Deutsch 340: Major Themes in German Literature
Spring 1999
Symphonie einer Großstadt oder Kakophonie:
19th and 20th Century Representations of Berlin in German Texts
MWF 2-2:50, Kauke 228
Instructor: Lisabeth Hock
Office: Kauke 245
Office Hours: T and W 3-4 and by appointment
Telephone: Dept. Ext. 2482
Home 263-0565 (no calls after 10 p.m., please)
Email: lhock@acs.wooster.edu
Mailbox: Kauke 14
Required Texts:
Available in Bookstore:
Theodor Fontane, Irrungen, Wirrungen
Irmgard Keun, Das kunstseidene Mädchen
Ingeborg Drewitz, Gestern war heute
Peter Schneider, Der Mauerspringer
Uwe Timm, Johannesnacht
Library Reserve Materials, Including:
Brian Ladd, The Ghosts of Berlin
Ruttmann, Berlin, die Symphonie einer Großstadt, Film
Berlin Alexanderplatz, Film
Wenders, In weiter Ferne so nah, Film
Class Handouts and Internet Material
Course Description:
Despite, or perhaps because of their selectivity and subjectivity, memories shape cities and the meanings we assign to them. These memories include not only the very personal reminiscences of an individual who has grown up, lived, or even merely visited a place but also the collective memories of neighborhoods and peoples of various ethnic backgrounds, religions, races, classes and genders who inhabit that place. Such memories are passed from one generation to the next by means that include, but are in no way limited to, oral and written history, literary texts, newspapers, film and, increasingly, television and the internet. Furthermore, as current debates surrounding the "reconstruction" of Berlin as the new German capital have shown, these memories are also embedded in and communicated through a city's buildings, streets, parks, and monuments. As Brian Ladd has noted "memories often cleave to the physical settings of events" (Ghosts, 1). Not only do such memories offer us records of a city's past, they also continue to inform that city's present, the present of the people who visit and live there, and the meanings we assign to the city.
This seminar explores representations of Berlin and Berliner in texts of the 19th and 20th centuries. Over the course of the semester, we will examine both how Berlin shapes the individuals and characters in the texts we read, and the manner in which these texts both define and challenge our perceptions of that city. Our primary focus will be literary texts, but we will also view several films, view sources on the internet, and read texts that will provide a historical and sociological context for our investigations. Ladd's "The Ghosts of Berlin: Confronting German History in the Urban Landscape" (1997) will serve as the primary source of background information for the course.
Course Goals and Requirements:
This course is intended to provide you with a deeper understanding of representations of Berlin in the 19th and 20th centuries and to help you develop your conversational and writing skills in German. Active participation, essays and other homework assignments will help you to achieve these goals.
Your grade will be determined as follows:
Active Participation (including attendance) 40%
Writing Assignments 40%
Other Assignments 20%
Participation:
Attendance and active participation in class discussions are required. I expect you to come to class having read the assignment closely and having thought about the class-generated study questions. If you must miss a class, please notify me ahead of time. Absences are excused only in the case of illness, family emergency, and activities or religious holidays recognized by the College of Wooster. Unexcused absences will affect your participation grade significantly.
Writing Assignments:
These assignments are intended to deepen your understanding of the texts we read and to improve your writing skills. You may write four short papers or a combination of short paper(s) and/or response papers and/or research paper.
The basic assignment is:
Four 4-6 page short papers. These papers should be well structured and organized around a specific theme of your own choosing or suggested by one of the study questions. The due dates for these papers are: Feb. 5, March 5, April 9, April 30. They may be turned in earlier.
You may make the following substitutions:
*You may substitute one research paper of 10-12 pages for two of the short papers. Should you choose this option, I will expect a title, thesis and bibliography by March 26 and the paper will be due April 30. You must turn in your first short paper by March 5 and your second by April 9.
*You may substitute two 2-3 page response papers for one short paper. You may substitute this option for up to two of the short papers. These papers should be responses to the week's reading and are due in class on the day that a reading is discussed. Should you choose this option, you must have turned in your first three response papers by Feb 5 and your second three by April 9.
If you are not satisfied with the grade you receive on a paper, you may revise it and I will average the two grades together.
You may expand a response paper into a short paper and you may expand a short paper into a research paper. Because writing is a recursive process, I highly recommend that you do this.
All papers must be typed, double-spaced, with 1" margins and Times/ Times New Roman 12 point font. They must also be spell-checked.
Other Assignments:
These will include two short (5-7 minute) oral presentations, sending content and discussion questions to the course list-serve on a weekly basis; and film worksheets.
Please inform me as soon as possible of any special learning requirements you have.
Deutsch 340
Semesterplan
Berliner Mauer und Wände | |
| Woche 1 Berliner Bilder aus dem 19. Jahrhundert | |
| 11.Januar 1999 | Kurseinführung: Orte und Identität |
| 13. 01.99 | Handout (Arnim und Ladd) Schicken Sie bis 9 Uhr eine Inhalts- und eine Diskussionsfrage an die Email-Liste Fontane, Erstes Kapitel, S. 3-7 |
| 15.01.99 | Gedichte--Handout Schicken Sie bis 9 Uhr eine Inhalts- und eine Diskussionsfrage an die Email-Liste Fontane, S. 7-19 |
Das alte Berlin | |
| Woche 2 Fontane, Irrungen, Wirrungen | |
| 18.01.99 | Fontane, S. 3-34 |
| 20.01.99 | Fontane, S. 34-52 Schicken Sie 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste Ladd (Handout) |
| Woche 3 Fontane, Irrungen, Wirrungen | |
| 25.01.99 | Fontane, S. 53-108 Schicken Sie 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste |
| 27.01.99 | Fontane, S. 108-182 Schicken Sie 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste |
Der Metropolis | |
| Woche 4 Berlin um die Jahrhundertwende | |
| 01. Februar 1999 | HO: Berlin um 1900 Texte von Joseph Roth Raoul Hausmann, "Dada empört sich . . . " George Grosz, "Gesang an die Welt" Ladd, S. 83-125 Schicken Sie 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste |
| 03.02.99 | HO: Gedichte von Gottfried Benn Entscheiden Sie sich für ein Gedicht, daß Sie intensiv lesen wollen. Schicken Sie den Titel des Gedichts an die Liste, und seien Sie bereit, Ihre Auslegung mit der Klasse zu besprechen. |
| 05.02.99 | Aufsatz 1 fällig |
| Woche 5 Berlin: Alexanderplatz und Symphonie einer Großstadt | |
| 08.02.99 | Film: Berlin Alexanderplatz + Arbeitsblatt Schicken Sie 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste. |
| 10.02.99 | Film: Berlin, Symphonie einer Großstadt + Arbeitsblatt HO: Siegfried Kracauer, Feuilletons |
| Woche 6 Keun, Das kunstseidene Mädchen | |
| 15.02.99 | Keun, Erster Teil (1-42) Schicken Sie 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste |
| 17.02.99 | Keun, Zweiter Teil Schicken Sie 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste |
Nazi-Berlin | |
| Woche 7 Hitler's Constructions | |
| 22.02.99 | Keun, Dritter Teil |
| 24.02.99 | Ladd, S. 127-173, "Nazi Berlin" Film: "Hitler's Constructions" + Arbeitsblatt |
| Woche 8 Drewitz, Gestern war heute | |
| 01. März 1999 | Drewitz 1-92 (56-92 besonders vorsichtig) Da Sie für die nächsten vier Sitzungen recht viel lesen müssen, möchte ich, daß jeder die Verantwortung für einen Teil der Lektüre übernimmt und vor der Klasse eine Zusammenfassung von dem Teil an die Liste schickt. Schicken Sie bitte dazu 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste |
| 03.03.99 | Drewitz 93-198 Schicken Sie Ihre Zusammenfassung + 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste. |
| 05.03.99 | Aufsatz 2 fällig |
| Frühlingsferien | |
| Woche 9 Drewitz, Gestern war heute | |
| 22.03.99 | Drewitz 198-299 Schicken Sie Ihre Zusammenfassung + 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste |
| 24.03.99 | Drewitz 300-374 Schicken Sie Ihre Zusammenfassung + 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste |
| 26.03.99 | Bibliographie, Titel und These für die Seminararbeit fällig, falls Sie eine Seminararbeit schreiben. |
| Das getrennte Berlin | |
| Woche 10 Schneider, Der Mauerspringer | |
| 29.03.99 | Ladd, Kapitel 5, S. 175-215 Schicken Sie 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste Der Mauerspringer, S. 5-15 |
| 31.03.99 | Der Mauerspringer, S. 15-65 Schicken Sie 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste |
| Woche 11 Schneider, Berlin Ost und West | |
| 05.04.99 | Der Mauerspringer, S. 65-Ende Schicken Sie 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste |
| 07.04.99 | HO: Aufsätze von Daniela Dahn und Peter Schneider Schicken Sie 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste |
| 09.04.99 | Aufsatz 3 fällig |
| Die neue Hauptstadt | |
| Woche 12 Schwarzfahrer, In weiter Ferne so nah | |
| 12.04.99 | Ladd, Kapitel 6, S. 217-235 Film: Schwarzfahrer Arbeitsblatt zum Film |
| 14.04.99 | Film: In weiter Ferne so nah Arbeitsblatt zum Film Schicken Sie 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste |
| Woche 13 Timm, Johannesnacht | |
| 19.04.99 | Timm, Johannesnacht http://www.zlb.de/projekte/kulturbox-archiv/ |
| 21.04.99 | Timm, Johannesnacht Schicken Sie 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste |
| Woche 14 Timm, Johannesnacht | |
| 26.04.99 | Timm, Johannesnacht Schicken Sie 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste |
| 28.04.99 | Timm, Johannesnacht Schicken Sie 2 Diskussionsfragen an die Email-Liste |
| 07.05.99 | Aufsatz 4 oder Seminararbeit fällig |