Previous Semesters

01:470:101 Elementary German I (4 credits)
Section 01: Devin O'Neal; MWTh3 (SC 115) document Syllabus
Section 02: Ken Kuhn; MWTh4 (MW SC 106, Th SC 205) document Syllabus
Section 03: Mary Catherine Lawler; MWTh5 (SC120) document Syllabus
Section 04: Ken Kuhn; MW (HH A4) document Syllabus
Section 05: Pushpa Nayar; MW (FH A1) document Syllabus

Though the emphasis is on conversation, this class will cover the basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing; study of grammar; vocabulary building; supplementary work in the language laboratory. It will be a fast-paced but thorough introduction to the basics of the German language. Students are required to go to the Language Lab at least once a week. We will also examine German culture past and present. Assignments will vary, encompassing speech and written practice. 100-level credits can be applied toward the overall credit requirement for the interdisciplinary German Studies major or minor. For students beginning their college German below the 200 level, one course in intermediate German (470:131 or 132) may similarly be counted toward the German Language & Literature minor. Students of 101 are strongly encouraged to enroll in 470:103, Elementary German Lab. Not open for credit to students who have had two or more years of high-school German.

01:470:102 Elementary German II (4 credits)
Section 01: Shambhavi Prakash; MWTh3 (SC 121) document Syllabus
Section 02: Anneliese Boghossian; MW (SC 201) document Syllabus

Not open for credit to students who have had two or more years of high school German. The course will cover the basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing; study of grammar and vocabulary building. There will be supplementary work in the language laboratory. 100-level credits can be applied toward the overall credit requirement for the interdisciplinary German Studies major or minor. For students beginning their college German below the 200 level, one course in intermediate German (470:131 or 132) may similarly be counted toward the German Language & Literature minor. Students of 102 are strongly encouraged to enroll in 470:104, Elementary German Lab. Prerequisite: 470:101.

Elementary German Laboratory I (1 credit)
01:470:103:01 M6 (LLB 119) document Syllabus
Julia Feldhaus

This lab course is an instructor-guided laboratory practicum based on intensive use of media. Designed for the improvement of aural/oral skills. Practice involves use of text related audiotapes and videotapes, individual and group work, and recordings of student speech for evaluation of pronunciation and fluency. Co-requisite: 01:470:101 Elementary German or 121 German in Review.

Elementary German Laboratory II (1 credit)
01:470:104:01 W5 (LLB 119) document Syllabus
Shambhavi Prakash

This is an instructor-guided laboratory practicum based on intensive use of media. Designed for the improvement of aural/oral skills. Practice involves use of text related audiotapes and videotapes, individual and group work, and recordings of student speech for evaluation of pronunciation and fluency. Co-requisite: 01:470:102 Elementary German or 122 German in Review.

German for Reading Knowledge (3 credits)
01:470:105:01 TTh7 (SC 207) document Syllabus
Ute Dine

Development of reading skills for students who wish to acquire a basic competence in the language for research purposes. Texts chosen from the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. Not open for credit to students who have had two or more years of secondary school German. Does not satisfy prerequisite for 01:470:131 or 132.

German in Review (3 credits)
01:470:121:01 MTh2 (SC 116) document Syllabus
Mareen Fuchs

An intermediate reinforcement course for students with two or more years of high-school German who do not place into German 131. Not open to students who have taken 01:470:101-102. Practice in speaking, reading, and writing German; extensive grammar review; cultural topics. 100-level credits can be applied toward the overall credit requirement for the interdisciplinary German Studies major or minor. For students beginning their college German below the 200 level, one course in intermediate German (470:131 or 132) may similarly be counted toward the German Language & Literature minor. Students of 122 are strongly encouraged to enroll in 470:104, Elementary German Lab. Prerequisite: placement test. 

01:470:131 Intermediate German I (3 credits)
Section 01: Chris Kone; MW5 (FH B3) document Syllabus
Section 02: Doris Glowacki; TTh7 (SC 204) document Syllabus

Emphasis on conversation and composition, based on everyday situations, aspects of culture, and contemporary German short stories, review of major grammatical points. 100-level credits can be applied toward the overall credit requirement for the interdisciplinary German Studies major or minor. For students beginning their college German below the 200 level, one course in intermediate German (470:131 or 132) may similarly be counted toward the German Language & Literature minor. Prerequisite: 470:102, 122 or placement test.

Intermediate German II (3 credits)
01:470:132:01 TTh6 (MU 113) document Syllabus
Anneliese Boghossian

Themes and subjects for discussion and essays include the world of work, multicultural society, young and old, stereotypes and the environment. A variety of grammar topics include all aspects of accusative, dative and genitive cases, adjectives and their endings, subjunctive II, relative clauses, reflexive pronouns/clauses and the passive voice. A variety of short stories will be included for discussion and reading comprehension. 100-level credits can be applied toward the overall credit requirement for the interdisciplinary German Studies major or minor. For students beginning their college German below the 200 level, one course in intermediate German (470:131 or 132) may similarly be counted toward the German Language & Literature minor. Prerequisite: 470:131 or placement test.

01:470:231 Advanced Conversation and Composition (3 credits)
Section 01: Mareen Fuchs; MTh3 (CA A3) document Syllabus
Section 02: Julia Feldhaus; TTh6 (FH B1) document Syllabus

Reading and discussion of advanced text material based on contemporary German culture. Intensive practice in word formation, sentence structure, and expository writing. Counts for general credits toward the major and minor. Prerequisite: 470:132.

Contemporary German Media and Society (1.5 credits)
01:470:299:01 M8 (Leupp) document Syllabus
Devin O'Neal

In German. Development of active language skills and cultural awareness through study of the role of various media (including print, Internet, film, and the other arts) in informing contemporary German politics and society. Special attention to cultural differences between Germany and the United States. Texts and presentations chosen to accommodate language level of students enrolled. In cooperation with the Rutgers College Housing German Special Interest Section, it is an ample opportunity to take advantage of their numerous events and activities, which enable students to learn even more about German culture today. Successful completion of at least German 102 or comparable linguistic ability is highly recommended. Three credits from 470:299 may be counted toward the major and minor. Prerequisite: 470:102. Taken twice, counts for literature/civilization/film credits toward the major and minor.

Introduction to Literary and Cultural Analysis (3 credits)
01:470:301:01 TTh5 (SC 103)
Prof. Christopher Clark

In German. Introduction to the basic German terminology of literary and cultural analysis, and preparation for courses in German at the 300-level. Study of literary works and films, as well as newspaper articles, film reviews, and literary analyses. Counts for general upper-level credits toward the major and minor. Prerequisite: 470:232. Students who are performing well may also enroll simultaneously in 231-232 and 301-302.

Business German I (3 credits)
01:470:313:01 MW5 (SC 206) document Syllabus
Dr. Charlotte M. Craig

In German. Development of effective communication models with emphasis on the terminology of economics. Treatment of basic principles governing commercial organizations in the German-speaking countries. Counts for general upper-level credits toward the major and minor. Prerequisite: 470:232.

Cultural Foundations of German (3 credits)
01:470:381:01 MTh3 (FH B5) document Syllabus
Prof. Marlene Ciklamini         

In German. Counts for literature/civilization/film credits toward the major and minor. Prerequisite: 470:232.

Mythology (3 credits)
01:470:383:01 TTh5 (HH A7) document Syllabus
Prof. Marlene Ciklamini

In English. Myths and religious practices of the migration period and the age of the Vikings. Sources: the Eddas, Christian and pre-Christian documents and texts, archaeological finds, place names, modern folkloristic beliefs. Counts for literature/civilization/film credits toward the major and minor. Prerequisite: 470:232; cross listed with Comp. Lit. 01:195:396:01.

Modern Yiddish Literature (3 credits)
01:470:384:01 MW5 (SC 116) document Syllabus
Dr. E. Portnoy

In English. This course offers an introduction to the literary and cultural activity of Yiddish-speaking Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, and the United States from the late nineteenth century until the mid-twentieth century. Materials include prose fiction, autobiography, poetry, and drama by major writers (including Sholem Aleichem, Y. L. Peretz, S. Ansky, and Isaac Bashevis Singer), as well as a selection of Yiddish films. Knowledge of Yiddish is not required; all readings are in English. Cross-listed with Jewish Studies 01:563:386:01 and Comp. Lit. 01:195:398:01.

Colonialism/Migration/Globalization (3 credits)
01:470:389:01 TTh6 (FH B6) pdf Syllabus
Prof. Christopher Clark    

In German. This course will examine the movement--both real and imagined--of people, ideas, and capital across "German" borders (a concept itself always being redefined) over the past three centuries. Beginning with the 18th century, we will see how Germany's lack of colonies did not mean there was not a wealth of depictions of faraway lands, and we will explore these "colonial fantasies" in the realm of literature. We will then progress to Germany's brief but bloody era of actual colonialism in Africa and the South Pacific, examining political debates about the colonies and literary representations of colonial life both before and after the loss of the colonial empire after World War I. We will then consider 20th century labor migration into Germany, particularly from Turkey, which has forced Germany to rethink the concepts of ethnicity, nationality, and citizenship. Lastly, we will explore the concept of globalization and its potential impact on German culture in the 21st century. Readings include literature by Joachim Campe, J.G. Schnabel, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Heinrich von Kleist, August von Kotzebue, Heinrich Heine, Gottfried Keller, Hans Grimm, Thomas Mann, Ingeborg Bachmann, Feridun Zaimoglu, and Emine Sevgi Özdamar; theory by Adelson, Zantop, Kontje, Berman, and Pratt; and a variety of historical texts and recent journalism. Most readings and discussion in German, and all written work for the course will be in German.

TOPICS 390: FASCISM AND SEXUALITY (in English) (3 credits)
01:470:390:01 MW6 (SC 115) pdf Syllabus
Prof. Christopher Clark

In English. This course will explore the relationships between fascism (primarily, but not exclusively in its German form) and sexuality. We will begin with the Nazi era, noting what constituted acceptable and forbidden expressions of gender and sexuality, both in theory and in everyday life. We will proceed through the postwar era to the present, examining how fascism is continually portrayed in sexual terms in literature, film, history, and theory, paying particular attention to the recurring figure of "the gay Nazi." We will also address such phenomena as gays and lesbians in the Holocaust (and debates over their memorialization), the intrinsic homophobia of much antifascist critique, the 1970s "Naziploitation film," and contemporary queer skinheads, with an eye toward which of these are historically specific and which still determine the terms and framing of discourse on fascism today. Requirements include two shorter papers and one longer final paper. Readings/viewings include texts/films from a range of countries (Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, the U.S.) by Mann, Hitler, Genet, Sontag, Mosse, Theweleit, Fassbinder, Visconti, Cavani, Pasolini, LaBruce, Verhoeven, and others. No knowledge of German required. Cross-listed with Comp. Lit. 01:195:395:02 and Women's and Gender Studies 01:988:396:03.