GRMN 269-001
Introduction to German Culture

Bethany Wiggin profile
bwiggin@sas.upenn.edu

MW 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Cross-Cultural Analysis - Class of 2010 and after.
Foreign Languages Across Curriculum (FLAC)
Prerequisite(s): GRMN 104 or equivalent. All readings and lectures in German.

In this course, we examine and explore over a thousand years of cultural history of the German-speaking lands with an eye toward clarifying the key cultural knowledge shared by German speakers. From the Holy Roman Empire in the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, we examine what makes the German nations -- and peoples -- what they are today. We will pay attention both to mainstream tendencies as well as oppositional political and cultural movements. Special emphasis will be placed on cultural achievements such as literature, music, and architecture as well as on a basic understanding of the politics, economics and cultural formations of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in the 20th century. The language of instruction, readings, and discussion is – with few exceptions – German.

 

updated 08-2009