Courses

Introduces the culture of contemporary German-speaking central Europe, examining historical processes, social and political patterns, and the intellectual and artistic responses to problems of the 20th and 21st centuries. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: contemporary societies.

An interdisciplinary introduction to the modern industrial city in Europe and the USA, with particular attention to the representation of urbanism in the visual arts. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.

Critically examines titles in German literature and thought. Nature and environment are used to explore alienation, artistic inspiration, nihilism, exploitation, sexuality, rural versus urban, meaning of the earth, cultural renewal, identity and gender. This "Green" survey of German classics spans Romanticism's conception of nature as unconscious spirit to the politics and values of contemporary Germany's Green Party. Taught in English. Same as HUMN 1701. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.

Examines social culture and everyday life in Nazi Germany. Topics include the role of propaganda in the media and entertainment industries, anti-Semitism and suppression of ethnic, social and religious minorities, the role of education and youth organizations, as well as the role of women, the churches, and the effects of a controlled economy before and during World War II. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: historical context.

Short stories by Thomas Mann, Kafka, Boell, and Grass, such as Death in Venice, Metamorphosis, and Cat and Mouse. Emphasizes literary themes, their traditions, and their cultural significance. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.

Examines how the memory of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany is increasingly determined by the means of its representation, e.g., film, autobiography, poetry, architecture. Taught in English. Same as JWST 2502. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.

Explores the origins, cultural significance, stylistic and thematic features of the German fairy tale, with emphasis on the Brothers Grimm; on artistic fairy tales by Goethe, Tieck, Brentano, and others; and, on modern retellings in literature and popular culture. Taught in English. Approved for GT-AH2. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.

Exposes the students to a wide selection of Kafka's literary output and aims to define the meaning of the Kafkaesque, by looking not only for traces of Kafka's influence in the verbal and visual arts, but also for traces left in Kafka's own work by his precursors in the literary tradition. Taught in English. Same as HUMN 2601. Approved for GT-AH2. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.

Examines the moral dilemmas that arise when opportunities afforded by basic freedoms or advances in technology clash with the ethical imperatives that issue from the Enlightenment and the social contract. Guiding questions include: When does the quest for knowledge legitimate transgression of prevailing morality? By what standard do we adjudicate the ambitions of the individual when they compete with the interests of the state? Taught in English. Approved for art and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.

Provides insight into the German-Jewish identity through essays, autobiographies, fiction, and journalism from the Enlightenment to the post-Holocaust period. Examines the religious and social conflicts that typify the history of Jewish existence in German-speaking lands during the modern epoch. Taught in English. Same as JWST 3501. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity.

Features the writings of Germany's major literary figures from 1749 to 1832. Special attention is paid to the formation of literary periods, genres, aesthetic, and socio-historical developments contributing to the birth of modernism in German intellectual history and literature. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.

History and theory of Weimar and Nazi film with sociocultural emphasis. Taught in English. Same as FILM 3503.

A comparative analysis of key issues in German culture as they are represented in film and other media, e.g., technology, architecture, women, and the Holocaust. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours when topic varies. Taught in English. Same as FILM 3504.

Examines Enlightenment notions of reason, humanity, and social progress. Topics include 18th century views on government, science, education, religion, slavery, and gender roles. Taught in English. Same as HUMN 3505. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.

Introduces issues in German society through film during the Cold War. Focus on East and West Germany, though some other German language films may be included. Emphasis is on reading films in their social, historical, and political contexts. Taught in English. Same as FILM 3513.

Introduces post-1989 German culture through film. The course emphasizes films in their socio-historical contexts and explores developments in German culture during and after the unification. Taught in English. Same as FILM 3514.

Explores writing by German/Austrian women from 1945 to the present, with special attention to the representation of the Holocaust, the continuation of avant-garde traditions, innovations in literary form, and feminism. Visual arts, film, and feminist theory will also be considered in their relation to literature. Taught in English. Same as WMST 3601. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity.

Surveys the major theoretical concepts and literary genres of the Dada and Surrealist movements. Topics include Dada performance and cabaret, the manifesto, montage, the ready made, the Surrealist novel, colonialism and the avant-garde, and literary and philosophical precursors to the avant-garde. Taught in English. Same as HUMN 3702. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.

Examines early 20th century German culture, with emphasis on the Weimar Republic (1918-1933) in light of contemporaneous political discussions. The course presents modern art and literature (Expressionism, Dada, Brecht's epic theater) and architecture and design (Bauhaus, Werkbund) as well as political movements of women, sexual minorities, and Berlin's Jewish communities. Taught in English. GRMN 3802 and HUMN 3802 are the same course. Offered through CU Study Abroad Program. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.

Serves as an introduction to the "Frankfurt School" and Critical Theory with particular emphasis upon rationality, social psychology, cultural criticism, and aesthetics. Through close readings of key texts by members of the school (Horkheimer, Benjamin, Adorno, Habermas) we will work toward a critical understanding of the analytical tools they developed and consider their validity. Taught in English. GRMN 4051, 5051 and COML 5051 are the same course.

Historical and systematic study of principal themes of Marxist thought, from its Hegelian origins to its contemporary varieties, emphasizing the works of Marx and Engels. Taught in English. Prereq., 12 hours of GRMN or PHIL course work or instructor consent. Same as PHIL 4250. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).

Surveys seminal essays from Frege to the present on the philosophy of language. Taught in English.

Introduces students to debates surrounding migration and race in contemporary Germany. Emphasis on reading texts in context using tools of cultural studies, integrating analyses of gender, race, nation, and sexuality. Texts may include film, literature, television, magazine images, etc. Topics include: questioning "multiculturalism," self-representation, integration, Islam, citizenship, violence, public space, youth culture, racism and nationalism. Taught in English. Same as GRMN 5301 and WMST 4301. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity.

Provides a broader basis for the work of literature, viewing it from various cultural perspectives. Specific content of course is defined by the instructor. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours when topic varies. Taught in English.

Emphasizes Nietzsche's major writings from 1872 to 1888 with particular attention to the critique of Western values. Includes a systematic exploration of doctrines, concepts, and ideas leading to the values of creativity. Taught in English. Same as HUMN 4502. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomore, Junior or Senior) only.