Course Catalog

101. Elementary German I
Fall. The basics of understanding, reading, speaking, and writing German.
Introduction to highlights of German culture.

101. Elementary Yiddish I
Reading and writing skills in Yiddish as well as the study of Yiddish culture as it is developed through history.

102. Elementary German II
Spring. Continuation of German 101.

102. Elementary Yiddish II
Spring. Continuation of 101.

110. Intensive Elementary German—Deutsch schnell I
Spring. Credit, eight. Content identical with 101 and 102 but taught in one semester.

190. Freshman Seminar
In-depth treatment of a topic in language, literature, or culture.

192. Beginning Conversation
Fall and spring. Credit, one. Opportunity for beginners to practice German.

201. Intermediate German I
Fall, Summer ( Vienna). Continues the practice and development of language skills, with special emphasis on systematic coverage of grammar.

202. Intermediate German II
Spring, Summer ( Vienna). Continuation of 201. Completes the basic sequence leading to the Zertifikat Deutsch als Fremdsprache.

210. German for Reading Comprehension
Fall. Intended for graduate students and others who wish to concentrate on learning to read German. No previous knowledge of German is required.

230. Introduction to Yiddish Culture
A broad introduction to the history, literature, and film of Ashkenazi Jewish culture in Europe and America. All texts in English translation.

300. Advanced Grammar , Concersation, and Composition
Spring. Advanced Study of Grammar and stylistics; intensive practice in writing German.

301. German Studies I. Literature
Establishes a historical and methodological framework for awareness, appreciation, and analysis of the literary qualities of texts. Learning and practicing of close reading as a basis for understanding and appreciating German literature.

302. German Studies II. Contemporary Culture The culture of German-speaking countries since 1945. Interdisciplinary approach. Learning and practicing techniques of reading nonfictional German texts for better comprehension.

320. Business German I Berufkommunikation
Fall. Development of linguistic and communication skills needed in the transaction of business in and with German-speaking countries, combined with an introduction to the major economic, political, social, and cultural factors affecting such transactions.

321. Business German II Deutsch fuer den Beruf
Spring. Continued study of the German business environment to provide adequate preparation for the Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf—a test of proficiency in business German.

330. German Short Prose
Reading and discussion of selected works of prose fiction, focusing on formal aspects of the genres represented and on increasing reading ease and comprehension.

331. German Drama and Poetry
Thorough analysis of poetic forms in historical perspective. Focus on selected poems and representative dramas from the enlightenment to contemporary experiments and on the act and art of reading.

340. German Film Taught in English. History of German cinema and close analysis of selected films. Focus will vary and might be on the work of a particular director, the silent film era, New German Cinema, experiments in narrative, film as propaganda, women’s cinema. Weekly out-of-class screenings required.

350WR. Introduction to German Literature (fulfills GER IV A)
Taught in English. Overview of the main periods of German literature through discussion of specific works.

360. Current German Issues
Taught in English. Interdisciplinary course with focus on current issues in German-speaking countries. Seminar format, with occasional lectures.

370A/B. The Austrian Experience
Offered in Vienna. Intensive study of Austrian culture within a historical framework. Lectures and discussions concerning history, art, architecture, music, literature, and everyday life. For full details, see special brochure published annually.

392. German Conversation
Fall, spring. Credit, one. Discussion of current topics. May be repeated for credit. Required for German majors.

450. Internship
Fall. Practical application of language skills in a German-speaking professional setting such as high schools, companies, or governmental agencies of Switzerland, Austria, and Germany.

460. German Studies Seminar
Taught in English. In-depth study of issues central to the understanding of history, culture, and politics in German-speaking countries. A given topic (e.g., the Weimar Republic, 1968, Martin Luther) will provide the focus; the method of inquiry will be interdisciplinary.

461WR. German Literature to 1750
Survey of important literary movements; reading and discussion of representative works from Germanic times through the Middle Ages and Baroque to the Enlightenment.

462WR. Enlightenment to Romanticism
Selected works by authors such as Lessing, Goethe, Schiller, Kleist, and Novalis.
Emphasis on historical context.

463WR. Poetic Realism to Expressionism
Works by authors such as Büchner, Droste-Hülshoff, Keller, Rilke, Brecht, Kafka, Lasker-Schüler. Selections from poetry, drama, and prose narrative.

464. German Literature since Expressionism
Selected works by major writers such as Mann, Musil, Grass, Böll, Handke, Bernhard, and Jelinek.

470. Topics in German Culture and Civilization
An interdisciplinary course intended to provide a comprehensive, historically oriented overview of the formative elements, influences, and movements of German culture and civilization. Taught in German.

475. Topics in German Literature in Translation
Taught in English. Intensive study of an author, genre, or period. Topic to be announced in advance. May be repeated for credit when topic varies. Recent topics: Thomas Mann, the experimental novel, the Grail, Faust, Portraits of the Artist.

480. Topics in German Literature in the Original
Intensive study of an author, genre, or period. Topic to be announced in advance. May be repeated for credit when topic varies. Recent topics: German women writers, literature of the German Democratic Republic, the theater in Vienna, Brecht, the experimental novel.

495A/B. Honors
Fall, spring. Credit, eight. Critical approaches to the analysis and interpretation of German texts. Acquisition of independent scholarly research skills to be applied toward an honors thesis.

497. Directed Study
Variable credit. May be repeated for credit up to a maximum of eight hours.