Program of Study

The program for the B.A. degree in Germanic Studies is intended to provide students with a wide ranging and highly personalized introduction to the language, literature, and culture of German-speaking countries and to various methods of approaching and examining these areas. It is designed to be complemented by other areas of study (e.g., anthropology, art history, comparative literature, economics, film studies, history, philosophy, political science, sociology).

Students in other fields of study may also complete a minor in Germanic Studies. Information follows the description of the major.

Program Requirements

Students majoring in Germanic Studies typically register for six German language courses at the second-year level and above, plus six courses in German literature and culture, including two courses from GRMN 22000-22099 (taught in German). Students must also prepare a B.A. paper (GRMN 29900). With prior approval of the director of undergraduate studies, students may count up to three relevant German-oriented courses from other departments in the humanities or social sciences toward the requirements of the major in Germanic Studies. Students must meet with the director of undergraduate studies to discuss a plan of study as soon as they declare their major. Students must have their programs approved by the director of undergraduate studies before the end of their third year.

Students may satisfy the required language courses for the major through placement or accreditation examinations.

B.A. Paper. The B.A. paper typically is a research paper of a minimum of twenty-five pages. While the paper may be written in either English or German, it must include a bibliography that makes ample use of German-language sources. Students must submit a proposal for their B.A. paper to their faculty adviser by the beginning of the eighth week of Autumn Quarter in their senior year. A first draft of the paper is due on the first day of Spring Quarter and the completed paper must be submitted by the beginning of the sixth week of Spring Quarter. Registration for GRMN 29900 (B.A. Paper) is required but not counted toward the twelve-course major.

Germanic Studies will accept a paper or project used to meet the B.A. requirement in another major, under the condition that original German sources are used. Students should consult with both chairs by the earliest B.A. proposal deadline (or by the end of their third year, when neither program publishes a deadline). A consent form, to be signed by both chairs, is available from the College adviser. It must be completed and returned to the College adviser by the end of Autumn Quarter of the student's year of graduation.

Summary of Requirements

3 GRMN 20100, 20200, 20300 (second-year German)*

3 GRMN 21101, 21201, 21301

2 literature courses from GRMN 22000-22099 (taught in German)

4 courses in German literature and culture

(may be taken in other departments
and may include Languages Across Chicago courses)

__ B.A. Paper (GRMN 29900)

* Credit may be granted by examination.

Grading. Students majoring in Germanic Studies must receive a quality grade in all courses taken to meet requirements in the major. Nonmajors have the option of taking courses on a P/F basis (except for language courses, which must be taken for quality grades).

Honors. Honors are reserved for those graduating seniors who achieve overall excellence in grades for courses in the College and within the major, and complete a B.A. paper that shows proof of original research or criticism. Students with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 for College work and a GPA of at least 3.5 in classes within the major, and whose B.A. paper (GRMN 29900) is judged superior by two readers, will be recommended to the Master of the Humanities Collegiate Division for honors.

Study Abroad. As early in their course of study as possible, interested students are encouraged to take advantage of one of the five study abroad options available in the College. (1) A program in Vienna, offered each Autumn Quarter, includes three courses of Western Civilization, as well as German language instruction on several levels. (2) In the Autumn Quarter, an intensive language program in Freiburg is available to students who have completed GRMN 10300. Students in this program complete the second year of language study. (3) The College also cosponsors, with the Berlin Consortium for German Studies, a yearlong program at the Freie Universität Berlin. Students register for regular classes at the Freie Universität or at other Berlin universities. To be eligible, students must have completed the second year of German language courses or an equivalent, and should have completed all general education requirements. (4) Third-year majors can apply for a Romberg Summer Research Grant to do preparatory work for the B.A. paper. (5) Students who wish to do a summer study abroad program can apply for a Foreign Language Acquisition Grant (FLAG). FLAG grants are administered by the College and provide support for a minimum of eight weeks of study at a recognized summer program abroad. Students must have completed GRMN 10300 or its equivalent to be eligible for FLAG support for the study of German.

Proficiency Certificate. It is recommended that all students majoring in Germanic Studies complete the College's Advanced Language Proficiency Certificate in German as documentation of advanced functional ability in German in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students are eligible to take the examinations that result in the awarding of this certificate after they have completed courses beyond the second year of language study and subsequently have spent a minimum of one quarter abroad in an approved program; FLAG students are also eligible.

Minor Program in Germanic Studies

Students in other fields of study may complete a minor in Germanic Studies. The minor in Germanic Studies requires a total of six courses beyond the second-year language sequence (GRMN 20100-20300). At least one of the courses following completion of the third-year sequence must be taken in German (GRMN 22000-22099). Credit toward the minor for courses taken abroad will be determined in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies.

Students who elect the minor program in Germanic Studies must meet with the director of undergraduate studies before the end of Spring Quarter of their third year to declare their intention to complete the minor by submitting a form obtained from their College adviser. Students choose courses in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies. The director's approval for the minor program should be submitted to a student's College adviser by the deadline above on a form obtained from the adviser.

Courses in the minor (1) may not be double counted with the student's major(s) or with other minors and (2) may not be counted toward general education requirements. Courses in the minor must be taken for quality grades, and more than half of the requirements for the minor must be met by registering for courses bearing University of Chicago course numbers.

The following group of courses would comprise a minor in Germanic Studies. Other programs may be designed in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies. Minor program requirements are subject to revision.

Germanic Studies Sample Minor

GRMN 21101-21201-21301. Third-Year German

GRMN 22004. Von Wagner zu Brecht

Languages Across Chicago course (it is suggested that the

content of this one LxC course be related to the student's major

if the major and minor are in similar disciplines)

GRMN 25300. Thomas Mann's Doktor Faustus

Faculty

C. Baumann, R. Buch, C. Frey, R. Heller, K. Kenny, D. Levin, E. Santner, C. Tang,
D. Wellbery

Courses

German (grmn)

First-Year Sequence

10100-10200-10300. Elementary German for Beginners I, II, III. PQ for GRMN 10200: placement or consent of language coordinator. PQ for 10300: 10200 or 10201 or placement or consent of language coordinator. No auditors permitted. Must be taken for quality grades. The goal of this sequence is to develop proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking for use in everyday communication. Knowledge and awareness of the different cultures of the German speaking countries is also a goal. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

10201. Elementary German. PQ: Placement or consent of language coordinator. No auditors permitted. Must be taken for a quality grade. This is an accelerated version of the GRMN 10100-10200 sequence for students with previous knowledge of the language. Autumn, Winter.

13100. Reading German. Prior knowledge of German not required. No auditors permitted. This course does not prepare students for the competency exam. Must be taken for a quality grade. This course prepares students to read a variety of German texts. By the end of the quarter, students should have a fundamental knowledge of German grammar and a basic vocabulary. While the course does not teach conversational German, the basic elements of pronunciation are taught so that students can understand a limited amount of spoken German. Spring.

Second-Year Sequence

20100. Deutsche Märchen. PQ: GRMN 10300 or placement. No auditors permitted. Must be taken for a quality grade. This course is a comprehensive look at German fairy tales, including structure and role in German nineteenth-century literature, adaptation as children's books in German and English, and film interpretations. This course also includes a review and expansion of German grammar, with an emphasis on the verb. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

20200. Deutsch-Amerikanische Themen. PQ: GRMN 20100 or placement. No auditors permitted. Must be taken for a quality grade. Issues may range from print or other media, to social topics such as family roles or social class, to literary genres such as exile or immigrant literature. Review and expansion of German grammar continues, with an emphasis on case. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

20300. Kurzprosa aus dem 20. Jahrhundert. PQ: GRMN 20200 or placement. No auditors permitted. Must be taken for a quality grade. This course is a study of descriptive and narrative prose through short fiction and other texts, as well as media from the twentieth century. We focus on grammatical issues designed to push toward more cohesive and idiomatic use of languages. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

Third-Year Sequence

21101-21201-21301. Fokus. May be taken in sequence or individually, but all three are required for the major. These three courses serve as preparation for seminar-style classes. Students prepare texts for class discussion and learn to present a Referat (a student-led discussion of material, including the issues raised and the student's position on those issues). These Referate are also prepared in written form, and expanding and refining writing skills is a major focus.

21101. Fokus: Zeitraum. PQ: GRMN 20300 or placement. No auditors permitted. Advanced German through the study of one era (e.g., Weimar, Romantic, Post-War, Wende). Autumn.

21201. Fokus: Gattung. PQ: GRMN 20300 or placement. No auditors permitted. Advanced German through the study of one genre (e.g., short story, novella, poetry, drama). Winter.

21301. Fokus: Schriftsteller. PQ: GRMN 20300 or placement. No auditors permitted. Advanced German through the study of the work of an individual (e.g., Brecht) or a group (e.g., feminists, writers in exile). Spring.

Literature Courses

22000-22099. Literature courses are taught in German on topics that vary. See Time Schedules for listings.

Languages Across Chicago (LxC)

LxC courses have two possible formats: (1) an additional course meeting during which students read and discuss authentic source material and primary texts in German, or (2) a course in another discipline (such as history) that is taught entirely in German. Prerequisite German language skills depend on the course format and content. LxC courses maintain or improve students' German language skills while giving them a unique and broadened perspective into the regular course content.

22300. Die Wiener Moderne. PQ: GRMN 21300 or placement. This course offers a critical perspective on the multifaceted literary discourse of Viennese modernism, focusing on the period between 1890 and 1910. Main topics include: (1) the so-called Sprachkrise and the ensuing formal innovations in various literary genres; (2) the relationships between literature and other discourses (especially psychology and psychoanalysis), as well as other arts (i.e., painting, architecture, music); and (3) literary representations of social issues. Authors include Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Arthur Schnitzler, Hermann Bahr, Peter Altenberg, Karl Kraus, and Theodor Herzl. Classes conducted in German. C. Tang. Winter.

24200. Dramaturgy. (=CMST 28301/38301, ENGL 11505/31505, ISHU 26100, MUSI 30704) This experimental seminar/workshop course considers the history and development of dramaturgy, including its conceptual foundations and pragmatic aspirations as well as what distinguishes a dramaturgy of theater, film, and opera. In order to clarify some of these generic considerations, the course focuses on multiple renderings of the same material (i.e., Macbeth as Elizabethan drama, nineteenth-century opera, various twentieth-century films). In addition to our more-or-less conventional academic analysis, students engage in dramaturgical practice(s) in writing and on stage. D. Levin. Not offered 2005-06; will be offered 2006-07.

24600. Heinrich von Kleist: Stories and Plays. (=FNDL 21811) This course introduces the stories and plays of Heinrich von Kleist, one of the greatest and yet most enigmatic writers in the history of German literature. Kleist was deeply admired by writers as diverse as Kafka and Thomas Mann. His play The Broken Jug is perhaps the only comedy in the German language to achieve Shakespearean greatness. His stories are notable for their dramatic compression, their violence, and their stylistic perfection. A special section is open to students taking this course for Germanic Studies credit. D. Wellbery. Autumn.

24700. Scandinavian Women's Literature. (=NORW 24700, SCAN 24700) This is a survey course of literature by Scandinavian women writers. We begin with a novel from the 1850s when women were struggling to make their voices heard in an overwhelmingly patriarchal society, and then we move to the near present when women hold substantial political power. We examine how feminist issues and themes in the texts reflect the changes of the past 150 years. Texts include Isak Dinesen's Babette's Feast and Other Anecdotes of Destiny, Gerd Brantenberg's Egalia's Daughters: A Satire of the Sexes, Camilla Collett's The District Governor's Daughters, Kerstin Ekman's Blackwater, Selma Lagerlöf's Gösta Berling's Saga, Moa Martinson's Women and Apple Trees, and Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath. Readings in English. K. Kenny. Autumn.

24900. Thomas Mann: The Magic Mountain. We read this monumental novel by one of the twentieth century's greatest writers in conjunction with a number of philosophical texts that informed Mann's work (e.g., Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Oswald Spengler, Max Weber). Topics include the issue of time and temporality; new media; disease and illness; death and eros; and literary realism. Readings and discussion in English. R. Buch. Autumn.

26700. Literature of the Nazi Occupation of Norway. (=NORW 26700, SCAN 26700) The German Occupation of Norway, which lasted from April 9, 1940, to May 7, 1945, is indisputably the most significant event in modern Norwegian history. The aim of this course is to use literature of and about this period to characterize the Occupation experience in Norway. While our texts come primarily from Norwegians, one novel is German and two others are American. Given the context for these works, we consider them not only as fiction but also as history and even as propaganda. K. Kenny. Winter.

27000. Contemporary Norwegian Novel. (=NORW 27000, SCAN 27000) In this course, we undertake the reading of eight contemporary Norwegian novels (six novels and two novellas) from 1972 to the present. What does this body of texts suggest about the state of Norwegian literature (e.g., quality, preoccupations, style). If postmodern is defined as "incredulity toward meta-narratives," (Lyotard) how postmodern are our texts? K. Kenny. Spring.

29600/39600. Kafka in Prague. (=CZEC 27700/37700, ISHU 27900/37900) The goal of this course is a thorough treatment of Kafka's literary work in its Central European, more specifically Czech, context. In critical scholarship, Kafka and his work are often alienated from his Prague milieu. The course revisits the Prague of Kafka's time, with particular reference to Josefov (the Jewish ghetto), Das Prager Deutsch, and Czech/German/Jewish relations of the prewar and interwar years. We discuss most of Kafka's major prose works within this context and beyond (e.g., The Castle, The Trial, and the stories published during his lifetime), as well as selected critical approaches to his work. M. Sternstein. Winter.

29700. Reading and Research Course in German. PQ: Consent of instructor and director of undergraduate studies. Students must consult with an instructor by the eighth week of the preceding quarter to determine the subject of the course and the work to be done. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

29900. B.A. Paper. PQ: Fourth-year standing. Consent of instructor and director of undergraduate studies. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

32800. Parables of Modernity. PQ: Advanced standing. At the center of this class is a type of text whose generic unity is difficult to determine. The short literary and philosophical prose we examine draws upon and combines a variety of genres and subgenres (e.g., parable, anecdote, literary vignette, moral tale, maxim, aphorism). In close readings of texts ranging from Ernst Bloch's Spuren, Bertolt Brecht's Geschichten vom Herrn Keuner, Robert Musil's Nachlaß zu Lebzeiten, to Adorno's Minima Moralia and Hans Blumenberg's Die Sorge geht über den Fluß, we explore the logic of this form. Readings also include precursors of this tradition: Johann Peter Hebel (Kalendergeschichten); Lichtenberg; and Nietzsche. Readings in German; discussion in English. R. Buch. Winter.

33000. Rainer Maria Rilke: Poetry and Prose. This seminar addresses Rilke's major works, focusing on the New Poems, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, the Duino Elegies, and the Sonnets to Orpheus. We consult critical essays on the conditions of literary production in modernity by Benjamin, Simmel, Kracauer, and others. E. Santner. Autumn.

33200. Hegel's Phenomenology. (=PHIL 28201/33001, SCTH 38001) The goal of this course is to give a general introduction to what is arguably Hegel's most exciting work. We begin by spending some time discussing the overall project of the work, especially as articulated in the preface and introduction. We then examine some of the most important sections of the work (e.g., "Sense-certainty" and "Lordship and Bondage") in more detail. M. Forster. Spring.

34600. Georg Büchner. It has often been observed that "modernity" entered German literature some fifty years ahead of its time in the work of Georg Büchner (1813-37). This seminar focuses not only on this untimely modernness but also on the rootedness of Büchner's texts in the eighteenth century. We adopt a double approach, both analyzing the aesthetic innovations of Büchner’s texts and situating them in the context of discourse history (e.g., Büchner’s figurations of the body, the pathological, and violence). Readings include the entirety of Büchner's (quite small) literary oeuvre, concentrating on Dantons Tod and Lenz; excerpts from his letters and from his medical dissertation; and other medical texts of his time and earlier. Readings in German. C. Frey. Spring.

38100. Paradigms of Cultural Theory. In light of the so-called "cultural turn" in the humanities and social sciences, this course seeks to reconstruct the main paradigms of cultural theory in the German tradition. Topics include the semantic transformation of "culture" around 1800, ethnographical and technological conceptions of culture in the nineteenth century, Kulturphilosophie around 1900, and main positions in contemporary German Kulturwissenschaft. C. Tang. Spring.

38800. Neighbor Love. PQ: Advanced standing. In both Judaism and Christianity, the commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself" functions as the central law or moral principle par excellence, the ethical essence of true religion, in tandem with the commandment to "love God." For skeptical readers, the commandment to love the neighbor has seemed far from rational, in fact appearing deeply enigmatic. The seminar follows the tracks of this enigma into the space of European modernity where it becomes a crucial site for the rethinking of subjectivity, responsibility, and community. E. Santner, P. Mendes-Flohr. Winter.

44900. Robert Musil: Science, Philosophy, Fiction. (=SCTH 44900) This course examines the entirety of Musil's work, with particular attention to Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften, often considered one of the great narrative achievements of modernism. The seminar also examines Musil's scientific and philosophical interests, his early novel Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß, and his experimental novellas collected as Vereinigungen and Drei Frauen. Comparisons with the major modernist novelists (e.g., Joyce, Proust, Mann) help profile the specificity of Musil's writing. D. Wellbery. Winter.

47000. German Romanticism: Science, Philosophy, and Literature. (=CHSS 42400, HIPS 26801, HIST 25401/35401, PHIL 20701/30701) This lecture/discussion course investigates the formation of the idea of Romantic literature, philosophy, and science during the age of Goethe. We discuss the works of Kant (especially second part of third Critique), Fichte (Wissenschaftslehre), Schelling (philosophy of nature), the Schlegel brothers (fragments and aesthetics), Novalis (Hymns to the Night), Schleiermacher (Speeches on Religion), Schiller (On Naïve and Sentimental Poetry), and Goethe (Werther, poetry, and biology). R. Richards. Winter.

47800. German Romanticism I. (=SCTH 44910) This seminar examines the philosophical, critical, and literary achievement of Early German Romanticism (Frühromantik). Writers considered in depth are Fr. and A. W. Schlegel, Novalis, Ludwig Tieck, Fichte, Schelling, Dorothea Schlegel, and Clemens Brentano. Selections from works by Goethe, Schiller, and Hölderlin are also considered where relevant. The seminar is devoted to an exploration of the central concepts introduced by the early romantics (e.g., wit, irony, fragment, transcendental poetry), the various literary forms they employed (e.g., lyric, novel, dialogue, essay), and the historical and political conceptions they advanced. Major works of secondary literature (e.g., Benjamin, Menninghaus, Frank, Beiser) are also considered. D. Wellbery. Autumn.

Norwegian (norw)

10100-10200-10300. First-Year Norwegian I, II, III. The aim of this sequence is to provide students with minimal proficiency in the four language skills of speaking, reading, writing, and listening; with a special emphasis on speaking. To achieve these goals, we undertake an overview of all major grammar topics and work to acquire a substantial vocabulary. K. Kenny. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

10400. Intermediate Norwegian. PQ: NORW 10300 or consent of instructor. This course combines intensive review of all basic grammar with the acquisition of more advanced grammar concepts. Students undertake readings pertaining to culture and contemporary Norwegian life and read a contemporary novel. Classes conducted in Norwegian. K. Kenny. Spring.

24700. Scandinavian Women's Literature. (=GRMN 24700, SCAN 24700) This is a survey course of literature by Scandinavian women writers. We begin with a novel from the 1850s when women were struggling to make their voices heard in an overwhelmingly patriarchal society, and then we move to the near present when women hold substantial political power. We examine how feminist issues and themes in the texts reflect the changes of the past 150 years. Texts include Isak Dinesen's Babette's Feast and Other Anecdotes of Destiny, Gerd Brantenberg's Egalia's Daughters: A Satire of the Sexes, Camilla Collett's The District Governor's Daughters, Kerstin Ekman's Blackwater, Selma Lagerlöf's Gösta Berling's Saga, Moa Martinson's Women and Apple Trees, and Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath. Readings in English. K. Kenny. Autumn.

26700. Literature of the Nazi Occupation of Norway. (=GRMN 26700, SCAN 26700) The German Occupation of Norway, which lasted from April 9, 1940, to May 7, 1945, is indisputably the most significant event in modern Norwegian history. The aim of this course is to use literature of and about this period to characterize the Occupation experience in Norway. While our texts come primarily from Norwegians, one novel is German and two others are American. Given the context for these works, we consider them not only as fiction but also as history and even as propaganda. K. Kenny. Winter.

27000. Contemporary Norwegian Novel. (=GRMN 27000, SCAN 27000) In this course, we undertake the reading of eight contemporary Norwegian novels (six novels and two novellas) from 1972 to the present. What does this body of texts suggest about the state of Norwegian literature (e.g., quality, preoccupations, style). If postmodern is defined as "incredulity toward meta-narratives," (Lyotard) how postmodern are our texts? K. Kenny. Spring.

Scandinavian (scan)

24700. Scandinavian Women's Literature. (=GRMN 24700, NORW 24700) This is a survey course of literature by Scandinavian women writers. We begin with a novel from the 1850s when women were struggling to make their voices heard in an overwhelmingly patriarchal society, and then we move to the near present when women hold substantial political power. We examine how feminist issues and themes in the texts reflect the changes of the past 150 years. Texts include Isak Dinesen's Babette's Feast and Other Anecdotes of Destiny, Gerd Brantenberg's Egalia's Daughters: A Satire of the Sexes, Camilla Collett's The District Governor's Daughters, Kerstin Ekman's Blackwater, Selma Lagerlöf's Gösta Berling's Saga, Moa Martinson's Women and Apple Trees, and Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath. Readings in English. K. Kenny. Autumn.

26700. Literature of the Nazi Occupation of Norway. (=GRMN 26700, NORW 26700) The German Occupation of Norway, which lasted from April 9, 1940, to May 7, 1945, is indisputably the most significant event in modern Norwegian history. The aim of this course is to use literature of and about this period to characterize the Occupation experience in Norway. While our texts come primarily from Norwegians, one novel is German and two others are American. Given the context for these works, we consider them not only as fiction but also as history and even as propaganda. K. Kenny. Winter.

27000. Contemporary Norwegian Novel. (=GRMN 27000, NORW 27000) In this course, we undertake the reading of eight contemporary Norwegian novels (six novels and two novellas) from 1972 to the present. What does this body of texts suggest about the state of Norwegian literature (e.g., quality, preoccupations, style). If postmodern is defined as "incredulity toward meta-narratives," (Lyotard) how postmodern are our texts? K. Kenny. Spring.