SAS Core Goal Courses:
Intermediate German I 01:470:131
Intermediate German II 01:470:132
Tales of Horror 01:470:227
Introduction to German Studies 01:470:275
Introduction to Literary and Cultural Analysis 01:470:301
Marx, Nietzsche, Freud 01:470:371
Language Courses
Elementary German
01:470:101:01
Arielle Friend
MWTh3 11:30am-12:50pm, Scott Hall 115
Elementary German
01:470:101:02
Alexander Pichugin
T6 4:30pm-5:50pm, MU 115
Th67 4:30pm-7:30pm, MU 207
Elementary German
01:470:101:03
Steve Weinberg
MWTh2 10:20am-11:40am, MTh Beck Hall 111, W Beck Hall 219 (Livingston campus)
This course introduces students to the language and culture of German-speaking countries, using both prepared and authentic materials with theme-related vocabulary and grammatical structures. Students will have the opportunity to practice listening, reading, writing, and speaking in German through in-class activities and homework assignments. Students also learn about cultural perspectives, products and practices of German-speaking countries. Some of the topics addressed in this course include geography and landscape, university studies and professional education, laws and regulations, and customs and holidays.
No prerequisites. Taught in German. German with some explanation of grammar points in English. Not open for credit to students who have had two or more years of secondary school German.
Elementary German
01:470:102:01
Doris Glowacki
MWTh3 11:30am- 12:50pm, MW Hardenbergh Hall A4, Th Hardenbergh Hall B4
This course continues developing the students’ German language proficiency at the elementary level. Students further develop their knowledge of the German language and culture of German-speaking countries, using both prepared and authentic materials with theme-related vocabulary and grammatical structures. Students have the opportunity to practice listening, reading, writing, and speaking in German through in-class activities and homework assignments. Students continue learning about cultural perspectives, products and practices of German-speaking countries. Some of the topics addressed in the course include everyday living, food and shopping, travel, health and illnesses, childhood and youth, and the life of modern society.
The course is taught in German with some explanation of grammar points in English.
Prerequisite: German 101 or placement test. Not open for credits to students who have had two or more years of secondary school in German.
German for Travel
01:470:103:01
Nicole Uberreich
Th4 1:10pm -2:30pm, AB 3100
This course will introduce students to the language and culture of German-speaking countries focusing on the language competencies particularly relevant in travel situations.
By the end of the semester students will be able to speak about themselves in general and as travelers, ask basic questions about travel, discuss their travel interests and express likes and dislikes, speak about German-speaking countries and their inhabitants, orient themselves in means of transportation and accommodations used in Europe, purchase tickets and book hotel rooms on German-language websites.
The course is taught in German with some explanation of grammar points and cultural references in English. Not open to students who have completed 01:470:102, 01:470:121, or the equivalent.
German Conversation
01:470:104:01
Alexander Pichugin
W5 2:50pm-4:10pm, AB 3450
This course will introduce students to the language and culture of German-speaking countries focusing on the language competencies particularly relevant for oral communication in everyday situations.
By the end of the semester students will be able to speak about themselves, ask basic questions, share basic information about their families and relatives, speak about their studies, speak about objects relevant to everyday situations, speak about the weather, and express likes and dislikes.
The course is taught in German with some explanation of grammar points and cultural references in English. Not open to students who have completed 01:470:102, 01:470:121, or the equivalent.
German for Reading Knowledge (Hybrid)
01:470:105:01
Alexander Pichugin
T7 6:10pm-7:30pm, SC 102
This course, taught in English and German, is intended for undergraduate students without previous knowledge of the German language. The course develops basic reading competencies in German. The texts read in the course are chosen from the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences.
By the end of the semester students will be able to:
- apply specific reading strategies to reading a text in German;
- read a text in German with correct pronunciation;
- recognize some grammar phenomena and apply this knowledge to understanding;
- apply some basic passive vocabulary to reading German texts;
- efficiently use online and paper-based dictionaries.
German Intensive Review
01:470:121:01
Doris Glowacki
MWTh3 11:30am- 12:50pm, MW Hardenbergh Hall A4, Th Hardenbergh Hall B4
(121 is 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.
Course meets with 01:470:102:01.
An intermediate reinforcement course. Practice in speaking, reading, and writing German; extensive grammar review; cultural topics. Prepares students to take German 131.
Intermediate German I
01:470:131:01
Alexandra Friedrich
>MW4 1:10pm-2:30pm, Hardenbergh Hall A7
Intermediate German I
01:470:131:02
Nicole Uberreich
TTh7 6:10pm-7:30pm, Scott Hall 204
In this course, students will develop their competencies in German language and culture of the German-speaking countries towards the intermediate level, using both prepared and authentic materials. Students will have the opportunity to practice listening, reading, writing, and speaking in German through various in-class activities and homework assignments. Using a variety of media, such as written texts, video, and audio clips, students will explore the course’s five major themes: Time and History; Everyday Life; Gender and Relationships; Work and Profession; School and Education. The program of the course corresponds to the Level B1.1, which is the first half of Level B1 (Intermediate) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), a widely accepted European standard for language proficiency. By the end of this semester, students will be able to talk about time and history, including German history and histories of regions; talk about everyday issues, gender stereotypes, relationships, school and workplace-related situations, professions and education; describe pictures; report about events; provide explanations and justifications; give advice; express agreement or disagreement; talk about wishes and hypothetical situations.
Taught in German, with some explanation of grammar points in English. Fulfills SAS Core Curriculum Learning Goal AHq. Prerequisite: 01:470:102 or placement test.
Intermediate German II
01:470:132:01
Thomas Wallerberger
TTh6 4:30pm-5:50pm, Murray Hall 111
In this course students develop their German-language skills, by discussing a variety of cultural topics and themes in the German-speaking world. Through extensive work on expanding vocabulary, reviewing major grammar topics, conversation and composition exercises, the students will strengthen their language skills and develop cultural competency. The course focuses on real communication in meaningful contexts, to develop and consolidate students’ speaking, listening, reading and writing abilities at the upper intermediate level. Using a variety of media, such as texts, video and audio, students will explore the course’s five major themes: Traditions and Celebrations; Science and Technology; Nature and Environment; Economy and Job Market; and History and Society.
Taught in German. Fulfills SAS Core Curriculum Learning Goal AHq. Prerequisite: 01:470:131 or placement test.
Advanced German I
01:470:231:01
Alexander Pichugin
MTh3 11:30am-12:50pm, SC 101
This course explores 20th century German culture, literature, and politics through an examination of the city of Berlin. Drawing on film, literature, and audio features we will focus on the following topics: Expressionism and Dada, Cabaret in the Golden Twenties, resistance against the Nazis, 1968 movement & left wing terrorism, the Berlin Wall & GDR protest culture, and contemporary Berlin scene. An emphasis will be placed on written exercises, listening and reading skills developing the ability to discuss and argue opinions, as well as a thorough review of grammar. All readings, discussions, and written works are in German. Prerequisites: German 132 or placement test.
Literature and Culture Courses
Tales of Horror
01:470:227:01
Cross listed with Comparative Literature 01:195:227:01
T23 9:50am-12:50pm, SC 114
Vampires and zombies, doppelgänger, ghosts, and artificial humans continue to haunt the cultural imagination throughout the centuries. This course explores tales of horror through some of their most spellbinding creatures and fantasies in a period ranging from the Grimm Brothers to Expressionist cinema: We will consider the historical or political context and the psychoanalytical underpinnings in each horrific tale and we will pay close attention to the ways a narrative (text or film) establishes, safeguards, or releases its horrific kernel. How does horror enter German Expressionism and why do moving images relate particularly well to the uncanny? We will explore the similarities and differences in the way film and literature explore horror. Readings include E.T.A. Hoffmann’s “The Sandman,” Jeremias Gotthelf’s “The Black Spider,” Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Black Cat,” and short stories by Franz Kafka. Filmic contributions range from Murnau’s Nosferatu to Kubrick’s The Shining, from Hitchcock’s The Birds to Powell’s Peeping Tom. Theoretical reflections are provided by Lotte Eisner, Shoshana Felman, Sigmund Freud, Barbara Johnson, Siegfried Kracauer, Laurence A. Rickels, and Slavoj Zizek.
Taught in English. No prerequisites. Fulfills SAS core goals AHo and AHp.
From Nietzsche to Superman
01:470:258:01
Cross-listed with Comparative Literature 01:195:258:01
TTh5 2:50pm-4:10pm, AB West Wing, Room 4050
What is popular culture? How do “high” and “low” cultures inform each other? In what way can contemporary popular culture alter and challenge the established canon and provide new means of reflections of established philosophical paradigms? This seminar explores canonical works of (mostly German) literature and philosophy in regard to works from popular culture (mostly American film and pop music). Special attention will be paid to modalities of self-invention, imagination, dreams of transgression and failure thereof. We will examine Nietzsche’s Übermensch (Overman) and its gradual translation into the American Superman hero. We will look at the feminine version of Superman by reading Heinrich von Kleist’s Amazon tragedy Penthesilea together with the action film Wonder Woman. We will compare gender performance in early 1920s cabaret culture with the “material girls” of our contemporary culture, consider the impact of the “idiot” from the Dada movement over Forrest Gump to our contemporary media culture, and discuss the overcoming of boundaries between illusion and reality (Freud and Inception; Nietzsche and The Matrix) and between humans and androids (Donna Haraway and Blade Runner).
Course taught in English. No prerequisites. Fulfills SAS Core Goal AHo.
Intro to German Studies: 1900-present
01:470:275:01
MW5 2:50pm-4:10pm, Scott Hall 204
This course is an interdisciplinary inquiry into seminal literary, artistic, social, political, and intellectual developments in the history of German-language cultures and thought from around 1750 to 1900. The course is open to first-year students and to all who might not necessarily wish to become a German major or minor but who seek, as part of a well-rounded liberal arts education, basic familiarity with the rich and often vexed history of things German and their impact on Europe and the world.
No prerequisites. All readings and discussions in English. Fulfills SAS Core Curriculum Learning Goals AHp, WCD.
Intro to Literary & Cultural Analysis (in German): Built to be Human? The Body in Literature and Film
01:470:301:01
Regina Karl
MTh3 11:30am-12:50pm, M SC 205, Th SC 207
What language does our body speak? Can bodies be a cage? For decades, authors and filmmakers have dealt with the intricacies of the human body as much as its marvelous benefits compared to other species. This course will prepare you for content courses in German at the 300 level by exploring the manifold types of bodies in the German-speaking tradition: ghosts, robots, insects and drag queens are just a few examples. Looking at these bodies, we will familiarize ourselves with major concepts in the study of literature and film. Readings include a mischievous hand in a short story by Franz Kafka, a poem about Friedrich Schiller´s skull by J. W. von Goethe, an angry old lady in Friedrich Dürrenmatt´s play “Der Besuch der alten Dame,” and a critical essay about the precarious state of refugees by Hannah Arendt. Maren Ade´s hilarious family portrait “Toni Erdmann” will be one of the films we´re discussing. The course will also feature a visit to the Zimmerli Art Museum on the Rutgers campus. This class 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.
This class 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.
Taught in German. Fulfills permanent core requirements AHp, WCr, WCd. Prerequisite: 01:470:232, or simultaneous enrollment in 01:470:231 or 232. May be repeated for credit.
Marx, Nietzsche, Freud
01:470:371:01
Cross-listed with Comparative Literature 01:195:374:01 and Philosophy 01:730:344:01
MW5 2:50pm-4:10pm, AB 1180
Exploration of the work of three German writers who revolutionized modern philosophy, theology, psychology, aesthetics, social and political science, gender studies, historiography, literature and the arts. We will be reading and discussing a selection of key writings by Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud. Along with these we’ll examine a sampling of texts that were important for their work, and writings that later both reflected their influence and drew their ideas in new directions. In English. No prerequisites. (Students who have completed Introductory German 101 or the equivalent, or who have Prof. Rennie’s permission, are encouraged to enroll in the 1-credit companion module “The Language of Marx, Nietzsche and Freud” (01:991:121:E1), which will focus on the original German-language concepts and formulations in select passages relevant to the principal themes of the main course “Marx, Nietzsche, Freud." Contact Prof. Rennie at
Topics: Wild Women
01:470:388:01
Martha Helfer
M67 4:30pm-7:10pm, AB 3450
Wild women, crazy women, sexy women, women on the edge!
This course examines woman as the site of cultural and aesthetic critique in mainstream German literature and film from the Enlightenment to the 20th century, in conjunction with feminist theory. Examples will be taken from fairy tales, history, literature, mythology, and film. The course will begin with an overview of Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment gender theory in a broad European context (Rousseau, Wollstonecraft, de Gouges, von Hippel). We then will analyze constructions of "woman" in German literature, film, and theory, focusing on the emergence of (and resistance to) modern gender theory. Readings and films include selections from Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Sophia von La Roche, Friedrich Schlegel, Dorothea Schlegel, Karoline von Günderrode, Heinrich von Kleist, Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, Friedrich Hebbel, Franz Grillparzer, Christa Wolf, Michael Verhoeven, and Tom Twyker.
Course requirements: This course stresses the development of critical reading and writing skills. Course requirements include: careful preparation of assigned readings and active class participation (10%); one oral presentation (10%); one response to an oral presentation (10%); and three 5-8 page essays or one seminar paper (70%).
The course will be taught in English; all readings will be available in English translation. No knowledge of German required!
No prerequisites. Course meets with 16:470:671:01.
