GERM 247: Germanic Fairy Tales
This course provides an introduction to the study of folklore and presents a spectrum of approaches to the interpretation of fairy tales. Students read and discuss writings stemming from oral traditions such as the fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm and Nordic mythology and sagas, as well as works by French author Charles Perrault and Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, considering the literary aspects and historical contexts of the works, theoretical and analytical lenses, and the effects of film and text adaptations of “classic” tales in the 20th and 21st centuries. Offered annually.
Ole Core: GHS, CRE
Counts for majors: German, Nordic Studies
Counts for concentrations: German Studies, International Relations, Nordic Studies
GERM 249: German Cinema
Through a survey of films from early 20th-century to present, students examine critical social issues through the lens of German-speaking cinema, including the framing of war trauma in silent film, the thematization of disability and queer identities at the turn of the twenty-first century, and an expanding tradition of filmic critiques of nationalist legacies in Germany and Austria. Students learn and apply historicizing and theoretical lenses to critically analyze the films as cultural products and as cinematic works of art. Offered periodically.
OLE Core: CRE, GHS
Counts for majors: German, Film and Media Studies, History
Counts for concentrations: German Studies, International Relations, Film and Media Studies, Media Studies
GERM 263: Topics in German Arts
Students examine the artistic heritage of the German-speaking countries and develop the skill of interpreting and analyzing art works in their cultural context. The specific topic may vary and may be broadly or narrowly defined to include a specific art form, theme, period, artist, or the art of the German-speaking countries. Topics include: the arts in turn-of-the-century Vienna, the Bauhaus, Weimar cinema, German Expressionism, and German war film. May be repeated if topic is different. Offered periodically.
OLE Core: CRE, GHS
Counts for majors: German, Film and Media Studies
Counts for concentrations: German Studies, Film and Media Studies
HIST 224: Ethics of Revolution-The Making of Modern Germany
Students explore modern German history from the Enlightenment through the establishment of a modern German nation-state (1871), two World Wars and their aftermath, up to the late Cold War period when the question of how to frame Germany’s modern history became a matter of public debate. By examining primary sources in English translation, critical historiography, and ethical perspectives, students not only learn the major turns in modern German history, but consider the ethical implications of revolutionary and revolutionizing movements and the ethics of history-writing itself. Students hone skills of interpretation and argumentation in writing and speaking. Offered periodically.
OLE Core: ERC, GHS
Counts for majors: German, History, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Counts for concentrations: German Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Business and Management Studies