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Courses
Courses
Current courses (go to SPIRE for dates, times, and locations):
| Undergraduate German | |
| Undergraduate Scandinavian and Swedish | |
| Graduate |
Courses in prevous semesters
| Undergraduate | |
| Graduate |
Undergraduate
German
German 110: Elementary German I
MWF 9:05-9:55, 10:10-11:00, 11:15-12:05, 12:20-1:10
Staff
For those with no previous experience with German. The course introduces students to the language of everyday life and the culture of the German-speaking countries. Practice in reading, writing, speaking, and listening through the introduction of authentic German materials such as poems, music, literature, and film. Students who complete this course successfully should enter German 120.
German 120: Elementary German II
MWF 10:10-11:00
Staff
This course is a continuation of German 110. Dialogues, reading selections from print and electronic sources, and grammar exercises for basic communication, a good understanding of the fundamentals of German grammar, and an introduction to the traditions and institutions of the German-speaking countries. Students who complete this course successfully should enter German 230. Prerequisite: German 110 or equivalent.
German 230: Intermediate German I
Conducted in German
10:10-11:00, 11:15-12:05
Staff
Further develops the four language skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). Short texts, articles, film, and a variety of authentic materials build the basis for discussion of German-speaking culture. Comprehensive grammar review included. Students who complete this course successfully should enter German 240. Prerequisite: German 120 or equivalent.
German 285: Thatcher Language Suite Conversation (2 cr.)
Conducted in German
Delene Case White
Conversation course for residents of the German Suite, Thatcher House.
German 310: Advanced German I (Flyer: PDF)
Conducted in German
Dr. Elke Heckner
In this course, students will continue to become acquainted with German-speaking cultures, while deepening their ability to analyze cultural material critically. Work on critical analysis will include numerous writing assignments and class discussion of films, articles, short stories, essays, and more. Review of complex grammar issues will be provided as well. After successful completion of this course, students should enter German 320. Prerequisite: German 240 or equivalent.
German 323: Modern German History (Gen. Ed.: HS, 4 credits)
Prof. Andrew Donson
Lecture. A social, cultural, and political history of the German-speaking countries from the mid-eighteenth century to the present. The course covers great social and political transformations, including the Enlightenment, rise of the modern state, the unifications and divisions of Germany, the emergence of modern urban culture, the role of women, the influence of Social Democracy, the course of National Socialism and the Holocaust, and Germany's place in postwar Europe. Emphasis is on reading primary sources and writing historical arguments based them.
German 363: Witches: Myth and Reality (Gen. Ed.: G I, 4 credits)
Conducted in English
Prof. Susan Cocalis
The image of the witch and the historical situation of women tried as witches in early modern Europe and colonial New England with reference to contemporary pagan practice. Mythological texts, documentation of witch trials, theories about witchcraft, as well as literary and graphic representation of witches and witch trials. No prerequisites.
German 372: Vienna 1880-1914 (Gen. Ed.: AL, 4 credits) (Flyer: PDF)
Conducted in English
Prof. Kyle Frackman
Course examines art, literature, music, dance, dress codes, and material culture in turn-of-the-century Vienna in a social-historical context with a focus on gender. Multimedia presentations.
German 391G: German & Scandinavian Studies Junior Seminar (JYW)
Conducted in English
Prof. Kyle Frackman
This course is designed to introduce majors to a range of issues and approaches central to contemporary German and Scandinavian Studies, while focusing on upper-level writing and analytical skills. We will explore how these interdisciplinary fields of study approach events and artifacts of modern history and art. At the same time, we will develop the writing and analytical skills required to handle advanced study of complex social, historical, and creative subject matter. Fulfills Junior Year Writing Requirement.
German 391K: Kafka
Conducted in English
Dr. Elke Heckner
German 584: History of the German Language
Conducted in English
Prof. Frank Hugus
This course presents a linguistic history of the German language from its Indo-European roots through the contemporary language of the reunited Germany. In German 584 students will analyze the significant developments in the phonology, morphology, and vocabulary of German as it evolved from its beginnings in the 2nd millennium BCE to the present. Each student will give a brief in-class presentation on a topic related to the linguistic history of the German language. There will be a mid-term and a final examination.
Scandinavian
Scandinavian 197A: Hans Christian Andersen (Flyer: PDF)
Prof. Frank Hugus
The fame of the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) rests on a mere dozen or so of his 166+ tales and stories. Yet these tales comprise only a very small portion of Andersen's overall oeuvre, which includes six novels, several hundred poems, nearly forty works for the stage, five travel books, two autobiographies, and a half dozen or so additional prose works that are not easily classifiable! We will begin this class by examining some of Andersen's most popular tales. During the course of the semester we will also read and discuss two of his novels The Improvisatore (1835) and The Two Baronesses (1848), a selection of Andersen's poems, and one of his plays ("The Moorish Girl," 1840). There will be a midterm examination and a final paper. Each student will also be asked to give a ten-minute in-class report on an Andersen tale of his or her choice. The course is conducted entirely in English. There are no prerequisites.
Scandinavian 265: Scandinavian Mythology (Gen. Ed.: AL, 4 credits) (Flyer: PDF)
Conducted in English
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
The myths and religion of the Scandinavians during the first millennium AD. Nordic myths and legends examined using written sources, archaeological evidence, and visual arts. No prerequisites. 4 credits.
Scandinavian 387H: Viking Revival: National Romanticism and the Creation of a Nordic Ideal (Gen. Ed.: AT, 4 credits) (Flyer: PDF)
Conducted in English
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
An interdisciplinary course exploring Scandinavia's 19th-century revival of the Viking image as a modern nationalist ideal. The course uses literature, philosophy, music, and the visual arts to trace the evolution of the motif as an expression of Scandinavian romantic nationalism ca. 1800-1914, and its unfortunate appropriation by German fascism in the 20th century. Taught in English. No prerequisites. 4 credits.
Swedish
Swedish 110: Elementary Swedish I
Caroline Degel
This course will be an introduction to Swedish for students with no previous knowledge of the language. Cultural and historical background about Sweden and Swedish-speaking Finland will complement the coursework in Swedish language. Reading selections and grammar exercises will be supplemented by Swedish films and music. This class prepares students for Swedish 120: Elementary Swedish II.
Swedish 230: Intermediate Swedish I
Conducted in Swedish
Caroline Degel
Vocabulary, grammar, discussions, readings, and speaking practice. Some cultural and historical background. Short weekly essays in Swedish. Prerequisite: Swedish 120 or equivalent. Prepares students for Swedish 240: Intermediate Swedish II.
Graduate
German 584: History of the German Language
Conducted in English
Prof. Frank Hugus
German 697F: DEFA/GDR Films
Prof. Barton Byg
German 793C: German Studies/Cultural Studies
Prof. Sara Lennox
Spring 2011
Undergraduate
German
German 110: Elementary German I
Laurie Taylor
MWF 9:05-9:55, 10:10-11:00
For those with no previous experience with German. The course introduces students to the language of everyday life and the culture of the German-speaking countries. Practice in reading, writing, speaking, and listening through the introduction of authentic German materials such as poems, music, literature, and film. Students who complete this course successfully should enter German 120.
German 120: Elementary German II
Andrea Phillips
Benjamin Duclos
Catherine McNally
Jessica Joyce
MWF 9:05-9:55, 10:10-11:00, 11:15-12:05, 12:20-1:10
This course is a continuation of German 110. Dialogues, reading selections from print and electronic sources, and grammar exercises for basic communication, a good understanding of the fundamentals of German grammar, and an introduction to the traditions and institutions of the German-speaking countries. Students who complete this course successfully should enter German 230. Prerequisite: German 110 or equivalent.
German 240: Intermediate German II
Victoria Rizo Lenshyn
Laurie Taylor
MWF 10:10-11:00, 11:15-12:05
This course is a continuation of German 230. Literary texts, music, art, and film prepare students to read and discuss German fiction and non-fiction with understanding and enjoyment. Review of the chief aspects of German grammar. Stresses improvement of reading facility and vocabulary with continued practice in speaking and writing. Students who complete this course successfully fulfill the College of Humanities and Fine Arts requirement and are prepared to enter German 310. Prerequisite: German 230 or equivalent.
German 270: From the Grimms to Disney: Germanic Fairy Tales and U.S. Popular Culture (Website) (Gen. Ed., AL)
Prof. Susan Cocalis
TuTh 4:00-5:15
Selected fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and Andersen in the 19th-century German or Danish context and how they became staples of U.S. popular culture through adaptations by Disney, Broadway or best-selling self-help books. Fairy-tale films of the former East Germany (GDR) from the UMass DEFA Film Library will be shown as a contrast.
German 285: Thatcher Language Suite Conversation (2 cr.)
Delene Case White
Conversation course for residents of the German Suite, Thatcher House.
German 297A: The Crusades and the Image of Islam
Prof. Robert G. Sullivan
TuTh 11:15-12:30
The medieval Crusades and the image of Muslims and Islam in early historiography, theology, and literature, such as The Song of Roland, St. Bernard, and Arabic accounts. How European views of Islam and the East contributed to European expansionism and self-definition.
German 304: From Berlin to Hollywood (Gen. Ed., AT) (Flyer, PDF)
Prof. Barton Byg
TuTh 1:00-2:15, Screenings: M 6:00-9:00 p.m.
German cinema has played an influential role in the development of international film genres since the silent period. The so-called Golden Age of German Expressionist film, partly through the emigration of leading figures, greatly influenced Hollywood filmmaking in many genres: the Western, the gangster film, the horror film, film noir, the animated cartoon, and others. The achievements of early German cinema were also adapted for the purposes of Nazi propaganda and even for advertising. In the Cold War era, East Germany maintained its legacy of studio-based cinema while West Germany's "New German Cinema" became world-renowned for its creative synthesis of a troubled history and the profound influence of Hollywood. In a newly united Germany, as in Europe in general, film and media continue to be arenas of struggle for shaping a national identity in the context of a world media culture dominated by the U.S. Lecture / discussion / Wednesday screenings. Undergraduate Film Studies Certificate category: IIB, V. Five College Film Studies Major category: 5.
German 311: Reading German Culture
Prof. Robert G. Sullivan
TuTh 2:30-3:45
This class will give you the opportunity to explore culture through reading. Together we will explore a variety of genres such as novels, short stories, and dramas. Class discussions and written work will develop a critical approach to a theme or period of German culture. Emphasis will be placed on speaking and reading, and assignments will include short written summaries of works read.
German 320: Advanced German II
Sonja Heitgress
MWF 10:10-11:00
Writing assignments, extensive class discussion, and continuing grammar review will allow students to produce and react to works in German from short stories, essays, and film to novels. Students who successfully complete this course will be prepared to take courses at the 300- and 400-level offered in German. Prerequisite: German 310 or the equivalent.
German 393T: 20th-Century German Thought
Prof. Jonathan Skolnik
TuTh 9:30-10:45
An introduction in English to leading German thinkers of the 20th-Century and their European context, including Martin Heidegger, Hannah Arendt, Walter Benjamin, and Theodor Adorno. German 370 (19th-Century Thought: Marx, Nietzsche, Weber, Luxemburg) is NOT a prerequisite for this course. This course meets the STPEC “Modern Social Theory” requirement.
German 425: Mysteries and Crime Stories (Advanced Composition and Conversation) (Flyer, PDF)
Prof. Kyle Frackman
TuTh 1:00-2:15
Conducted in German
This is a writing-intensive course designed to refine your knowledge of German language and culture. It expands on the foundation of oral and written expression acquired in German 310 and 320. We will explore German-language mystery and detective stories in both literature and film as we ponder what makes these stories appealing. The works we will encounter include films like M and television episodes from Tatort as well as literary texts by Schiller, Kleist, Hoffmann, Fontane, Kracauer, Brecht, Dorn, and Schlink.
Prerequisite: German 320 or instructor’s permission.
German 491C: Capstone Project
Dr. Skyler Arndt-Briggs
Scandinavian
Scandin 376: Vikings and their Stories: Saga Literature (Gen. Ed., AL) (Flyer, PDF)
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
TuTh 2:30-3:45
Readings (in translation) of classic Old Icelandic sagas, whose content and energized style emerged during the first European expansion toward the west a millennium ago. These nonfiction narratives about families, battles, and politics in a blood-feud society, told in a succinct, vigorous prose, are often regarded as precursors of the modern historical novel. They will be discussed in terms of their literary, historical and cultural context.
Scandin 391E: Mystery, Murder, and Mayhem in Scandinavian Fiction and Film (Flyer, PDF)
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
TuTh 9:30-10:45
Scandinavian literature and film have always reflected on the impact of violence and chaos in human affairs. Today's increasingly multicultural communities complicate their reflections in unprecedented ways.
Swedish
Swedish 126: Accelerated Elementary Swedish (6 credits)
MWF 12:20-1:10, TuTh 11:15-12:30
Accelerated, one semester language course for students who want intensive practice in grammar and acquiring basic speaking skills and who have had no previous training in Swedish. Vocabulary quizzes, chapter tests, final. Equivalent of Swedish 110 and 120. Students who complete this course are ready for Swedish 230 (Intermediate Swedish I) or Swedish 246 (Accelerated Intermediate Swedish).
Graduate
German 691B: Exile in L.A.
Prof. Jonathan Skolnik
German 791B: Germanness in 18th- and 19th-Century German Literature and Culture
Prof. Kyle Frackman
This course will focus on German-language literature and culture in the long 18th and 19th centuries. In an examination of “Germanness,” we will approach texts from two perspectives: internal and external. First, what did authors, composers, artists, et al. consider to be German and how did they include it or translate it into their work? Second, which works from this period have become staples in conceptualizations of what “German” is?
Fall 2010
Undergraduate
German
German 110: Elementary German I
Benjamin Duclos
Jessica Joyce
Catherine McNally
Andrea Phillips
Rachael Salyer
Laurie Taylor
For those with no previous experience with German. The course introduces students to the language of everyday life and the culture of the German-speaking countries. Practice in reading, writing, speaking, and listening through the introduction of authentic German materials such as poems, music, literature, and film. Students who complete this course successfully should enter German 120.
German 120: Elementary German II
Laurie Taylor
This course is a continuation of German 110. Dialogues, reading selections from print and electronic sources, and grammar exercises for basic communication, a good understanding of the fundamentals of German grammar, and an introduction to the traditions and institutions of the German-speaking countries. Students who complete this course successfully should enter German 230. Prerequisite: German 110 or equivalent.
German 230: Intermediate German I
Maureen Gallagher
Sonja Heitgress
Further develops the four language skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). Short texts, articles, film, and a variety of authentic materials build the basis for discussion of German-speaking culture. Comprehensive grammar review included. Students who complete this course successfully should enter German 240. Prerequisite: German 120 or equivalent.
German 285: Thatcher Language Suite Conversation (2 cr.)
Delene Case White
Conversation course for residents of the German Suite, Thatcher House.
German 310: Advanced German I
Victoria Rizo Lenshyn
In this course, students will continue to become acquainted with German-speaking cultures, while deepening their ability to analyze cultural material critically. Work on critical analysis will include numerous writing assignments and class discussion of films, articles, short stories, essays, and more. Review of complex grammar issues will be provided as well. After successful completion of this course, students should enter German 320. Prerequisite: German 240 or equivalent.
German 323: Modern German History (Gen. Ed.: HS)
Prof. Andrew Donson
A social, cultural, and political history of the German-speaking countries from the eighteenth century to the present. Emphasis on the great social and political transformations, including the Enlightenment, rise of the modern state, the unifications and divisions of Germany, the emergence of modern culture, the role of women, the influence of Social Democracy, the origins of National Socialism and the Holocaust, and Germany’s place in Europe. Cross-listed with History 323.
German 331: Survey of German Literature, 800-1700: Siegfried, Brunhilde, the Grail, and God: Medieval German Literature from the Nibelungenlied to Hildegard of Bingen (Gen. Ed.: AL)
Conducted in English
Prof. Robert Sullivan
An introduction and survey of medieval German literature, including the story of Siegfried and Kriemhild (Nibelungenlied), the visionary Hildegard of Bingen and the mystic Mechthild of Magdeburg, and the stories of the Grail (Wolfram’s Parzival) and Tristan and Islode (Gottfried). While the primary focus of the course will be on literature itself, we will try to see it in its cultural, historical, and social context. Language of instruction and all texts in English.
German 363: Witches: Myth and Reality (Gen. Ed.: G I)
Conducted in English
Prof. Susan Cocalis
The image of the witch and the historical situation of women tried as witches in early modern Europe and colonial New England with reference to contemporary pagan practice. Mythological texts, documentation of witch trials, theories about witchcraft, as well as literary and graphic representation of witches and witch trials. No prerequisites.
German 372: Vienna 1890-1914 (Gen. Ed.: AL) (Course Flyer, PDF)
Conducted in English
Prof. Kyle Frackman
Course examines art, literature, music, dance, dress codes, and material culture in turn-of-the-century Vienna in a social-historical context with a focus on gender. Multimedia presentations. Conducted in English.
German 391B: Modern German Culture, 1700-1933 (Applied for Gen. Ed. status: I) (Course Flyer, PDF)
Conducted in English
Prof. Kyle Frackman
CANCELLED
Social, cultural, and intellectual history of German-speaking countries since the 17th century and its effects on artistic production. Emphases will include great social and political shifts of the rise of the modern state, the phenomenon of urban culture, the emergence of the modern family, the role of women; major intellectual and cultural movements of Enlightenment, Romanticism, Realism, Social Democracy, Jugendstil, Expressionism, 20th-century avant-gardes and right wing reaction leading to National Socialism. Attention will be given especially to literature, music, visual art, and design. We will consider the contributions of, for example, J.S. Bach, Kant, Mozart, Goethe, Caspar David Friedrich, Hegel, Nietzsche, Rilke, and many others. The course will also address cultural-historical topics like the development of German cuisine. 3 cred. No prerequisites.
German 391G: German & Scandinavian Studies Junior Seminar (JYW) (Course Flyer, PDF)
Conducted in English
Prof. Kyle Frackman
This course is designed to introduce majors to a range of issues and approaches central to contemporary German and Scandinavian Studies, while focusing on upper-level writing and analytical skills. We will explore how these interdisciplinary fields of study approach events and artifacts of modern history and art. At the same time, we will develop the writing and analytical skills required to handle advanced study of complex social, historical, and creative subject matter. Fulfills Junior Year Writing Requirement.
Scandinavian
Scandinavian 265: Scandinavian Mythology (Gen. Ed.: AL) (Course Flyer, PDF)
Conducted in English
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
The myths and religion of the Scandinavians during the first millennium AD. Nordic myths and legends examined using written sources, archaeological evidence, and visual arts. No prerequisites.
Scandinavian 397V: Viking Revival (Gen. Ed.: AL) (Course Flyer, PDF)
Conducted in English
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
An interdisciplinary course exploring the impact of 19th century romantic imagination and historical consciousness on the development of a “Nordic ideal”, which would have disastrous political consequences in the 20th century. The course focuses on the Scandinavian countries, using literature, art, philosophy, and music to trace the development of a modern national ideal. Nostalgic elements include the idealization of the Vikings, historic preservation movements, and native folklore, evolving by the early 20th century into nature-worship, Vitalism, and reactions against Decadence such as polar expeditions, the cult of masculinity, and Modernism. Source material includes readings by Ibsen, Strindberg, Hamsun; promotion of Kierkegaard and Nietzsche by Danish critic Georg Brandes, visual art by Munch and Gallen-Kallela; music by Grieg and Sibelius.
Graduate
German
German 601: Middle High German
Prof. Robert Sullivan
German 697N: Debating Contemporary Germany (1 cr.)
Prof. Robert Sullivan
German 793A: Expressionism and its Cinematic Legacy (Course Flyer, PDF)
Film / Literature / Poetry / Music / Dance / Painting / Architecture
Conducted in English
Prof. Barton Byg
Open to graduate students; grad film studies certificate curriculum
(Advanced undergrads and any students interested in a German-language section, please contact instructor: byg[at]german.umass.edu)
Meetings T and Th, 11:15 - 12:30
Screenings / Slide Lectures / Guest Lectures (evening TBA)
Office: 523 Herter
tel. 545-6671; byg@german.umass.edu
Course Description: German Expressionism is the most influential form of modernism in the arts produced by German culture in the 20th Century. The course will concentrate primarily on films which have become part of the canon of this movement, but will also give substantial attention to other arts: drama, dance, painting and architecture, music, poetry and prose. In addition, we will consider the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of Expressionism, its relation to historical reality (WWI, leftist movements, Nazism, urbanism and mass culture, etc.), and its legacy after 1945, for example in “Abstract Expressionism,” comic book art, /film noir/ and horror cinema, the “New German Cinema,” and in contemporary phenomena such as the Broadway musical “Spring Awakening,” animation and neo noir. Recommended prior reading: Kracauer, From Caligari to Hitler; Eisner, The Haunted Screen; Pinthus, Menschheitsdämmerung (Dawn of Humanity).
German 797E: Migrant Literature
Prof. Sara Lennox
Spring 2010
Undergraduate
German
German 110: Elementary German I
Sonja Heitgress
For those with no previous experience with German. The course introduces students to the language of everyday life and the culture of the German-speaking countries. Practice in reading, writing, speaking, and listening through the introduction of authentic German materials such as poems, music, literature, and film. Students who complete this course successfully should enter German 120.
German 120: Elementary German II
Sarah Fetterhoff
Maureen Gallagher
Ashley Lackovich-Van Gorp
Jamele Watkins
This course is a continuation of German 110. Dialogues, reading selections from print and electronic sources, and grammar exercises for basic communication, a good understanding of the fundamentals of German grammar, and an introduction to the traditions and institutions of the German-speaking countries. Students who complete this course successfully should enter German 230. Prerequisite: German 110 or equivalent.
German 230: Intermediate German I (CANCELLED)
Further develops the four language skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). Short texts, articles, film, and a variety of authentic materials build the basis for discussion of German-speaking culture. Comprehensive grammar review included. Students who complete this course successfully should enter German 240. Prerequisite: German 120 or equivalent.
German 240: Intermediate German II
Victoria Lenshyn
Diane Liu
This course is a continuation of German 230. Literary texts, music, art, and film prepare students to read and discuss German fiction and non-fiction with understanding and enjoyment. Review of the chief aspects of German grammar. Stresses improvement of reading facility and vocabulary with continued practice in speaking and writing. Students who complete this course successfully fulfill the Colleges of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Humanities and Fine Arts requirement and are prepared to enter German 310. Prerequisite: German 230 or equivalent.
German 270: From the Grimms to Disney: Germanic Fairy Tales and U.S. Popular Culture (Website) (Gen. Ed., AL)
Prof. Susan Cocalis
Selected fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and Andersen in the 19th-century German or Danish context and how they became staples of U.S. popular culture through adaptations by Disney, Broadway or best-selling self-help books. Fairy-tale films of the former East Germany (GDR) from the UMass DEFA Film Library will be shown as a contrast.
German 285: Thatcher Language Suite (2 cr.)
Laurie Taylor
Conversation course for residents of the German Suite, Thatcher House.
German 320: Advanced German II
Rachael Salyer
Writing assignments, extensive class discussion, and continuing grammar review will allow students to produce and react to works in German from short stories, essays, and film to novels. Students who successfully complete this course will be prepared to take courses at the 300- and 400-level offered in German. Prerequisite: German 310 or the equivalent.
German 372: Vienna 1890-1914 (Gen. Ed., AL) (Course Flyer, PDF)
Prof. Kyle Frackman
Course examines art, literature, music, dance, dress codes, and material culture in turn-of-the-century Vienna in a social-historical context with a focus on gender. Multimedia presentations. Conducted in English.
German 376: The Holocaust
Prof. Andrew Donson
This course explores the causes and consequences of what was arguably the most horrific event in all of history. Topics include both the long-term origins of the Holocaust in European racism and anti-Semitism and the more immediate origins in the dynamics of the Nazi state and the war against the Soviet Union. Particular attention will be given to the debates and controversies, including the motivations of German and non-German perpetrators, bystanders, and collaborations, the place of the Jew and non-Jews in Holocaust historiography, the continuities of racism and genocide and their comparability, and the consequences of the Holocaust for memory and world politics. Conducted in English.
German 379: Germany Today (Gen. Ed., I) (CANCELLED)
Prof. Sara Lennox
This course provides a broad overview of the cultural and social developments of Germany since the post-WWII era. The scope of issues ranges from the democratization of West Germany and the establishment of socialist rule in the East, representations of the Nazi past, the student movement, and the emergence of an “Americanized” youth culture to the history of migration, race and racism, gender and sexuality and the discourses surrounding the unified nation after the end of the Cold War. We will analyze how both intellectuals and popular culture have reflected upon these topics by looking at literature and historical studies, but also at film, music videos, graphic novels, and popular music from “Schlager” to German rap. Conducted in English.
German 393T: 20th-Century German Thought
Prof. Jonathan Skolnik
An introduction in English to leading German thinkers of the 20th-Century and their European context, including Martin Heidegger, Hannah Arendt, Walter Benjamin, and Theodor Adorno. German 370 (19th-Century Thought: Marx, Nietzsche, Weber, Luxemburg) is NOT a prerequisite for this course. Conducted in English.
German 425: Advanced Conversation and Composition
Prof. Robert G. Sullivan
This is a writing-intensive course designed to refine your knowledge of German language and culture. It expands on the foundation of oral and written expression acquired in German 310 and 320. We will explore the German-language short story or ‘Novelle” from Goethe to the present. Prerequisite: German 320 or instructor’s permission.
German 491C: Capstone Project
Dr. Skyler Arndt-Briggs
German 497P: Modern German Poetry/Moderne deutsche Lyrik: von der Romantik bis Hip-Hop (Course Flyer, PDF)
Prof. Barton Byg
A survey of poetry in German, beginning in the 19th and focusing on the 20th century. Emphasis on key figures and movements, beginning with Romanticism and its influence extending to the present. Designed to develop facility in interpreting and analyzing poetry, discussing the connections of poetics to philosophy and poetry as both underground and pop culture. Prerequisite German 310/311 or equivalent. Conducted in German.
Scandinavian
Scandin 276: Vikings and Their Stories: Saga Literature (Gen. Ed.) (Course Flyer, PDF)
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
Readings (in translation) of classic Old Icelandic sagas, whose content and energized style emerged during the first European expansion toward the west a millennium ago. These nonfiction narratives about families, battles, and politics in a blood-feud society, told in a succinct, vigorous prose, are often regarded as precursors of the modern historical novel. They will be discussed in terms of their literary, historical and cultural context. Conducted in English.
Scandin 391P: Polar Explorations (Course Flyer, PDF)
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
A course inspired by International Polar Year (2007-09). The quest to reach the North & South Poles a century ago was inspired not only by scientific interest in the planet’s last unconquered frontier, but by a sense of adventure and nationalist competition, in which Scandinavians were prominent players. We will examine the way early polar expeditions were planned, executed and endured; the explorers’ interaction with indigenous populations, especially in Greenland; and the spectacular and dangerous landscapes which today are profoundly threatened by global warming, as different countries again compete for dominance in the Far North. Conducted in English.
Scandin 391V: Vikings: Who, When, and Where?
Prof. James E. Cathey
The course will cover the basics of the history of the Vikings, who in the years of the 8th to 11th centuries made an indelible impression on large parts of Europe. They ranged out in their superior ships from Scandinavia sailing to the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Vikings established lasting societies in the Faroe Islands and Iceland. They also established a society in Greenland that was in place for 500 years. From Greenland the son of Erik the Red, Leif Eriksson, sailed to North America as related in Eiríks saga rauða (The Saga of Erik the Red) and in Groenlendinga saga (The Saga of the Greenlanders). For many years Vikings from Norway and Denmark harried the coasts of Ireland and France, plundering monasteries and churches. They eventually established settlements in many places and were opposed by the Irish and French, respectively, in many known and unrecorded battles for territory and political might. As we will see, the Vikings also established societies in England, France, and Russia that were absorbed by their neighbors. Their Norman (< north men) Dano-French descendants invaded across the English Channel from Normandy led by William the Conqueror in 1066. There is much to know about Vikings that is not represented in popular culture such as where they came from and where they went, what they worshipped, what their entertainment consisted of, what their art looked like, and why they have such a bad reputation now. Conducted in English.
Swedish
Swedish 240: Intermediate Swedish II
Prof. James E. Cathey
Readings (short stories, poems, excerpts) speaking, and grammar. Cultural and historical background. Weekly essays in Swedish. Prerequisite: Swedish 230 or equivalent.
Graduate
German
German 697J: Jews and German Culture
Prof. Jonathan Skolnik
German 697K: Modern German History
Prof. Andrew Donson
German 716: Courtly Lyric Poetry
Prof. Robert G. Sullivan
Fall 2009
Undergraduate
German
German 110: Elementary German I
For those with no previous experience with German. The course introduces students to the language of everyday life and the culture of German-speaking countries. Practice in reading, writing, speaking, and listening through the introduction of authentic German materials such as poems, music, literature, and film. Students who complete this course successfully should enter German 120.
April Huffines
Jamele Watkins
Sarah Fetterhoff
Sonja Heitgress
Ashley Lackovich
Diane Liu
German 126: Intensive Elementary German (6 credits)
For those with no previous experience with German. This course introduces students to the language of everyday life and the culture of German-speaking countries. Designed for highly-motivated students, the pace and level of this class require daily homework and practice outside of class. In-class activities include learning grammar and vocabulary, as well as practice in reading, writing, speaking and listening skills through the introduction of authentic German materials, such as poems, music, literature and film. German 126 satisfies the requirement of both German 110 and German 120 and prepares students for German 230 or 246.
Maureen Gallagher
Victoria Lenshyn
German 230: Intermediate German I
Further develops the four language skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) through a topic-oriented syllabus. Short texts, journal articles, film, and a variety of authentic materials build the basis for discussion of German-speaking culture. Comprehensive grammar review included. Students who complete this course successfully should enter German 240. Prerequisite: German 120 or equivalent.
Rachael Salyer
Melissa Gazo
Marzanna Büchel
German 285: Thatcher Language Suite (course site: http://blogs.umass.edu/lktaylor)
Laurie Taylor
Conversation course for residents of the German Suite, Thatcher House.
German 297J: Germans and Jews
Prof. Jonathan Skolnik
This seminar will investigate German-Jewish writers, artists, and filmmakers from the late 18th century to the post-Holocaust present. Readings from figures such as Heine, Kafka, Lasker-Schüler, Celan. Taught in English.
German 304: From Berlin to Hollywood (Gen. Ed.)
Prof. Jonathan Skolnik
Lecture. The horror and science fiction classics of German Expressionism (Caligari, Metropolis) have had a tremendous international influence. This survey begins with the German silent cinema and Weimar Republic-era films such as The Golem. We will examine the Nazification of the German film industry after 1933 and consider the works of German refugee directors in Hollywood (Fritz Lang, Ernst Lubitsch, Billy Wilder, Edgar Ulmer), particularly their emphasis on the role of film in addressing social and political issues in American life (anti-fascist aesthetics, race relations in America, the critique of modern society in film noir). We will also look at post-war film in a divided Germany, the New German Cinema of the 60s and 70s, and explore issues for German film since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Midterm, final, short writing assignments. Readings in film history and analysis. In addition to the Tuesday/Thursday lectures, there are screenings scheduled for Monday evenings.
German 310: Advanced German I
Prof. Susan Cocalis
In this course, students will continue to become acquainted with German-speaking cultures, while deepening their ability to analyze cultural material critically. Work on critical analysis will include numerous writing assignments and class discussion of films, articles, short stories, essays, and more. Review of complex grammar issues will be provided as well. After successful completion of this course, students should enter German 320. Prerequisite: German 240 or equivalent.
German 311: Reading German Culture
Prof. Robert Sullivan
This class provides an opportunity to explore the culture and society of the German-speaking lands through selected readings. We will explore a wide variety of genres and materials, including short stories or novels, drama, poetry, song texts, Web material, and pop culture. The course and all writings (summaries and shorter essays) will be in German. Pre-requisite German 240.
German 331: Survey of German Literature, 800-1700 (Gen. Ed.)
Prof. Robert Sullivan
An introduction and survey of medieval German literature, including the story of Siegfried and Kriemhild (Nibelungenlied), the visionary Hildegard of Bingen and the mystic Mechthild of Magdeburg, and the stories of the Grail (Wolfram’s Parzival) and Tristan and Isolde (Gottfried). While the primary focus of the course will be on literature itself, we will try to see it in its cultural, historical, and social context. Language of instruction and all texts in English.
German 363: Witches: Myth and Reality (Gen. Ed.)
Prof. Susan Cocalis
The image of the witch and the historical situation of women tried as witches in early modern Europe and colonial New England with reference to contemporary pagan practice. Mythological texts, documentation of witch trials, theories about witchcraft, as well as literary and graphic representation of witches and witch trials. No prerequisites.
German 370: 19th-Century German Thought
Prof. Andrew Donson
Lecture, discussion. Exploration of central ideas and writings of Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Weber, Freud and other nineteenth-century European theorists at an introductory level (texts in English translation). Emphasis on the thinkers’ rootedness in their historical context. Weekly ungraded writing assignments, two short papers, midterm and final examination. No prerequisites.
German 391G: Junior Seminar in German & Scandinavian Studies
Prof. Skyler Arndt-Briggs
This course is designed to introduce majors to a range of issues and approaches central to contemporary German and Scandinavian Studies, while focusing on upper-level writing and analytic skills. We will explore how this interdisciplinary field of study approaches events and artifacts of modern history and art. At the same time, we will develop the writing and analytic skills required to handle advanced study of complex social, historical and creative subject matter. Fulfills Junior Year Writing Requirement with one credit add-on. Conducted in English.
Scandinavian
Scandinavian 365: Scandinavian Mythology (Gen. Ed.)
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
The myths and religion of the Scandinavians during the first millennium AD. Nordic myths and legends examined using written sources, archaeological evidence, and visual arts. No prerequisites.
Scandinavian 397V: Viking Revival: National Romanticism and the Creation of a Nordic Ideal
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
An interdisciplinary course exploring the impact of 19th century romantic imagination and historical consciousness on the development of a “Nordic ideal”, which would have disastrous political consequences in the 20th century. The course focuses on the Scandinavian countries, using literature, art, philosophy, and music to trace the development of a modern national ideal. Nostalgic elements include the idealization of the Vikings, historic preservation movements, and native folklore, evolving by the early 20th century into nature-worship, Vitalism, and reactions against Decadence such as polar expeditions, the cult of masculinity, and Modernism. Source material includes readings by Ibsen, Strindberg, Hamsun; promotion of Kierkegaard and Nietzsche by Danish critic Georg Brandes, visual art by Munch and Gallen-Kallela; music by Grieg and Sibelius.
Swedish
Swedish 230: Intermediate Swedish I
Prof. Kyle Frackman
Vocabulary, grammar, discussions, readings, and speaking practice. Some cultural and historical background. Short weekly essays in Swedish. Prerequisite: Swedish 120 or equivalent. Prepares students for Swedish 240.
Graduate
German
German 691F: Graduate Intro. to German Film Studies
Prof. Barton Byg
This course provides an overview of the principal critical and historical issues treated by German film studies as the field has developed since the 1970s. The "canon" of film movements and critical/historical texts will be introduced, as well as challenges to the idea of a "canon" or of a national cinema as a principal focus of study. The field of film studies itself will also be discussed as a phenomenon of cultural history. By studying a variety of film genres, students will gain practice in key methodological approaches (historical, psychoanalytic, feminist, formalist, queer, semiotic, etc.), and will become familiar with the resources and methods available to create their own undergrad film course syllabi.
In fall 2009 a number of special events will provide valuable contemporary material for study, such as expected visits to the region by filmmakers Ulrike Ottinger, Harun Farocki, and Andreas Dresen, as well as the Wende Flicks film series and other commemorations of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Taught in English.
Undergraduates admitted by permission of the instructor.
German 697E: Enlightenment 2.0
Prof. Kyle Frackman
This course will feature an examination of literature of the 18th and early 19th centuries as well as cultural products from the latter part of the twentieth century. The primary focus will be the evolution of intellectual and philosophical notions—e.g., authorship, identity, education, society, the body, (G/)god—between the Enlightenment and our recent entry into the/a digital age. Some of these ideas have been dramatically restructured and/or adapted in our increasingly web-oriented, Western society. Some guiding questions will include: What are the differences between an “individual” of the Enlightenment and one in 2009? How do these individuals express themselves? How much relevance do Enlightenment texts have for people and their increasingly web- and digitally dependent lives today?
German 793C: German Studies/Cultural Studies
Prof. Sara Lennox
Spring 2009
Undergraduate
German
LLC 296: Black Europeans: Race and the New Europe (1 cr.) (PDF Flyer)
A course to accompany the W.E.B. Du Bois Lecture Series, 2008-09.
German 120: Elementary German II
Sarah Fetterhoff
April Huffines
Monika Schrauder
Jamele Watkins
German 240: Intermediate German II
Kirsten Helmer
German 246H: Intensive Intermediate German
Prof. Robert Sullivan
Victoria Lenshyn
German 270: From Grimms to Disney: Germanic Fairy Tales and U.S. Popular Culture (Website)
Prof. Susan Cocalis
German 285: Thatcher Language Suite Conversation (PDF Flyer) (Live in Thatcher House!)
Laurie Taylor
German 297A: Crusades and the Image of Islam
Prof. Robert Sullivan
German 310: Advanced German I
Jason Doerre
German 311: Reading German Culture
Delene White
German 320: Advanced German II
Rachael Salyer
German 372: Vienna, 1890-1914 (Website)
Prof. Susan Cocalis
German 374: The First World War
Prof. Andrew Donson
German 376: The Holocaust
Prof. Andrew Donson
German 393T: 20th-Century German Thought (PDF Flyer)
Prof. Jonathan Skolnik
German 425: Advanced Conversation and Composition: Mysteries and Crime Stories (PDF Flyer)
Prof. Kyle Frackman
German 433: 20th-Century Prose
Babette Faehmel
German 491C: Capstone Project
Prof. Skyler Arndt-Briggs
German 585: Structure of German
Prof. James E. Cathey
Scandinavian
Scandin 276: Vikings and Their Stories: Saga Literature (PDF Flyer)
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
Scandin 391P: Polar Explorations (PDF Flyer)
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
Scandin 391S: Early Swedish & Scandinavian Cinema, 1910s–1930s (PDF Flyer)
Prof. Barton Byg
Dr. Louise Wallenberg
The course will consider the major contributions to European and world cinema by directors and stars of the Swedish cinema from the silent era into the 1930s. Examples include Victor Sjöström, Mauritz Stiller, Gösta Ekman, Zarah Leander and Greta Garbo and such films as Thomas Graal’s Best Child (Stiller, 1918), The Phantom Carriage (Sjöström, 1921), Erotikon (Stiller, 1920), Walpurgis Night (Gustaf Edgren, 1935), and Intermezzo (Gustav Molander, 1936). Other Scandinavian figures will also be considered (Urban Gad, Asta Nielsen, Carl Theodor Dreyer, Detlev Sierk/Douglas Sirk), especially in the context of the fruitful interactions with the German film industry and later with Hollywood. Film screenings and critical readings; lecture and discussion. No prerequisites; conducted in English.
Scandin 392A: Race and Racism in Scandinavia (PDF Flyer)
Prof. Michael McEachrane
Swedish
Swedish 120: Elementary Swedish II
Prof. Kyle Frackman
Related Courses
History 393N Germany Since 1945 (Tuesday-Thursday 11:15-12:30)
Prof. Jon Berndt Olsen
This course is a comparative study of East and West German history. We will
examine Germany from both an international and domestic perspective – as
part of the Cold War and as unique individual societies. Topics covered will
include post-war reconstruction; the creation of two separate states;
economic developments in each state; cultural life in East and West Germany;
attempts to come to terms with the past; youth rebellion; reconciliation;
and unification. We will look at a variety of primary and secondary
sources, including several novels and films. Student evaluation will be
based upon a midterm exam, a final exam, quizzes, and a research paper.
History 693J Comparative Memory (Thursday 2:30-5:00)
Prof. Jon Berndt Olsen
The phenomenon of cultures of memory has emerged over the past decade as a
subject of serious historical scholarship. The aim of this seminar is to
discuss the problem of national memory cultures since the Second World War.
We will begin the semester by looking at theories of memory and national
identity since 1945. Although the primary thrust of our readings will deal
with remembering the Second World War, we will also delve into other areas
of remembering. The German concept of Vergangenheitsbewähltigung, or coming
to terms with the past, and its relationship to national identity will serve
as our guiding analytical tool for our investigation into this topic. We
will look at a variety of nation-states in Europe as well as the United
States and Japan in order to compare and contrast national forms of memory
culture and ponder questions of universality versus distinct historical
experience. We will also concentrate on the political and cultural aspects
that different national forms of remembering have had on the historical
development of these nations. Student evaluation will involve book reviews,
class presentations, and a research paper.
Graduate
German
German 585: Structure of German
Prof. James E. Cathey
German 620: Graduate Stylistics
Prof. Kyle Frackman
German 697SV: Schrift und Volk: Literature and the Naton in 19th-Century Germany
Prof. Jonathan Skolnik
This course explores German literature in the age of modern nationalism,
investigating intersections of culture and ideology while we read key works by
Berthold Auerbach, Theodor Fontane, Georg Foster, Goethe, Heine, Hölderlin,
Kleist and others.
German 795T: Transnational Theories and Methodologies
Prof. Sara Lennox
Fall 2008
Undergraduate
German
German 110: Elementary German I
Jason Doerre
Sarah Fetterhoff
April Huffines
Rachael Salyer
Monika Schrauder
German 126H: Intensive Elementary German
Prof. Kyle Frackman
Victoria Lenshyn
German 230: Intermediate German I
Rachael Salyer
Delene Case White
German 240: Intermediate German II
Simon Anselm
German 285: Thatcher Language Suite Conversation
Laurie Taylor
German 304: From Berlin to Hollywood
Prof. Barton Byg
German 310: Advanced German I
Prof. Robert G. Sullivan
German 320: Advanced German II
Prof. Robert G. Sullivan
German 323: Modern German History
Prof. Andrew Donson
German 363: Witches: Myth and Reality
Prof. Susan Cocalis
German 370: 19th-Century German Thought
Prof. Andrew Donson
German 391G: German Studies Junior Seminar
Prof. Sky Arndt-Briggs
German 391K: Kafka
Prof. Jonathan Skolnik
German 497G: Reading Old Saxon
Prof. Stephen Harris
German 597J: Jews and German Culture
Prof. Jonathan Skolnik
Scandinavian
Scandinavian 365: Scandinavian Mythology
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
Scandinavian 391V: Vikings: Who, When, and Where?
Prof. James E. Cathey
Scandinavian 397V: Viking Revival: National Romanticism and the Creation of a Nordic Ideal
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
Swedish
Swedish 110: Elementary Swedish I
Prof. Kyle Frackman
Graduate
German
German 597J: Jews and German Culture
Prof. Jonathan Skolnik
German 601: Middle High German
Prof. Robert G. Sullivan
German 697K: Modern German History
Prof. Andrew Donson
German 697L: 1968 and Film
Prof. Barton Byg
German 698: Teaching Practicum
Prof. Kyle Frackman
German 797V: Viennese Modernism
Prof. Susan Cocalis
Scandinavian
Scandinavian 697V: Viking Revival
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
© 2008-2011. Department of Languages, Literatures, & Cultures
College of Humanities & Fine Arts
University of Massachusetts Amherst • Amherst, MA 01003