Spring 2008 Course Guide

• Advising
• Programs in German
• Freshman Seminars
• German Language Courses
• Business German
• Literature and Culture Courses- Taught in German
• Literature and Culture Courses- Taught in English
• Graduate Seminars
• CGS Courses
• Yiddish Courses
• Dutch Courses
• Swedish Courses

 

Programs in German

• Major in German: Choose from a wide variety of courses in language, business German language, culture, literature, and history. You can be confident that you will leave our program fluent in the language and at ease in the cultures and traditions of the German speaking countries
• Major in German Studies: This versatile program offers you fluency in the language, culture, and literature, in addition to enabling you to select five courses related to your German interests in other School of Arts and Science departments. An efficient way to double major and to prepare for graduate school or an international career.
• Double Major in German and Your Major of Choice: You are already in the Wharton School, International Relations, Computer Science, History, or Political Science. If you want to make yourself really competitive, then consider adding German as a double major. This could be just the edge you need.
• Minor in German: You have satisfied your language requirement, but elect to keep up your German with some advanced language courses. To obtain a minor only requires 6 credits beyond GRMN 104 and most of your courses satisfy other college requirements.
• Certificate in German Language Study: Students can receive a Certificate by completing 3 courses taught in German in addition to passing proficiency. Students must receive a minimum of a B+ average in the three courses, and may not take the courses on a pass/fail basis.
• Study abroad programs in Germany: The above mentioned options can readily be combined with Penn’s study abroad programs in Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich. Do not forget these programs afford you Penn credit for the courses that you take. You will satisfy courses in your major, double major or minor as you become more fluent in the Germanic language via total immersion in one of three of Europe’s most exciting cities.
• European Studies Minor: European Studies at Penn is an interdisciplinary minor and an ideal addition to the study of many disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. It supplements majors in history, political science, sociology, and art history as well as in French, German, English, Spanish, Italian and Slavic languages. It is designed to give students access to
  • an understanding of Europe as a historical and cultural entity and its world leadership in business, politics, and culture; a great variety of countries, cultures, and languages whose interaction with each other and the United States is an essential part of transatlantic culture; the institutions of a new Europe -- Union, Council on Europe, European Court -- reflecting the largest experiment in building a global system of governance in history. The minor in European Studies is designed to intensify interdisciplinary studies by integrating the humanities and social sciences and prepare students to live and work in Europe .
  • For more information, please visit: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/europeanstudies/
    
  
  

Freshman Seminars

GRMN 002
Distribution Course in Arts & Letters - Class of 2009 and prior
All readings and discussions in English.
301 TR 10:30 am - 12:00 pm C. Frei
Since the 1960s, the Lord of the Rings books gained increasing popularity and have become an enduring cult success, which was exceeded with the release of the film trilogy. The Lord of the Rings is a global brand. Its public presence exceeds that of any other literature and its commercial potential seems limitless, evident not just in the unsurpassed box office success and critical acclaim for the films, but also in the clever global merchandising of games, action figurines, gift items, and jewelry.
In this course, you will trace the power of the tale of the ring from J.R.R. Tolkien to Richard Wagner, from the Middle High German epic the Nibelungenlied to the Norse poetry of The Saga of the Volsungs, and back to the twentieth century with Thomas Mann’s The Blood of the Walsungs. You will read stories of unrequited love, betrayal, magical powers, and the deeds of dragon slayers and question the lasting appeal these tales present for today’s global commerce.
“One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.” (J.R.R. Tolkien)

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German Language Courses

GRMN 101 (GRMN 501) Elementary German I
001 MTWRF 12 - 1 pm D. James
Designed for the beginning student with no previous knowledge of German. German 101, as the first course in the first-year series, focuses on the development of language competence in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. By the end of the semester, students will be able to engage in simple conversations about familiar things, know greetings and everyday expressions, they will be able to count and tell time, and negate sentences in day-to-day contexts. Furthermore, students will be able to speak about events that happened in the immediate past and express plans for the future. In addition, students will have developed reading strategies that allow them to glean information from simple newspaper and magazine articles and short literary texts. Because cultural knowledge is one of the foci of German 101, students will learn much about practical life in Germany and will explore German-speaking cultures on the Internet.


GRMN 102 (GRMN 502) Elementary German II
001 MTWRF 11 am - 12 pm Staff
002 MTWRF 12 - 1 pm S. Schlichting-Artur
003 MWF 1 - 2 pm, TR 1:30 - 2:30 pm Staff
This course is a continuation of GRMN 101 and is designed to strengthen and expand students’ listening, speaking, reading, and writing competence and to deepen an understanding of German-speaking cultures. By the end of the course, students will be able to handle a variety of day-to-day needs in a German-speaking setting and engage in simple conversations about personally significant topics. Students can expect to be able to order food and beverages, purchase things, and to be familiar with the German university system, the Arts, media, and current social topics. Students will begin to be able to talk about the past and the future, make comparisons, describe people and things in increasing detail, make travel plans that include other European countries, and make reservations in hotels and youth hostels. By the end of the course students will be able to talk about their studies and about their dreams for the future. In addition, students will develop reading strategies that should allow them to understand the general meaning of articles, and short literary texts. Furthermore, students will feel more able to understand information when hearing German speakers talking about familiar topics. Cultural knowledge remains among one of the foci of German 102, and students will continue to be exposed to authentic materials.

GRMN 103 (GRMN 503) Intermediate German I
001 MTRF 11 - 1 pm P. Hoberg
This course is designed to improve students’ writing and speaking competence, to increase vocabulary, to deepen grammar usage, and to help develop effective reading and listening strategies in German across literary genres and media as students interpret and analyze cultural, political, and historical moments in German-speaking countries and compare them with their own cultural practices. This course is organized around content- based modules and prepares students well for GRMN 104 and a minor or major in German.

GRMN 104 (GRMN 504) Intermediate German II
001 MTRF 11 am - 12 pm C. Lynn
002 MTRF 12 - 1 pm C. Lynn
003 MF 1 - 2 pm, TR 1:30 - 2:30 pm C. Lynn
Expands students’ writing and speaking competence in German, increases vocabulary, and helps students practice effective reading and listening strategies. Our in-class discussions are based on weekly readings of literary and non-literary texts to facilitate exchange of information, ideas, reactions, and opinions. In addition, the readings provide cultural and historical background information. The review of grammar will not be the primary focus of the course. Students will, however, expand and deepen their knowledge of grammar through specific grammar exercises. Students will conclude the basic-language program at PENN by reading an authentic literary text: Thomas Brussig Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee offering the opportunity to practice and deepen reading knowledge and to sensitize cultural and historical awareness of German-speaking countries.

GRMN 107 Accelerated Intermediate German
001 MWF 10 - 11 am, TR 10:30 am - 12 pm P. Hoberg
This course is intensive and is intended for dedicated, highly self-motivated students who will take responsibility for their learning and creation of meaning with their peers. This accelerated course is designed to improve students’ writing and speaking competence, to increase vocabulary, to deepen grammar usage, and to help develop effective reading and listening strategies in German across literary genres and media as students interpret and analyze cultural, political, and historical moments in German-speaking countries and compare them with their own cultural practices. This course is organized around content- based modules. Students conclude the basic-language program at PENN by reading an authentic literary text: Thomas Brussig Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee offering the opportunity to practice and deepen reading knowledge and to sensitize cultural and historical awareness of German-speaking countries.

GRMN 180 German in Residence
301 TBA M. Handelman
The German House is a half-credit course with concentrations in German conversation, film, and culture. Though many students enroll for credit, others often come to select events. All interested parties are invited, and you do not have to actually live in the house to enroll for credit. Students from all different levels of language proficiency are welcome. Beginners learn from more advanced students, and all enjoy a relaxed environment for maintaining or improving their German language skills.

GRMN 210 (LING 240) Structure of German
401 TR 3 - 4:30 pm Kroch/Ringe
An introduction to the phonology, morphology and syntax of German, emphasizing its historical development and the comparison of German with related languages, especially Dutch, English and Scandinavian. Topics will include: (1) the sound changes that distinguish the Germanic languages from their Indo-European cousins, and the various branches of Germanic from each other; (2) the common morphological properties of Germanic, including the system of verbal tenses and of nominal cases; (3) the syntactic peculiarities of Germanic, including the variability in the order of verb and complement, the "verb-second" constraint and the verb- raising construction.


GRMN 215 Conversation and Composition
Prerequisite(s): GRMN 104 or the equivalent.
001 TR 1:30 - 3 pm C. Frei
Required for the major, also carries credit for the minor in German. Offers students the opportunity to improve significantly written and spoken discourse strategies and to raise language competence to an academic register. Students work across literary genres and media as they interpret and analyze cultural, political, and historical moments in German-speaking countries. Special attention is given to the development of an academic discourse style during in-class discussions and in written compositions. The course concludes with an in-class presentation of the collaborative creative project and the final paper.

 Business German

GRMN 220 Business German: A Micro Perspective
Foreign Languages Across Curriculum (FLAC)
Prerequisite(s): GRMN 215 or equivalent. Course taught in German.
001 TR 9 - 10:30 am D. James
This course is designed to enhance your speaking, reading and writing skills, in addition to helping you build a strong foundation in business vocabulary. Course objectives include acquiring skills in cross cultural communication, teamwork, business management, and creating a business plan. German grammar will be covered on a need be basis. This course will prepare you to perform and contribute while in a German-speaking business environment.

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Literature and Culture Courses Taught in English

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Literature and Culture Courses Taught in German

GRMN 216 / COLL 220 Introduction to Literature / Literatures of the World
406 MW 2:00 - 3:30 pm S. Richter
Arts & Letters Sector (All Classes)
Cross Cultural Analysis – Class of 2010 and after
Prerequisite(s): GRMN 104 or the equivalent. Required for the major, also carries credit for the minor in German.
The language of instruction, readings, and discussion is German.
Why a course on German literature for the student learning language? Literature is where language is at its most versatile, inventive, and entertaining. Literature knows no shame in putting the fantasies, hopes, fears, and desires of a culture on display. This is a course for students intent on further developing their abilities in language and their knowledge of German culture. Ranging widely across the literary genres—from the fable, the aphorism and the joke to poems, songs, stories, and plays, students will discover what language and literature can do. Focus on speaking and writing.

GRMN 380 Heimat
Distribution Course in Arts & Letters - Class of 2009 and prior
Cross Cultural Analysis - Class of 2010 and after
All readings and lectures in German.
001 MW 2:00 - 3:30 pm C. MacLeod
The concept of Heimat (homeland, home, roots) has been a focal point of German culture for at least the past two hundred years; but it is notoriously difficult to translate the word into English. Heimat is connected with German reactions to modernization, as well as with nature, community, and gender. But the idea of belonging also raises questions about escapism, provincialism, exclusion and marginality. Beginning with a reading of Freud's esay "Das Unheimliche," we will uncover the cultural and historical background of Heimat, and explore literary, artistic and cinematic representations of the concept, including Edgar Reits's epic film Heimat, and recent phenomena such as "Ostalgie" and inner-German travel literature.


GRMN 395 Senior Colloquium
301 tba C. MacLeod
Permission needed from Department
This course is intended for students completing their senior thesis for the German Major.

GRMN 399 Independent Study
000 TBA Staff
See department for section numbers. Permission needed from department.


GRMN 499 Independent Study
000 TBA Staff
See department for section numbers. Permission needed from department.

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Graduate Seminars

GRMN 531 German Literature to the 18th Century
Cross Cultural Analysis - Class of 2010 and after
001 TR 10:30 am - 12 pm B. Wiggin
This seminar explores key chapters in the history of German literature since the beginnings. Our discussion of canonical works and authors ranging from the early medieval period to the early Enlightenment is intended to provide a firm grounding in German literary history. It is a discussion framed by questions to which we will constantly return: What is “die Literatur” anyway? What is “German” literature? How has its history been written? Which literary histories and other handbooks are essential to the work of “Germanisten”? How does literary history differ from cultural history? Can methods from new cultural histories help us in our investigations of literary history? Assignments differ for undergraduate and graduate students; they include several short papers and oral presentations as well as a final project.

GRMN 566 (PHIL 566) Kant's Moral Philosophy: The Reception of Kant's Ethics
PREREQUISITE:  Prior study of Kant's moral philosophy (PHIL 466 or its equivalent) is a prerequisite.

Distribution Course in History/Tradition - Class of 2009 and prior

UNDERGRADUATES NEED PERMISSION
401 W 12 - 3 pm P. Guyer
This course will examine the reception and influence of Kant's moral philosophy from its appearance to the present.  Philosophers to be studied will be drawn from Friedrich Schiller, J.G. Fichte, G.W.F. Hegel, Arthur Schopenhauer, Friedrich Nietzsche, T.H. Green, Henry Sidgwick, Max Scheler, R.M. Hare, John Rawls, Juergen Habermas, and Christine Korsgaard.  The course will be conducted as a seminar, with each participant required to make a classroom presentation and to write a term paper. 

GRMN 580 (COML 582 / ENGL 778 / PHIL 580) Aura and Reflection
- Theory of Art, Media, and Aesthetics of Walter Benjamin
401 M 3 - 6 pm H. Boehme
The international Benjamin fad is over. Now is the time to explore the achievements and limits of Benjamin’s thinking in a historic as well as theoretic, hermeneutical as well as the critical context. Central to the seminar are writings on the questions of art, media and aesthetic theory. Through these, we will present and discuss the traditions, concepts, and development of Benjamin’s thinking starting from his first writings of his youth (1914/15) to his death in 1940. The tightly interwoven nature of Benjamin’s style and content is matched by few other philosophers. Therefore, we will discuss the expanse of genres in which his thinking takes form: theory becomes literary and literature becomes a form of reflection. Crossover between genres makes Benjamin’s texts difficult. The seminar should increase the students’ understandings of Benjamin’s way of thought through a reconstruction of the methodology of the texts. – Texts to be discussed in class will be available online.

GRMN 581 (COML 584 / Hist 490 / JWST 490 / RELS 429)
Topics Jewish-German Culture - Becoming Modern: The German-Jewish Experience
All readings and lectures in English.
401 T 3 - 5 pm L. Weissberg
In a recent book, Yuri Slezkine described the twentieth century as a “Jewish Age”—to be modern would essentially mean to be a Jew. In German historical and cultural studies, this linkage has long been made--only in reference to the last years of the German monarchy and the time of the Weimar Republic. Indeed, what has become known as “modern” German culture—reflected in literature, music, and the visual arts and in a multitude of public media—has been more often than not assigned to Jewish authorship or Jewish subjects. But what do authorship and subject mean in this case? Do we locate the German-Jewish experience as the driving force of this new “modernity,” or is our understanding of this experience the result of this new “modern” world?

The graduate course will be accompanied by a conference, to be held at Penn on March 30, 2007.

GRMN 602 (LING 610) Comparative Germanic
401 tba Ringe/Kroch
Comparative grammar of Gothic, Old Norse, Old English, and Old High German; reconstruction of their common parent, Proto-Germanic, and historical development of the daughter languages.

GRMN 672 (COML 634) Reading Modernity
All readings and lectures in English.
401 W 2 - 4 pm E. Jarosinski


GRMN 691 Travel in German Literature
301 R 3 - 5 pm B. Wiggin

GRMN 990 Masters Thesis
000 TBA Staff
See department for section numbers. Permission needed from department.

GRMN 995 Dissertation
000 TBA Staff
See department for section numbers. Permission needed from department.

GRMN 999 Independent Study
000 TBA Staff
See department for section numbers. Permission needed from department.

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CGS Courses

GRMN 102 (GRMN 502) Elementary German II
Non-CGS students need permission from CGS.
601 MW 6:30 - 8:45 pm E. Dixon
This course is a continuation of GRMN 101 and is designed to strengthen and expand students’ listening, speaking, reading, and writing competence and to deepen an understanding of German-speaking cultures. By the end of the course, students will be able to handle a variety of day-to-day needs in a German-speaking setting and engage in simple conversations about personally significant topics. Students can expect to be able to order food and beverages, purchase things, and to be familiar with the German university system, the Arts, media, and current social topics. Students will begin to be able to talk about the past and the future, make comparisons, describe people and things in increasing detail, make travel plans that include other European countries, and make reservations in hotels and youth hostels. By the end of the course students will be able to talk about their studies and about their dreams for the future. In addition, students will develop reading strategies that should allow them to understand the general meaning of articles, and short literary texts. Furthermore, students will feel more able to understand information when hearing German speakers talking about familiar topics. Cultural knowledge remains among one of the foci of German 102, and students will continue to be exposed to authentic materials.

GRMN 104 (GRMN 504) Intermediate German II
601 MW 6:30 - 8:15 pm A. Pichugin
Expands students’ writing and speaking competence in German, increases vocabulary, and helps students practice effective reading and listening strategies. Our in-class discussions are based on weekly readings of literary and non-literary texts to facilitate exchange of information, ideas, reactions, and opinions. In addition, the readings provide cultural and historical background information. The review of grammar will not be the primary focus of the course. Students will, however, expand and deepen their knowledge of grammar through specific grammar exercises. Students will conclude the basic-language program at PENN by reading an authentic literary text: Thomas Brussig Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee offering the opportunity to practice and deepen reading knowledge and to sensitize cultural and historical awareness of German-speaking countries.

GRMN 256 (COML 241 / CINE 352 / RELS 236)
The Devil's Pact in Literature, Music and Film
Arts & Letters Sector (All Classes)
All readings and lectures in English.
601 Lec T 6:30 - 9:30 pm S. Richter
For centuries the pact with the devil has signified humankind's desire to surpass the limits of human knowledge and power. From the age of Martin Luther to the time of Mick Jagger, from Marlowe and Goethe to key Hollywood films, the legend of the devil's pact continues to be useful for exploring our fascination with forbidden powers.

GRMN 259 (CINE 201 / ENGL 291) GRMN-USA Hollywood Era
Germany and America in the Classical Hollywood Era
601 Sem TR 6:30 - 8 pm C. McGrath
This course will examine the relationship between German and American cinema during the Classical Hollywood Era. Frequently accounts of the relationship between the two national cinemas emphasize the influence of Germany on Hollywood. This course will nuance this uni-directional story through careful consideration of both the silent films from Hollywood imported to Germany and the subsequent productions of émigrés in the United States. In addition to the usual emphasis on how Expressionism influenced film noir, we will also consider comedy and documentary forms. This rethinking of the relationship of influence between the two countries will include the examination of films from the early 1920s to the early 1950s, from Karl Grune’s Expressionist Die Strasse (1923) to one of Fritz Lang’s contributions to the Western genre, Rancho Notorious (1952). We will consider a number of directors, cinematographers, and actors, with an emphasis on three directors who will allow us to examine more thoroughly the varied ways these filmmakers and their films functioned in Hollywood. Films made both in Germany and America by F. W. Murnau, Fritz Lang, and Billy Wilder will form the basis of the course. The important continuities and differences in each director’s work as they negotiate a new culture will give focus to the course’s larger social and cultural questions and concerns.

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Yiddish Courses

YDSH 102 (JWST 032 / YDSH 502) Beginning Yiddish II
Four Semesters Fulfills the Language Requirement.
Prerequisite: YDSH 101 / JWST 031 or permission of the instructor.
401 TR 12 - 1:30 pm K. Hellerstein
Yiddish, a 1000-year-old language, with a rich heritage. In this course, you can continue to develop basic reading, writing and speaking skills. Discover treasures of Yiddish culture: songs, literature, folklore, and films.


YDSH 104 (JWST 034 / YDSH 504) Intermediate Yiddish II
Four Semesters Fulfills the Language Requirement.
Prerequisite: YDSH 103 / JWST 033 or permission of the instructor.
401 TR 6:30 - 8 pm A. Botwinik
Continuation of YDSH 103. Emphasis on reading texts and conversation.

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Dutch Courses & Studies

DTCH 102 (DTCH 502) Elementary Dutch II
401 TR 4:30 - 6 pm R. Naborn
Prerequisite(s): Dutch 101 or equivalent. Continuation of Dutch 101.

DTCH 399 Independent Study
000 TBA R. Naborn
See department for section numbers. Permission needed from department.


DTCH 999 Independent Study
000 TBA R. Naborn
See department for section numbers. Permission needed from department.

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Swedish Courses

SCND 102 (SCND 502) Elementary Swedish II
401 MWF 11 am - 12 pm K. Williams
Continuation of SCND 101/501. This is a two-semester course designed to teach beginning skills in Swedish reading comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, listening comprehension, writing, and conversation. Swedish social development will also be examined in relation to its cultural milieu. A trip to Gloria Dei Old Swedes Church in Philadelphia for their Luciafest will be included on a December weekend, a visit to a Swedish film during the Philadelphia Film festival will take place in late April, and other events as announced.


SCND 399 Independent Study
000 TBA K. Williams
See department for section numbers. Permission needed from department.