Previous Semesters

470:101, Elementary German (4 credits)
Section 01: MWTh3 11:30-12:50 (Murray Hall 112) document Syllabus
Section 02: MWTh4 1:10-2:30 (Frelinghuysen Hall A3) document Syllabus
Section 03: MWTh5 2:50-4:10 (MW: Murray Hall 114, TH: Scott Hall 207) document Syllabus
Section 04: MW6W7 MW 4:30-5:50 W 6:10-7:30 (Hardenbergh Hall A2) document Syllabus

Not open for credit to students who have had two or more years of high-school German.
Such students should enroll in German 121.

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.

470:102, Elementary German (4 credits)
Section 01: MWTh3 11:30-12:50 (MTh: Frelinghuysen Hall A4, W: Frelinghuysen Hall A2) document Syllabus
Section 02: MWTh4 1:10-2:30 (Scott Hall 203) document Syllabus

Prerequisite: 470:101 or placement exam Not open for credit to students who have had two or more years of high school German.
Such students should enroll in German 121.

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.

470:103, Elementary German Lab I (1 credit)
Section 01: T4 1:10-2:30 (Language Lab 119) document Syllabus

Co-requisite: 01:470:101 Elementary German or 121 German in Review

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.

470:104, Elementary German Lab II (1 credit)
Section 01: W5 2:50-4:10 (Language Lab 119) document Syllabus

Co-requisite: 01:470:102 Elementary German

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.

470:106, German for Reading Knowledge II (3 credits)
Section 01: TTh7 6:10-7:30 (Bishop House 211)

Development of reading-skills course for students of German, and others who want to use the language primarily for reading and research purposes. Emphasis is on grammatical forms, sentence and paragraph structures. Regular practice with expository texts of increasing length and difficulty. Texts chosen from the humanities, the natural and social sciences.
Does not satisfy prerequisite for 01:470:131 or 132. Not open for credit to students who have had two or more years of high school German.

470:131, Intermediate German I (3 credits)
Section 01: TTh7 6:10-7:30 (Hardenbergh Hall B2) document Syllabus

Prerequisite: 470:102, 122 or placement test.

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.

470:132, Intermediate German II (3 credits)
Section 01: MW5 2:50-4:10 (Hardenberg Hall A3)  pdf Syllabus
Section 02: TTh7 6:10-7:30 (Scott Hall 105) document Syllabus

Prerequisite: 470:131 or placement test.

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.

470:231 - Advanced Conversation & Composition (3 credits)
Section 01: TTh4, 1:10-2:30 (T: Scott Hall 215, Th: Campbell Hall A1)) document Syllabus

Prerequisite: 470:132 or placement exam.

Reading and discussion of advanced text material based on contemporary German culture. Intensive practice in word formation, sentence structure, and expository writing.

470:232, Advanced Conversation & Composition II (3 credits)
Section 01: TTh5 2:50-4:10 (Scott Hall 216) document Syllabus

Prerequisite: 470:231. or Permission From Undergraduate Director
May count for general credits toward the major and minor.

Reading and discussion of advanced text material based on contemporary German culture. Intensive practice in word formation, sentence structure, and expository writing

470:299, Contemporary German Media & Society (1.5 credits)
Section 01, M 7:40-9:00 (German House 2nd Floor Library) pdf Syllabus

Prerequisite: 470:102 or Permission From Undergraduate Director.
In German. Taken twice, counts for literature/civilization/film credits toward the major and minor.

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. Class will be held in German. May be repeated. Three credits from 470:299 may be counted toward the major and minor.

470:302, Introduction to Literary and Cultural Analysis: Rebels and Loners (3 credits)
Professor Nicola Behrmann
Section 01: MTh 9:50-11:10 (M:HH A4 TH: BH:211)  pdf Syllabus

Prerequisite: 231-232 or permission of Undergraduate Director
In German. May count for general upper-level credits toward the major and minor.

Rebels & Loners will take you through roughly 200 years of German literature while investigating numerous literary outsider-heroes in regard to their rhetorical strategies as well as their historical context and psychoanalytic subtext. Starting and returning point will be Kleist’s outrageous novella Michael Kohlhaas and the excessive relation to law and order this text unfolds. We will concentrate on prose texts but, if necessary, expand our readings to poems, theoretical inflections, and movie clips. Further readings include: Georg Büchner (Lenz), Franz Kafka (Die Verwandlung), Emmy Hennings (Gefängnis), Hermann Hesse (Der Steppenwolf), Bertolt Brecht (Mutter Courage), Rainald Goetz (Irre), and Werner Herzog’s famous movie Aguirre – Der Zorn Gottes. This course is designed for students with a solid grasp of basic German vocabulary and grammar who wish to expand their knowledge of the language and culture through reading, discussion and writing. All readings, discussion, and writing in German.

470:316:01 Translation Seminar II (3 credits)
Dr. Charlotte Craig
Section 01: TTh4 1:10-2:30 (German House 2nd Floor Library)  document Syllabus

Prerequisite: 470:232 or permission of Undergraduate Director
In German. May count for general upper-level credits toward the major and minor.

This course serves as an introduction to the methodology and techniques of translating German to English, and English to German. The course will have the form of a workshop in which students learn and develop strategies and techniques to translate a variety of texts from different subject areas. We will practice on typical problems that a translator encounters when faced with texts relating to technology, natural and social sciences, anthropology, history, commerce, advertising and literature. Through practice exercises and assigned tasks, students will learn how to use a variety of dictionaries, glossaries, and handbooks that are useful for translators. We will also look at the history of translation studies and discuss the practical applications and typical tasks that a translator faces today.

470:324:01 Masters of German Drama (3 credits)
Professor Nicholas Rennie
Section 01: TTh5 2:50-4:10 (Scott Hall 105) document Syllabus

In German. May count for literature/civilization/film credits toward the major and minor

Modern German culture, perhaps more than any other, has been created and disputed on the theater stage. This course will examine the extraordinary political, social and aesthetic experimentation in German drama from the 18th century to the present. We will read (and in some cases view excerpts of productions) of masterpieces by such playwrights as Lessing, Goethe, Büchner, Kaiser, Brecht, Hochhuth and Handke. In addition, we will, as much as possible, be viewing and discussing examples of productions: German-language Europe has developed a culture of experimentation with new and old stage materials unsurpassed in its audacity by other European or American cultures. Finally, we may, depending on pricing and what programs come available, be participating together on a trip to see a live production together.

470:382:01 Weimar Modern: Art, Film, and Architecture (3 credits)
Alfredo Franco
Section 01: TTh7 6:10-7:30 (T: Scott Hall 104, Th: Scott Hall 215) document Syllabus

In English (with German discussion section for majors). May counts toward the German Studies major and minor; with full participation in German discussion section, counts for literature/civilization/film credits toward the Literature and Language major and minor.

The period of the Weimar Republic in Germany (1919-1933) was one of great trauma for the German people, involving the humiliation of a lost war, poverty, inflation, and a generation of maimed and disillusioned veterans. Yet it was also a period of astonishing developments in music, art, science, dance, film, theatre, literature, and architecture, not to mention social, sexual, and political thought. Young Germans experimented with new democratic forms of government and rebelled against the values of the Wilhelminian era. Weimar Germany was a dynamic laboratory of modernity, in which many features of late 20th and even 21st Century life were anticipated. Though officially reviled by the Nazis, aspects of Weimar culture in art, dance, ecology, communal living and physical health were absorbed into Third Reich practices more seamlessly than is often believed. This course, taught in English and open to non-German majors, will provide a survey of one of the most troubled and yet creative moments in European culture.

470:387:01 Topics: The Grimm Brothers and Their Achievements (3 credits)
Professor Marlene Ciklamini
Section 01: MTh2 9:50-11:10 (German House Seminar Room)

In German. May count for literature/civilization/film credits toward the major and minor

Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm are best known for their collection of fairy tales and legends. Their importance, however, transcends folklore. They were equally influential in two other seemingly unrelated fields: a.) exploration of language and b.) an endorsement of political ideals that ultimately led to Germany's unification and hence to the Germany we know today.

470:388 Topics: Enchanted Worlds: The Fantastic and the Supernatural in Literature and Film (3 credits)
Cross-listed with Comparative Literature (01:195:397:03)
Professor Martha Helfer
Section 01, MW5 2:50-4:10 (German House Seminar Room) pdf Syllabus

In English. May count for literature/civilization/film credits toward the major and minor

This course explores how fairy tales, fantasy, the fantastic, science fiction, and the supernatural function as a site of cultural critique in literature and film from the German Romantic tradition to the early 20th century. Readings include immensely creative and influential masterpieces of world literature. Emphasis placed on developing critical reading and writing skills.
Readings:
The Brothers Grimm: Little Red Riding Hood, The Maiden Without Hands
Angela Carter: The Company of Wolves
Anne Sexton, “The Maiden Without Hands”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “Erl-King,” Faust, Part One
Ludwig Tieck, The Fair-Haired Eckbert
E.T.A. Hoffmann, The Sandman
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
Joseph von Eichendorff, “The Marble Statue”
Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, The Jews’ Beech Tree
Jeremias Gotthelf, The Black Spider
Wilhelm Hauff, The Cold Heart
Theodor Storm, The Rider on the White Horse
Auguste Villiers de l’Isle Adam, Tomorrow’s Eve
Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis
Edgar Allen Poe, The Black Cat, The Tell-Tale Heart
Films:
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Metropolis
The Innocents

470:389, Topics: German Landscapes and Their Legends (3 credits)
Professor Marlene Ciklamini
Section 01, MTh3 11:30-12:50 (German House Seminar Room)

In German. May count for literature/civilization/film credits toward the major and minor.

Protective spirits govern the land. They guard our lives by warding off disaster by earthquake, fire or flood. Their legends expose our dependency on nature. They also promulgate an ideal: we must live in harmony with the landscape we inhabit, an ideal espoused also today by our Green Movement.

470:390:01 Topics: Childhood and Memory (3 credits)
Cross-listed with Comparative Literature (01:195:396:02)
Spring 2013 Visiting Craig Professor, Henry Sussman
Section 01, TTh4 1:10-2:30 (German House Seminar Room) document Syllabus

In English. May count for credit toward the interdisciplinary German Studies major or minor, depending on student’s area of concentration.

The motif and representations of childhood examined through memoirs, literary treatments, philosophical meditations, principles of psychoanalysis, and research on memory. Authors include Benjamin, Woolf, Baldwin, Rousseau, Bergson, Hoffmann, Keller, Freud, Neisser, and Hofstadter.

470:392:01 Masters of German Poetry: Rilke (3 credits)
Cross-listed with Comparative Literature (01:195:395:02)
Professor Richard Serrano
Section 01: TF2 9:50-11:10 (Bishop House 211)

In English. May count for general upper-level credits toward the major and minor

In this course, we will read selections from the full extent of the poetry and prose of Rainer Maria Rilke, widely considered the greatest German-language poet of all time. Since he knew many of the greatest writers, artists and musicians of Europe, including Rodin and Tolstoy, and led a famously cosmopolitan life which took him to virtually every corner of the continent, we will read his work within the context of a particularly exciting and turbulent moment in the history of European Culture.  The final grade will be based on brief writing assignments in response to the readings, the recitation of one of his shorter poems, and a longer, formal “close reading” of a poem or passage from one of his prose works. There is no mid-term or final exam. This class is taught in English, but the works will be made available in the original language to those students who can read them.