Spring 2002 Course Guide

GRMN 101

Elementary German I. Introduction to the basic elements of spoken and written German, with a particular emphasis placed on the acquisition of communication skills. Readings and discussion focus on cultural differences.

001

MTWRF

11-12

M. Wetli

002

MTWRF

12-1

C. Frei

GRMN 102

Elementary German II. A continuation of GRMN 101. The student’s expression and comprehension are enhanced through the study of literature and social themes.

001

MTWRF

11-12

M. Ryan

002

MTWRF

12-1

V. Byrd

003

MTWRF

1-2

C. McCandless

GRMN 103

Intermediate German I. Modern German texts of moderate difficulty, an integrated grammar view, targeted study of vocabulary, and wide-ranging activities and projects to advance the student’s command of the language with regard to reading, writing, and speaking skills.

001

MTRF

11-12

J. Moser

002

MTRF

12-1

V. Lutz

GRMN 104

Intermediate German II. Literary and non-literary texts of moderate difficulty.  Continued practice in active communication.  This course is designed to further develop and refine integrative skills of reading, writing, and speaking in German, as well as to prepare students for the Proficiency Examination in German and for advanced-level German courses. If the student is pursuing German to fulfill his or her proficiency requirement, credit for this course is not given until the proficiency exam is passed.

001

MTRF

11-12

M. Elliott-Peters

002

MTRF

12-1

C. Schnader

003

MTRF

1-2

G. Grozdanic

GRMN 180

German in Residence. This is a 1/2 credit course for students living in the Modern Language House.

301

TBA

C. Schnader

GRMN
215

Conversation and Composition. Prereq. 104 or equiv. Emphasizes conversational and writing skills in German. Contemporary topics of interest will be selected for discussions, debates, presentations, and role-playing situations. WWW exercises. Active role in critiquing one another's writing exercises.

GRMN 221

Advanced Grammar and Stylistics. This course is designed to help the student develop a more sophisticated writing style in German. This is achieved by means of the study and discussion of the fine points of German syntax (e.g. correct usage of tenses, punctuation, experimentation with word order, etc.), by a variety of exercises in finding synonyms, similes, analogies, and rhetorical strategies, and by exposure to numerous idioms. Emphasis is also placed on determining the appropriate usage of language in a specific situation. The ultimate objective of this course is therefore to encourage an active and imaginative use of the German language. Students should be prepared to undertake an active role in critiquing one another's writing.

GRMN 227

Business German for Daily Situations in the Profession. This new course is designed to facilitate the acquisition of oral communicative skills in a professional setting. It presents routine situations in and around the workplace and offers a wide range of topics: applying for a position; job interview; responsibilities at the workplace; conversation on the phone in all its aspects. Special sessions discuss cultural differences between the German and American way of doing business; participation at a conference in all its facets; the language of negotiation (the agenda; making changes and resisting proposals; expressing opinions and objections; reacting to objections; evading or delaying the issue; finding common ground; bargaining; trade-offs; making concessions; etc.)

680

R 4:30-6:45

F. Brévart

GRMN 216

Introduction to Literature. Develops students' basic skills of literary interpretation. Exposure to various reading techniques (e.g. close reading, reading for plot, etc.) and to literary terminology and its application. Readings will include selections from prose, drama and lyric poetry.
General Requirement III: Arts & Letters

001

TR 10:30-12

K. Otto, Jr.

GRMN 351

Mann? Oh, Mann! Decadence, eroticism, disease, sexuality, the decline of the merchant class, vacationing in Italy, difficulties getting in step for the next dance (or the "dance of life" as opposed to the "dance of death"), living in a sanatorium for several years up in the Swiss Alps. If any of these things sound like interesting topics to you, think about Mann? Oh, Mann! We will be reading two major novels of Thomas Mann (Buddenbrooks and Zauberberg) as well as a number of short stories by the same author. We'll discuss the above topics as well as things like the role of the artist in society and the role of music in our lives. We will of course also discuss the philosophies underlying the works of Thomas Mann, including especially Nietzsche and Schöpenhauer, as well as the role of the works of Richard Wagner in Mann's works

001

K. Otto, Jr.

GRMN 376

From Bayreuth to Techno: Culture and Culture Politics in Germany. This course surveys a number of different cultural events like the music festival in Bayreuth and the Love Parade in Berlin as well as controversies in the cultural arena such as the wrapping of the Reichstag, the Holocaust Memorial, and the Walser-Bubis-Debate in the 1990s. Based on these examples as well as the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972, the Culture City of Europe Weimar 1999, and the World Exposition Expo 2000 in Hanover, we will discuss political (national identity, foreign policy, crisis prevention) and economic (boosterism) aspects of cultural events. Differences in art and culture between the U.S. and Germany will be addressed. Sample Paper 1 Sample Paper 2

001 

TR 3-4:30

S. Roth

GRMN 251/DTCH 251

Literary Responses to the Holocaust. This course will discuss some of the major literary and cinematic responses to the Holocaust. Much has already been written on this subject and therefore this course will specifically focus on such problems as: how can the Holocaust be translated into literature? Does our notion of literature change once the Holocaust has become its topic? Are fiction and testimony compatible with each other? Can the Holocaust be a topic even it is not mentioned at all in the text? How do comedy and the Holocaust topic relate to each other? Can history and philosophy be part of a literary treatment of the Holocaust? Influential texts and films from major literatures and cultures in the world will be our starting point.

401

MW 3-4:30

W. Geerts

GRMN  255

Mann Hesse Kafka. Based on considerations of the cultural tradition and the intellectual currents of the twentieth century, the course presents a survey of the achievements of Mann, Hesse, and Kafka. The extensive study of representative work focuses on the problems of the artist in the modern age.
General Requirement III: Arts & Letters

001

TR 12-1:30

F. Trommler

GRMN 256

The Devil's Pact in Literature, Music and Film. For centuries the pact with the devil has signified humankind's desire to surpass the limits of hman knowledge and power. From the age of Martin Luther to the epoch of Mick Jagger, from Marlowe and Goethe to key Hollywood films, the legend of the devil's pact continue to be useful for exploring our fascination with forbidden powers.
General Requirement III: Arts & Letters

401

MW 12-1 (Lecture)

S. Richter

402, 403, 404

F 12-1 (Recitation)

Staff

GRMN 262

Women in Jewish Literature. This course will introduce undergraduate and graduate students of literature, women's studies, and Jewish studies to the long tradition of women as readers, writers, and subjects in Jewish literature. All texts will be in translation from Yiddish and Hebrew, or in English. Through a variety of genres -- devotional literature, memoir, fiction, and poetry -- we will study women's roles and selves, the relations of women and men, and the interaction between Jewish texts and women's lives. The legacy of women in Yiddish devotional literature will serve as background for our reading of modern Jewish fiction and poetry from the past century.
Distribution III: Arts & Letters, WATU optional

401

TR 10:30-12

K. Hellerstein

GRMN 517

Technology & Language Teaching.

401

TBA

C. Frei/K. McMahon

GRMN 614

Goethe & Perception of Landscape. The course is designed for students of literature as well as for those with a primary interest in landscape architecture. It explores the ideas of and attitudes towards landscape in selected works of Goethe, including his own considerable practical involvement in landscape architecture at Weimar. It does so within the larger context of German landscape taste of the later 18th and early 19th centuries, espeically the development of new gardens and parks in the "new" style (e.g. Worlitz) and with particular attention to the theoretical "father" of the new German gardening, Hirschfeld. Students will be expected (but not required) to read in German; translations of key works by Goethe, as well as of commentaries on German gardening history, are available to ensure that non-German speakers can readily follow the course. In final papers there will be the freedom to select topics that focus upon literary or landscape architecture, though it is anticipated that a comparativist perspective will be adopted in either approach.

401

T 2-4

L. Weissberg/J.D. Hunt

GRMN 633 

Classicism. An investigation of Weimar Classicism. Drawing on literary and theoretical works by Goethe, Schiller, and others, the seminar will explore concepts such as: aesthetic education; the nature of a "classic;" "autonomous" art; imitation; German responses to Greek antiquity.

301

W 2-5

S. Richter

GRMN 102

Elementary German II. A continuation of GRMN 101. The student’s expression and comprehension are enhanced through the study of literature and social themes.

680

MW 6:30-8:45 

A. Taylor

GRMN 104

Intermediate German II. Literary and non-literary texts of moderate difficulty.  Continued practice in active communication.  This course is designed to further develop and refine integrative skills of reading, writing, and speaking in German, as well as to prepare students for the Proficiency Examination in German and for advanced-level German courses. If the student is pursuing German to fulfill his or her proficiency requirement, credit for this course is not given until the proficiency exam is passed.

680

MW 6:30-8:45 

Staff

GRMN 227

Business German for Daily Situations in the Profession. This new course is designed to facilitate the acquisition of oral communicative skills in a professional setting. It presents routine situations in and around the workplace and offers a wide range of topics: applying for a position; job interview; responsibilities at the workplace; conversation on the phone in all its aspects. Special sessions discuss cultural differences between the German and American way of doing business; participation at a conference in all its facets; the language of negotiation (the agenda; making changes and resisting proposals; expressing opinions and objections; reacting to objections; evading or delaying the issue; finding common ground; bargaining; trade-offs; making concessions; etc.)

680

R 4:30-6:45

F. Brévart

GRMN 402

Beginning Yiddish II. In this course, you can continue to develop basic reading, writing, and speaking skills. Discover the treasures of Yiddish culture: songs, literature, folklore, and films. Prerequisite: GRMN 401/JWST 032 or equivalent.

401

TR 10:30-12 

 A. Botwinik

GRMN 408 

Readings in Modern Yiddish Literature. This course surveys modern Yiddish literature through readings of Yiddish prose and poetry from the end of the 19th century through the late 20th century. The class will be conducted in both Yiddish and English. Reading knowledge of Yiddish is required, although some texts will be available in English translation. Authors include I. L. Peretz, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Moyshe-Leyb Halpern, Kadya Molodowsky.

401

TR 1:30-3

  K. Hellerstein

DTCH 104

Intermediate Dutch II. A fourth semester Dutch language course and a continuation of DTCH 103.

401

MWF 11-12

R. Naborn

DTCH 251

Literary Responses to the Holocaust. This course will discuss some of the major literary and cinematic responses to the Holocaust. Much has already been written on this subject and therefore this course will specifically focus on such problems as: how can the Holocaust be translated into literature? Does our notion of literature change once the Holocaust has become its topic? Are fiction and testimony compatible with each other? Can the Holocaust be a topic even it is not mentioned at all in the text? How do comedy and the Holocaust topic relate to each other? Can history and philosophy be part of a literary treatment of the Holocaust? Influential texts and films from major literatures and cultures in the world will be our starting point.

401

MW 3-4:30

W. Geerts

SCND 102

Elementary Swedish II. This course is a continuation of SCND 101.

401

MWF 11-12

K.E. Williams

SCND 502

Elementary Swedish II. This course is a continuation of SCND 501

401

MWF 11-12

K.E. Williams

HIST127

Europe: 1890-1945. Distribution II: May be counted as a Distributional course in History & Tradition. WATU Credit Optional.This course, designed for first and second year students, continues the history of the modern world n Europe from the high point of Empire and world domination at the end of the nineteenth century to collapse and ruin in 1945. The grand societies and rich states which composed the European state system in 1890 destroyed themselves in these fifty-five years. As many as eighty million Russians, Germans, Poles, Yugoslavs, Greeks, Italians and other Europeans died in slavelabor camps, and six million Jews were systematically murdered. Europe's flourishing Jewish community east of the Rhine was wiped out. On the 9th of May 1945, the day Nazi Germany surrended, the once prosperous continent was a giganticsmoking ruin, covered by rubble, pock-marked by craters and full of miserable starving people. This course will try to explain how and why Europe committed suicide in such a horrific way. It will cover Fascism, Nazism, Stalinism, the two world wars, the great economic depression and the holocaust. It is not a happy story, but it forms the background to the world in 2000. We need to try to understand these catastrophic years in order to explain our own situation, possibly to learn some modest lessons.

001

TR 9-10:30AM

J. Steinberg

HIST 431

A World at War: World War II in Europe and Asia. Distribution II: May be counted as a Distributional course in History & Tradition. Registration required for LEC, REC. This course will examine the diplomatic origins, military course and domestic implications of World War II.

001

MW 1-2

T. Childers

Introduction to the History of Music B. Gen Req III: May be counted towards the General Requirement in Arts & Letters. Open to all students. The student will learn to listen analytically to music from the period of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven to the present, including opera, orchestral music,and chamber music. Musical notation will also be studied.