German.

Feedback

Written and /or verbal feedback is given on all assessments. Additional informal feedback on performance is also given in both grammar classes and oral classes.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr G M Sharman

Pre-requisites

None

Notes

This course may only be taken in conjunction with German for Beginners 2 (GM 1548) or otherwise by permission of Head of School.

Overview

This course is intended for beginners, wishing to proceed with German Studies beyond level 1. It provides an introduction to selected German Short Stories from the 20th-century, with a particular focus on relating these to their cultural, historical and social context.

Structure

1 one-hour literature seminar plus 1 one-hour language tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (50%) and one essay of ca 1000 words (50%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

One essay, preparation for classes and contribution to tutorials.

Feedback

A CAS mark plus written and verbal feedback is given on the essay. Written assignments are routinely returned on an individual basis. Informal feedback on participation and performance is also given in the tutorials.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Normally SCE H in German or equivalent. Students will, however, be allocated to the appropriate level 1 German language course on the basis of a diagnostic test taken at the beginning of the academic year.

Notes

May NOT be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 1548.

Overview

The course will develop receptive and productive language skills through weekly classes which will focus respectively on written language, aural language and oral language. In addition students will complete a structured programme of self learning. The course consists of lectures on aspects of German grammar as well as tutorials in which students practice their oral skils and tutorials in which students complete written German language work, which is supplemented by homework exercises.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 2 one-hour tutorials per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment assignment (20%); 1 two-hour examination (50%); 1 oral/aural examination (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

Regular homework exercises.

Feedback

The above assessments are given CAS marks, and written or verbal feedback is also given. Additional informal feedback on performance is also given in both written language classes and oral/aural classes.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor G Burgess

Pre-requisites

May only be taken by native speakers of German not intending to go on to German Honours. May not be taken in the same half-session together with GM 1550.

Overview

The course consists of the translation into English of selected modern German texts taken from a variety of sources: literary, political, cultural, etc. Students are encouraged to have an input into the topics of the texts selected. Additionally, students will be required to work on specific aspects of German grammar, and the outcomes of this private study will be both discussed and assessed on a weekly basis. The course complements GM 1051, but may be taken on its own.

Structure

1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 in-class assessment
1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

All translations will be discussed formatively in class. The weekly grammar topic will be formatively assessed by a bespoke written assessment.

Feedback

Feedback will be given on all translation and grammar work prepared each week, together with feedback on the in-class assessment.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Ward

Pre-requisites

SCE H in German or equivalent. May not be taken in the same half-session together with GM 1543, GM 2541 and/or GM 2543.

Notes

Introduction to modern German culture.

Overview

The course consists of the study of selected aspects of modern German culture, involving the close analysis of two modern German texts, together with lectures introducing students to the social, political and cultural context in which the texts were written. The aim of the course is to develop students’ vocabulary and knowledge of German and their stylistic awareness, to provide students with the ability to analyse literary works, including film adaptations, and to apply all these skills to the study of modern texts selected for their literary importance and relevance to modern German society. The texts and lectures complement those of GM 1052. This course may be taken on its own or together with GM 1550.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 1 one-hour tutorial  per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Two 15,000 word essays (50% each) (100%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

Both essays also provide the opportunity for formative assessment. Further formative assessment is provided in small-group work and group and individual presentations in the tutorials.

Feedback

All essays are handed back individually, on a one-to-one basis, by the course tutor. The above assessments are given CAS marks, and extensive written feedback is also given on each piece of work. Additional informal feedback on performance and tutorial participation is also given in tutorials.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Students will be allocated to this level 1 German language course on the basis of a diagnostic test.

Notes

May NOT be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM1550

Overview

The course will develop receptive and productive language skills through weekly classes which will focus respectively on written language, aural language and oral language. In addition students will complete a structured programme of self learning. The course consists of lectures on aspects of German grammar as well as tutorials in which students practice their oral skils and tutorials in which students complete written German language work, which is supplemented by homework exercises.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 3 one-hour tutorials per week.

Assessment

In-course assessment assignment (20%); 1 two-hour examination (50%); 1 oral/aural examination (30%)

1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

Regular homework exercises.

Feedback

The above assessments are given CAS marks, and written or verbal feedback is also given. Additional informal feedback on performance is also given in both written language classes and oral/aural classes

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

GM 1547. Not available to native speakers of German. May not be taken in the same half-session together with GM 1050 or GM 2042.

Overview

The course consists of language classes leading to advanced communicative competence in German and it will include the analysis of contemporary texts drawn from a variety of contexts. The intention of the course is to extend and reinforce students' command of German grammar, vocabulary and syntactic structures, and to introduce various styles of written and spoken German. The teaching is in both English and German.

The course content is complemented by GM 2540, and the course may be taken either alone or together with GM 2043. Teaching is in English and German.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 3 one-hour tutorials per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: 2 in-class tests (50%); 1 language test (20%); 1 oral/aural examination (30%).

Resit:1 two-hour examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr G Sharman

Pre-requisites

GM 1550 or GM 1552 or A level German at B or SYS German at A or equivalent. May not be taken in the same half-session together with GM 1048 or GM 2040.

Overview

The course consists of classes dealing with aspects of the German language at intermediate level (Mittelstufe) in German. It will include the analysis of contemporary texts drawn from a variety of contexts. The course will extend and reinforce students' command of German grammar, vocabulary and syntactic structures, and introduce various styles of written and spoken German. Teaching is in both English and German.

The course may be taken either alone or together with GM 2043. Teaching is in English and German.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 2 one-hour tutorials per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: 2 in-class tests (50%); 1 language test (20%); 1 oral/aural examination (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor G Burgess

Pre-requisites

GM 1543 or GM 1542 or A level German at B or SYS German at A or equivalent. May not be taken in the same half-session together with GM 1052 or GM 2041.

Overview

The course consists of the study of selected aspects of modern German culture, involving the close analysis of two modern German texts, together with lectures introducing students to the social, political and cultural context in which the texts were written. A further lecture/tutorial series provides a broad overview of German culture illustrated by an analysis of texts from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. The aim of the course is to enhance students' vocabulary and knowledge of German and their stylistic awareness, to provide students with the ability to analyse literary works, including film adaptations, and to apply all these skills to the study of modern texts selected for their literary importance and relevance to modern German society. The texts and lectures are complemented by GM 2543. This course may be taken on its own or together with GM 2042.

Structure

2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: two 2,000 word essays (50% each).

Resit: 1 two-hour examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

SCE H in German or equivalent. Not available to native speakers of German. May not be taken in the same half-session together with GM 1550, GM 2542.

Overview

Building on GM 2040, the course consists of language classes leading to advanced communicative competence in German and it will include the analysis of contemporary texts drawn from a variety of contexts. The intention of the course is to extend and reinforce further students' comman of German grammar, vocabulary and syntactic structures, and to introduce various styles of written and spoken German. The teaching is in both English and German.

The course may be taken either alone or together with GM 2543. Teaching is in English and German.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 3 one-hour tutorials per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: 2 assignments (20%); 1 two-hour examination (50%); 1 oral/aural examination (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr G Sharman

Pre-requisites

GM 2042. May not be taken in the same half-session together with GM 1550 or GM 2540.

Overview

Building on GM 2042, the course consists of classes dealing with further aspects of the German language at intermediate level (Mittelstufe). It will include the analysis of contemporary texts drawn from a variety of contexts. The course will continue to extend and reinforce students' command of German grammar, vocabulary and syntactic structures, and to introduce various styles of written and spoken German. The teaching is in both English and German.

The course may be taken either alone or together with GM 2543. Teaching is in English and German.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 2 one-hour tutorials per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: 2 in-class tests (20%); 1 two-hour examination (50%); 1 oral/aural examination (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Ward

Pre-requisites

GM 2042 or GM 2043. May not be taken in the same half-session together with GM 1552.

Overview

Building on GM 2043, this course consists of the study of selected aspects of modern German culture, involving the close analysis of two modern German texts, together with lectures introducing students to the social, political and cultural context in which the texts were written. A further lecture series provides an introduction a pre-twentieth century text, normally Goethe's Faust (Part One). The aim of the course is to enhance students' vocabulary and knowledge of German and their stylistic awareness, to provide students with the ability to analyse literary works, including film adaptations, and to apply all these skills to the study of modern texts selected for their literary importance and relevance to modern German society. This course may be taken on its own or together with GM 2542.

Structure

2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: one 2,000 word essay (30%); 1 two-hour examination (70%).

Resit: 1 two-hour examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above. Available only to Honours candidates in European Studies.

Overview

Regular submission of written assignments by correspondence.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: written language work (100%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above. Available only to Honours candidates in European Studies.

Notes

This course is run over the full session.

Overview

Regular submission of written assignments by correspondence.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: written language work (100%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Ward

Pre-requisites

Available to level 3 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 4034 (German Twentieth-Century Narrative Prose B). This course will be available in 2010/11 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course will introduce students to the major currents running through narrative prose written in the German language throughout the twentieth century. It will introduce students to the central themes which concerned writers during this period, and the variety of literary techniques and approaches which the writers employed, and examine the relationship between works of literary modernism and the historical and social context in which they were produced. Texts may include works by celebrated writers such as Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka and Günter Grass.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: one 2,000 word essay (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr G Sharman

Pre-requisites

Available to German Junior Honours or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 4036 (The Portrayal of Love, Marriage and Adultery in German Literature and Film B). This course will not be available in 2010/11.

Overview

The course will examine the discussion of love, marriage and adultery in German and Austrian literature and film of the 19th and 20th centuries. Emphasis will be placed on the social, cultural and economic context of love relationships and the ways in which the dominant value systems of society are reflected, criticised or subverted over the period. Particular issues to be addressed will include: the significance of reputation and honour, the generation conflict, strategies in self-preservation and surrender and questions of gender and identity.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr J Stewart

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in level 3 or at the discretion of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 4039 (Berlin, City of the Twentieth Century B). It will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course will focus on how writers, artists, critics and architects have represented Berlin in periods of socio-political crisis and transition throughout the twentieth century. Following an initial study of theories of the city and the use, experience and representation of urban space, it will explore how the metropolitan environment was constructed and contested in a number of different periods: the Weimar Republic, the period of division and the era around the Wende. The course will involve the analysis of a range of source materials including literature, cultural criticism, film, art and architecture.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr J Stewart

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Level 3 or at the discretion of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 4040 (Modes of Communication B). It will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course encompasses the methodical investigation of persuasive speech in a wide variety of forms – from the political debate to the literary tale, from the academic lecture to the coffee-house discussion. It will trace the history of rhetoric and analyse a number of topics such as Literary Rhetoric and Aesthetics, the Public Lecture, Advertising, Political Propoganda, and Communication Theory, in the context of the German-speaking countries. In addition, it includes a substantial component on Applied Rhetoric, thus developing students’ communicative ability.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 3 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included in a graduating curriculum with GM 4041 (Theory and Practice of Translation B). This course will be available in 2011/12 and alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course will focus on the history and theory of translation and will include practical work on literary and non-literary texts. The course will examine theoretical approaches to translation and the practical techniques applied by translators.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: translation and commentary work (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Available to level 3 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included in a graduating curriculum with GM 4042 (National Socialism B) or with HI 3049/3549. This course will be available in 2010/11 and in alternative sessions thereafter.

Overview

The course will deal with the rise to power of the NSDAP as well as the various ingredients (intellectual, historical, economic) which go to make up the National Socialist Weltanschauung. The course will include the study of relevant documents in the original language. Adolf Hitler will be examined as the central figure of the epoch together with other major figures (Goebbels, Göring, etc.) associated with the Party. Major areas such as anti-Semitism, resistance, concentration camps and the Holocaust will also be considered.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 3 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included in a graduating curriculum with GM 4043 (German Expressionism B). This course will be available in 2011/12 and in alternative sessions thereafter.

Overview

The course will introduce students to a critical appreciation of the characteristically German phenomenon of Expressionism as it is embodied in both German art and literature. Students will come to an understanding of the main characteristics of a movement which contained a surprising mixture of both political and religious aspects. The course will outline foreign influences on, and parallels to, German Expressionism in both visual art and literature. Groups such as Die Brücke and Der blaue Reiter as well as individual German Expressionists such as Emil Nolde will be studied in depth. The study of Expressionism in art will lead to an examination of the literary genre as represented in both poetry and drama. Students will be introduced to the work of major German Expressionist writers such as Gottfried Benn, Carl Sternheim, Georg Kaiser, Ernst Toller and the early Brecht. Students will be encouraged to study one or two artists or writers or films of their own choice in greater depth.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor G Burgess

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 3 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 4045 (The German Baroque B). This course will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course aims to help students achieve an understanding and appreciation of the Baroque Age in Germany (approximately 1600-1720). The course will investigate the religious, scientific, political, and cultural background of the period, and look at some of the literature it produced, with special attention being given to the drama, the lyric, and humourous-satirical writing. The period will be studied in a pan-European context, with due attention being given to Baroque architecture and music.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: one 2,500-3,000 word essay (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr G Sharman

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 3 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM4037 (Film and Text B). This course will not be available in session 2010/11.

Overview

The course will introduce students to the distinguishing characteristics of the New German Cinema (of West Germany) and of DEFA (East Germany) with particular reference to film adaptations of canonic literary works. Students will analyse the narrative devices at the disposal of the writer in comparison to those of the film director. The topics, which concerned the film makes of the 1960s and 1970s, include an early examination of the Holocaust, forging a new identity on both sides of the post-war German division, and the role of the individual in contemporary society.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Available only to Level 3 German Honours candidates or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course is run over the full session.

Overview

This course will concentrate on the production and analysis of oral/aural texts, the translation of written German and on oral fluency and accuracy.

Structure

1 one-hour seminar and 1 one-hour tutorial per week and 6 additional tutorials per session.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: written language work (70%); oral language work (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Available only to Level 3 German Single Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course is run over the full session.

Overview

This course will concentrate on the production and analysis of oral/aural texts, the translation of written German and on fluency and accuracy.

Structure

1 one-hour seminar and 1 one-hour tutorial per week and 4 seminars per session.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: written translation work (80%); language tutorial work (20%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

GM 2040 and 2540; or GM 2043 and 2543; or GM 2042 and 2542; or GM 2043 and 2543; or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course is run over the full session and is not available to candidates for Honours in German. It is advisable for non-honours students intending to take this course to have spent some time in a German-speaking country.

Overview

The course will concentrate on the production and analysis of oral/aural texts, the translation of written German and on oral fluency and accuracy.

Structure

1 one-hour seminar and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: written language work (70%); oral language work (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor G Burgess

Pre-requisites

Available to level 3 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may NOT be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 4051 (Opposing Movements: Classicism and Romanticism in Germany B). This course will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

Classicism and Romanticism occured at almost the same time in Germany. These two mutually incompatible movements overlap each other by all but about ten years at either end, covering the period roughly 1785-1840. This course will look at the main, contrasting, features of both movements. Both movements will be set within the broader context of what preceded them and against which they were in part a reaction (Enlightenment, Sturm und Drang, and within the European cultural scene.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor G Burgess

Pre-requisites

Available to level 3 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course will be available in 2010/11 and in all sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course enables students to study in greater detail selected aspects arising from particular Honours courses.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 4 one-hour tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: written language work (70%), oral language work (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Ward

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 4053 (Filming German History B). This course will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

The course will focus on key episodes from Edgar Reitz's Heimat trilogy on film and screenplay, comparing the representation of key phenomena of twentieth-century German history (National Socialism, the Economic Miracle, Terrorism, and German Unification) with their treatment by other major German filmmakers (Kluge, Fassbinder, Becker) on film and screenplay.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

GM 2040 and GM 2540; or GM 2043 and GM 2543; or GM 2042 and GM 2542; or GM 2043 and GM 2543; or by permission of the Head of School.

Overview

The course will concentrate on the production and analysis or oral / aural texts, the translation of written German and on oral fluency and accuracy.

Structure

1 one-hour seminar and 1 one-hour tutorial per week, with an additional 3 tutorials per session and 9 seminars per session.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-class assessment. 2 in-class tests (50%), composition work (20%), oral language work (30%).

1 two-hour examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

240 credits by the end of level 2.

Overview

Students will be expected to complete a report in German of c. 2000 words plus give an oral presentation based on the report.

Structure

This course will follow a distance-learning model. As such, students will be able to contact the course coordinator, Dr Gundula Sharman, by email whilst they are abroad. This will allow students to discuss any concerns, queries the may have with the course coordinator.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Written report (2,000 words) and 20 minute oral presentation (100%).

Resit: Resubmission of written report (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor G Burgess

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 3 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 4056 Experiments. German Poetry 1600-2000 (B). This course will be available in 2010/11 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

Building on a brief introduction to German poetry given at Level 2, this course will cover selected examples of German poetic output from the Baroque to the late twentieth-century. Where possible and as appropriate, the poetry will be considered in the light of the poetic theory of the age, or in view of other factors such as the social, historical, biographical or political context in which it was produced. To some extent, every poem is an experiment, and due consideration will be given to analysing the ways in which - and why - German poets have constantly sought to revitalise poetic traditions and break poetic conventions.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: one 2,000 word essay (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr G M Sharman

Pre-requisites

Available to programme year 3 German Studies students, or by permission of Head of School

Notes

The course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM4057, Allusion and Fusion B. The course will be available in 2010/11 and in alternate sessions thereafter

Overview

The course will analyse the relationship between and the impact of Goethe’s Werther and Büchner’s Lenz on their respective contemporary societies. Both protagonists suffer from a conflict between the unfolding of the individual on the one hand, and the expectations of society on the other, and both gained iconic status in German literature. The course will then move on to examine the ways in which these texts continued to be relevant to readers in the 20th century. Both text were repeatedly reworked by modern authors particularly in East Germany, most prominently by Ulrich Plenzdorf and Volker Braun. Students will examine the reasons for the lasting appeal of the original texts and gain an understanding of the various ways the reworkings functioned in face of communist censorship.

Structure

4 one hour lectures and 8 x 2 hours seminar over the 12 week period

Assessment

1st attempt: 1 two-hour examination (70%) and essay 2,000-2,500 words (30%)
Resit: 1 two-hour examination (100%)

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor G Burgess

Pre-requisites

Available only to candidates for Junior Honours in German.

Overview

In the specialised study course, students will select one of a range of options chosen in consultation with the School to complement the remainder of their Honours programme. These options may consist of: the further study of a single author, the further study of a specific area of literature such as Expressionist drama or the literature of the GDR; or the study of a particular aspect of German history, German thought, German linguistics or other subject matters covered in the student’s Honours programme.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per fortnight.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment (100%); one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%), one 2,500 word essay (70%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Ward

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 4 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 4514 (Travel and Tourism in Germany since 1770 B). This course will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course aims to introduce students to selected historical, sociological, cultural and theoretical aspects of travelling and tourism in a German-speaking context, using a wide range of cultural and historical material. The course will predominantly focus on the effects of modernity and modernization on the experience and organisation of travel and tourism.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 4 one-hour tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%), and one 3,000 word essay (70%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Ward

Pre-requisites

Available to level 3 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 4515 (Identity, Gender and Literature since 1945 B). This course will not be available in session 2010/11.

Overview

This course will introduce students to aspects of subjectivity, gender and identity as represented in various forms of German-speaking literature since 1945. Particular issues to be addressed will include: women’s writing and the social construction of gender positions; generational conflict; the importance of memory; narrative strategy; role-play; authenticity and fiction.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 4 one-hour tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%), and one 3,000 word essay (70%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr G Sharman

Pre-requisites

Available to German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may NOT be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 4516 (Images of Childhood B).
This course will not be available in session 2010/11.

Overview

This course will analyse the portrayal of childhood in the German-speaking countries during the 20th century. The source materials drawn on will include literature, autobiography, film and the expressive arts. Questions such as the child’s perception of the historical process, the right to childhood, and the process of socialisation are examined in detail. Particular issues to be addressed include: the utopia of childhood, Locke's and Roussean's theory of education, children's literature and the portrayal of children in the visual arts.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 4 one-hour tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%), and one 2,500 word essay (70%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr J Stewart

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Level 3 or at the discretion of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 4518 (Vienna 1900 B). It will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

Vienna at the turn of the twentieth century was a city characterised by fascinating oppositions. Traditional and modern, imperial and bourgeois, rich and poor, cosmopolitan and parochial, Vienna was the location for intellectual and cultural activity in a wide range of areas. This course will explore key facets of the social and cultural history of Vienna at the turn of the century through a critical study of a number of cultural forms such as literature, journalism, architecture, dance, theatre and cabaret.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and four one-hour tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%), one 2,500 word essay (70%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Available to level 3 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included in a graduating curriculum with GM 4519 (German Drama in the Twentieth Century B). This course will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course provides an introduction to German drama in the 20th century, including Expressionist drama, Epic Theatre and post-1945 drama in the German-speaking countries. Selected works by writers such as Toller, Brecht, Frisch, Dürrenmatt, Kroetz and Hein will be examined. The plays will be analysed within their socio-political context.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 4 one-hour tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%), one 2,500 word essay (70%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

GM 2540 or GM 2543. Available only to level 3 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Co-requisites

GM 3048. May be taken only by mode B Junior Honours candidates in German, studying at a University in a German-speaking country.

Overview

The course, open only to mode B Junior Honours students of German, fulfilling their residence requirements in a German-speaking country, complements GM 3048 and GM 3049. An intensive programme of language exercises will develop competence in a variety of different registers, including formal and informal. The Junior and Senior Honours Language courses form a continuum for which the final assessment is not made until the end of the Senior Honours year.

Required field work: Regular submission of written material by correspondence.

Structure

There will be briefing and instructions for assignments before the student leaves Aberdeen.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: written language word (100%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr J Stewart

Pre-requisites

Available only to level 3 students or at the discretion of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 4523 (From Empire to Republic: Twentieth Century Austrian Literature B). It will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course will focus on the major currents running through literature written in Austria throughout the twentieth century. It will introduce students to the central themes which concerned writers during this period, and the variety of literary techniques and approaches which the writers employed, and examine the relationship between literary works and the context in which they were produced.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and four one-hour tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%), one 2,500 word essay (70%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr J Stewart

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Level 3 or by permission of the Head of School.

Co-requisites

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 4554 (Wozu Kunst? Art and Activism in the German-Speaking Countries B) or FS 3506 (The Politicization of the Aesthetic). It will be available in 2010/11 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course sets out to examine what might be called, following Walter Benjamin, the 'politicisation of the aesthetic'. Drawing on contemporary theoretical works and a series of case studies, this course offers a critical analysis of socially and politically engaged art at key points over the past century, comparing and contrasting avant-garde conceptions of engaged art (e.g. Brecht, Dada) with the activist art of the 1960s and 1970s (e.g. Joseph Beuys, Valie Export, Fluxus) and the current practice of socially-engaged art exemplified by collectives such as 'Wochenklausur'. Themes to be covered may include urban interventions and regeneration, feminism, revolutionary art, community art, art and the environment, anti-globalisation and anti-war protest.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: two written assignments - one 2,000 word essay (30%) and one 3,000 word essay (70%).

.

Resit: Two hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Available to German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Co-requisites

This course may not be included in a graduating curriculum with GM 4555 (German and Austrian Exile Literature B). This course will be available in 2011/12 and alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

The course will examine the phenomenon of German and Austrian literary and political exile with particular reference to the period 1933-45. An introduction to the economic, personal and psychological situation of refugees from Nazi Germany and Austria will facilitate an understanding of selected literary works by writers such as Bruno Adler, Bertolt Brecht, Lion Feuchtwanger, Erich Fried, Theodor Kramer, Robert Lucas, Robert Neumann, Anna Seghers, Hilde Spiel, Thomas Mann, Martina Wied and others. The course will provide an in-depth analysis and comparison of the treatment of major exile themes such as National Socialism, language, remigration and the concept of home.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment (30%) and exam (70%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Ward

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Level 3 or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 4557 Necessary Fiction B. It will be available in 2010/11 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course examines the limits and possibilities of literary fiction, using German narrative prose fiction since the end of the Second World War as an apposite case study. Introducing course participants to relevant theoretical models of literary production and reception from the period (e.g. Socialist Realism, reader reception, literary anthropology, trauma theory), the course studies a series of major works from this period (by authors such as Wolfgang Koeppen, Günter Grass, Christa Wolf, W.G. Sebald) to illuminate what is at stake when we consider the role of literature as a medium of response to complex historical experience and social change.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week

Assessment

1st attempt: In-course assessment: either one 2,000-2,500 word essay (30%), or one 20 minute paper (30%) and one 2,500 word essay (70%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

Feedback

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr G Sharman

Pre-requisites

GM 3048. Available only to level 4 German students or by permission of Head of School.

Notes

This course is run over the full session.

Overview

This course builds on GM 3048 and aims to further refine the language skills acquired in GM 3048. GM 4022 will concentrate on the production and analysis of oral/aural tests, the translation of written German, and on oral fluency and accuracy.

Structure

1 one-hour seminar and 1 one-hour tutorial per week and 6 tutorials per session.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: language work (20%) and German Honours examination (80%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Available only to level 4 German Single Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course is run over the full session.

Overview

Building on GM 3049, this course will concentrate on the production and analysis of written texts, the translation of written German and on fluency and accuracy.

Structure

1 one-hour seminar and 1 one-hour tutorial per week and 4 seminars per session.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: language work (20%) and German Honours examination (80%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Ward

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 4 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 3034 (German Twentieth-Century Narrative Prose A). It will be available in 2010/11 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course will introduce students to the major currents running through narrative prose written in the German language throughout the twentieth century. It will introduce students to the central themes which concerned writers during this period and the variety of literary techniques and approaches which the writers employed, and examine the relationship between works of literary modernism and the historical and social context in which they were produced. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topics treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 2 one-hour tutorials per half-session.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: one 2,500-3,000 word essay (30%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr G Sharman

Pre-requisites

Available to German Senior Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 3036 (The Portrayal of Love, Marriage and Adultery in German Literature and Film A). This course will not be available in session 2010/11.

Overview

The course will examine the discussion of love, marriage and adultery in German and Austrian literature and film of the 19th and 20th centuries. Emphasis will be placed on the social, cultural and economic context of love relationships and the ways in which the dominant value systems of society are reflected, criticised or subverted over the period. Particular issues to be addressed will include: the significance of reputation and honour, the generation conflict, strategies in self-preservation and surrender and questions of gender and identity. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topics treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 2 one-hour tutorials per half-session.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and continuous assessment (30%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr J Stewart

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in level 4 or at the discretion of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 3039 (Berlin, City of the Twentieth Century A). It will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course will focus on how writers, artists, critics and architects have represented Berlin in periods of socio-political crisis and transition throughout the twentieth century. Following an initial study of theories of the city and the use, experience and representation of urban space, it will explore how the metropolitan environment was constructed and contested in a number of different periods: the Weimar Republic, the period of division and the era around the Wende. The course will involve the analysis of a range of source materials including literature, cultural criticism, film, art and architecture. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topics treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 2 one-hour tutorials per half-session.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) one 2,500-3,000 word essay (30%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr J Stewart

Pre-requisites

Available only to Level 4 students or at the discretion of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 3040 (Modes of Communication A). It will be available in 2010/11 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course encompasses the methodical investigation of persuasive speech in a wide variety of forms – from the political debate to the literary tale, from the academic lecture to the coffee-house discussion. It will trace the history of rhetoric and analyse a number of topics such as Literary Rhetoric and Aesthetics, the Public Lecture, Advertising, Political Propoganda, and Communication Theory, in the context of the German-speaking countries. The course also includes a substantial component on Applied Rhetoric, thus developing students’ communicative ability. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topics treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 2 one-hour tutorials per half-session.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and one 2,500-3,000 word essay (30%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 4 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included in a graduating curriculum with GM 3041 (Theory and Practice of Translation A). This course will be available in 2011/12 and alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course will focus on the history and theory of translation and will include practical work on literary and non-literary texts. The course will examine theoretical approaches to translation and the practical techniques applied by translators. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topics treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 2 one-hour tutorials per semester.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: translation and commentary work (30%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 4 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included in a graduating curriculum with GM 3042 (National Socialism A) or with HI 3049/3549. This course will be available in 2010/11 and in alternative sessions thereafter.

Overview

The course will deal with the rise to power of the NSDAP as well as the various ingredients (intellectual, historical, economic) which go to make up the National Socialist Weltanschauung. The course will include the study of relevant documents in the original language. Adolf Hitler will be examined as the central figure of the epoch together with other major figures (Goebbels, Göring, etc.) associated with the Party. Major areas such as anti-Semitism, resistance, concentration camps and the Holocaust, will also be considered. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topics treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 2 one-hour tutorials per semester.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: one 2,500-3,000 word essay (30%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 4 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included in a graduating curriculum with GM 3043 (German Expressionism A). This course will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

The course will introduce students to a critical appreciation of the characteristically German phenomenon of Expressionism as it is embodied in both German art and literature. Students will come to an understanding of the main characteristics of a movement which contained a surprising mixture of both political and religious aspects. The course will outline foreign influences on and parallels to German Expressionism in both visual art and literature. Groups such as Die Brücke and Der blaue Reiter as well as individual German Expressionists such as Emil Nolde will be studied in depth. The study of Expressionism in art will lead on to an examination of the literary genre as represented in both poetry and drama. Students will be introduced to the work of major German Expressionist writers such as Gottfried Benn, Carl Sternheim, Georg Kaiser, Ernst Toller and the early Brecht. Students will be encouraged to study one or two artists or writers or films of their own choice in greater depth. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topics treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 2 one-hour tutorials per semester.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: one 2,500-3,000 word essay (30%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor G Burgess

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 4 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 3045. (The German Baroque A). This course will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course aims to help students achieve an understanding and appreciation of the Baroque Age in Germany (aproximately 1600-1720). The course will investigate the religious, scientific, political, and cultural background of the period, and looks at some of the literature it produced, with special attention being given to the drama, the lyric, and humorous-satirical writing. The period will be studied in a pan-European context, with due attention being given to Baroque architecture and music. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topics treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 2 one-hour tutorials per half-session.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: one 2,500-3,000 word essay (30%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr G Sharman

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 4 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 3047 (Film and Text A). This course will not be available in 2010/11. thereafter.

Overview

The course will introduce students to the distinguishing characteristics of the New German Cinema (of West Germany) and of DEFA (East Germany) with particular reference to film adaptations of canonic literary works.
Students will analyse the narrative devices at the disposal of the writer and compare to those of the film director. The topics, which concerned the film makers of the 1960s and 1970s, include an early examination of the Holocaust, forging a new identity on both sides of the post-war German division, and the role of the individual in contemporary society. In addition students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the films in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 2 one-hour tutorials per half-session.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and continuous assessment: (30%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor G Burgess

Pre-requisites

Available to level 4 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may NOT be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 3051 (Opposing Movements: Classicism to Romanticism in Germany A). It will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

Classicism and Romanticism occured at almost the same time in Germany. These two mutually incompatible movements overlap each other by all but about ten years at either end, covering the period 1785-1840. This course will look at the main, contrasting, features of both moevements. Both movements will be set within the broader context of what preceded them an against which they were in part a reaction (Englightenment, Sturm und Drang), and within the European cultural scene of the time.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and continuous assessment (30%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

May only be taken by Honours candidates in German.

Co-requisites

The course must be substituted for a completed Honours module.

Overview

The dissertation topic is chosen from an area of study after consultation with the Head of School. The area of study is related to an Honours course offered by German which the student has attended. Initial guidance will be provided on an individual basis by members of staff.

Structure

Directed study.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Word limit: 8,000 word dissertation (100%).

Resit: Dissertation (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Ward

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4 or above, or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graudating curriculum with GM 3053 (Filming German History A). This course will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

The course will focus on key episodes from Edgar Reitz's Heimat trilogy, comparing the representation of key phenomena of twentieth-century German history (National Socialism, the Economic Miracle, Terrorism, and German Unification) with their treatment by other major German filmmakers (Kluge, Fassbinder, Becker) on film and in screenplay.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: one 2,500-3,000 word essay (30%).

Credit Points

0

Course Coordinator

Professor G Burgess

Pre-requisites

Available only to Level 4 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Co-requisites

Can only be taken as part of GM 4022.

Notes

This course is run over the full session.

Overview

This element of course GM 4022 is conducted in German and develops students' listening and speaking skills on topical issues and academic topics, extends their vocabulary, improves grammatical accuracy and refines their spoken German skills. The final oral examination also holistically tests students' ability to speak in the target language with knowledge and understanding about what they have learnt in studying the German programme over the course of their degree.

Structure

1 one-hour tutorial (to be arranged) per week, taken in conjunction with the other elements of GM 4022.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment (20%), Oral examination (80%).

Resit: Oral examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor G Burgess

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 4 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 3056 Experiments. German Poetry 1600-2000 (A). This course will be available in 2010/11 and in alternative sessions thereafter.

Overview

Building on a brief introduction to German verse given at Level 2, this course will cover selected examples of German poetic output from the Baroque to the late twentieth-century. Where possible and as appropriate, the poetry will be considered in the light of the poetic theory of the age, or in view of other factors such as the social, historical, biographical or political context in which it was produced. To some extent, every poem is an experiment, and due consideration will be given to analysing the ways in which - and why - German poets have constantly sought to revitalise poetic traditions and break poetic conventions.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment: one 2,500-3,000 word essay (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr G M Sharman

Pre-requisites

Available to programme year for 4 German Honours students, or by permission of Head of School

Notes

The course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM3057, Allusion and Fusion A. The course will be available in 2010/11 and in alternate sessions thereafter

Overview

The course will analyse the relationship between and the impact of Goethe’s Werther and Büchner’s Lenz on their respective contemporary societies. Both protagonists suffer from a conflict between the unfolding of the individual on the one hand, and the expectations of society on the other, and both gained iconic status in German literature. The course will then move on to examine the ways in which these texts continued to be relevant to readers in the 20th century. Both text were repeatedly reworked by modern authors particularly in East Germany, most prominently by Ulrich Plenzdorf and Volker Braun. Students will examine the reasons for the lasting appeal of the original texts and gain an understanding of the various ways the reworkings functioned in face of communist censorship.

Structure

4 one hour lectures and 8 x 2 hours seminar over the 12 week period

Assessment

1st attempt: 1 two-hour examination (70%) and in-class assessment (30%).

Resit: 1 two-hour examination (100%)

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor G Burgess

Pre-requisites

Available only to candidates for Senior Honours in German.

Overview

Syllabus as for GM 3503.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per fortnight.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: one 2,500 word essay (30%), and one 4,000 word essay (70%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Ward

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 4 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 3514 (Travel and Tourism in Germany since 1770 A). This course will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course aims to introduce students to selected historical, sociological, cultural and theoretical aspects of travelling and tourism in a German-speaking context, using a wide range of cultural and historical material. The course will predominantly focus on the effects of modernity and modernization on the experience and organisation of travel and tourism. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topics treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 4 one-hour tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: one 2,500-3,000 word essay (30%), and one 4,000 word essay (70%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Ward

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 4 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 3515 (Identity, Gender and Literature since 1945 A). This course will not be available in 2010/11.

Overview

This course will introduce students to aspects of subjectivity, gender and identity as represented in various forms of German-speaking literature since 1945. Particular issues to be addressed will include: women’s writing and the social construction of gender positions; generational conflict; the importance of memory; narrative strategy; role-play; authenticity and fiction. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topics treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 4 one-hour tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment (100%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr G Sharman

Pre-requisites

Available to German Senior Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 3516 (Images of Childhood A). This course will not be available in session 2010/11.

Overview

This course will analyse the portrayal of childhood in the German-speaking countries during the 20th century. The source materials drawn on will include literature, autobiography, film and the expressive arts. Questions such as the child’s perception of the historical process, the right to childhood, and the process of socialisation are examined in detail. Particular issues to be addressed include: the utopia of childhood, Locke's and Roussean's theory of education, children's literature and the portrayal of children in the visual arts. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topics treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 4 one-hour tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: one 2,500 word essay (30%), one 4,000 word essay (70%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr J Stewart

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Level 4 or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 3518 (Vienna 1900 A). It will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

Vienna at the turn of the twentieth century was a city characterised by fascinating oppositions. Traditional and modern, imperial and bourgeois, rich and poor, cosmopolitan and parochial, Vienna was the location for intellectual and cultural activity in a wide range of areas. This course will explore key facets of the social and cultural history of Vienna at the turn of the century through a critical study of a number of cultural forms such as literature, journalism, architecture, dance, theatre and cabaret. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topics treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 4 one-hour tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: one 2,500 word essay (30%), and one 4,000 words essay (70%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 4 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included in a graduating curriculum with GM 3519 (German Drama in the Twentieth Century A). This course will be available in 2011/12 and in alternative sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course provides an introduction to German drama in the 20th Century, including Expressionist drama, Epic Theatre and post-1945 drama in the German-speaking countries. Selected works by writers such as Toller, Brecht, Frisch, Dürrenmatt, Kroetz and Hein will be examined. The plays will be analysed within their socio-political context. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topic treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 4 tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: one 2,500 word essay (30%), one 4,000 word essay (70%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor G Burgess

Pre-requisites

Available to Level 4 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Overview

This course enables students to study in greater detail selected aspects arising from particular Honours Courses. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topics treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 4 one-hour tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: one 2,500 word essay (30%), one 4,000 word essay (70%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr J Stewart

Pre-requisites

Available only to Level 4 students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 3523 (From Empire to Republic: Twentieth Century Austrian Literature A). It will be available in 2011/12 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course will focus on the major currents running through literature written in Austria throughout the twentieth century. It will introduce students to the central themes which concerned writers during this period, and the variety of literary techniques and approaches which the writers employed, and examine the relationship between literary works and the context in which they were produced. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topics treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 4 one-hour tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: one 2,500 word essay (30%), and one 4,000 word essay (70%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr J Stewart

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Level 4 or by permission of the Head of School.

Co-requisites

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 3554 (Wozu Kunst? Art and Activism in the German-Speaking Countries A). It will be available in 2010/11 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course sets out to examine what might be called, following Walter Benjamin, the 'politicisation of the aesthetic'. Drawing on contemporary theoretical works and a series of case studies, this course offers a critical analysis of socially and politically engaged art at key points over the past century, comparing and contrasting avant-garde conceptions of engaged art (e.g. Brecht, Dada) with the activist art of the 1960s and 1970s (e.g. Joseph Beuys, Valie Export, Fluxus) and the current practice of socially-engaged art exemplified by collectives such as 'Wochenklausur'. Themes to be covered may include urban interventions and regeneration, feminism, revolutionary art, community art, art and the environment, anti-globalisation and anti-war protest.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: two written assignments: one 2,000 word essay (30%) and one 3,500 word essay (70%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Lawrie

Pre-requisites

Available to level 4 German Honours students or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included in a graduating curriculum with GM 3555 (German and Austrian Exile Literature A). This course will be available in 2011/12 and alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

The course will examine the phenomenon of German and Austrian literary and political exile with particular reference to the period 1933-45. An introduction to the economic, personal and psychological situation of refugees from Nazi Germany and Austria will facilitate an understanding of selected literary works by writers such as Bruno Adler, Bertolt Brecht, Lion Feuchtwanger, Erich Fried, Theodor Kramer, Robert Lucas, Robert Neumann, Anna Seghers, Hilde Spiel, Thomas Mann, Martina Wied and others. The course will provide an in-depth analysis and comparison of the treatment of major exile themes such as National Socialism, language, remigration and the concept of home. In addition, students will extend their understanding of the topic by means of independent research, setting the topics treated in their wider context and synthesizing material from a range of sources.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week and 2 one-hour tutorials per semester.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment (30%) and exam (70%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S Ward

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Level 4 and above or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course may not be included as part of a graduating curriculum with GM 3557 Necessary Fiction B). It will be available in 2010/11 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

This course examines the limits and possibilities of literary fiction, using German narrative prose fiction since the end of the Second World War as an apposite case study. Introducing course participants to relevant theoretical models of literary production and reception from the period (e.g. Socialist Realism, reader reception, literary anthropology, trauma theory), the course studies a series of major works from this period (by authors such as Wolfgang Koeppen, Günter Grass, Christa Wolf, W.G. Sebald) to illuminate what is at stake when we consider the role of literature as a medium of response to complex historical experience and social change.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar per week

Assessment

1st attempt: In-course assessment: either one 2,500-3,000 word essay (30%) or one twenty-minute paper (30%), and one 4,000 word essay (70%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

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