German Courses

Spring 2025

GERM 101: Elementary German I
Annalena Schulze, Christina Feil

Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading and speaking skills, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. Texts augmented by tapes and video materials. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G. GERM 101 uses a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased. 4 credits
WL1

GERM 102: Elementary German II
Rebecca Schaefer, Lieselotte Sippel, Annalena Schulze

Continuation of GERM 101. Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. At the end of the German 101/102 sequence, students will understand the basic structures of the German language. They will be able to interact with native speakers of German in simple everyday situations. German 101/102 count toward Harpur College's foreign language requirement. Students who satisfy the Foreign Language requirement will demonstrate basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language; and knowledge of the distinctive features of cultures(s) associated with the languages they are studying. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G. GERM 101–102 use a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased.
WL2

GERM 180: Rivers in Literature
Alex Sorenson

This class examines the “place” of natural landscapes in literature by focusing on the river as a foundational site and symbol of the human imagination. Using the figural, narrative, and philosophical dimensions of the river as a lens, we will explore key epochs of literary history from ancient epics (e.g., Gilgamesh) to modern poetry (e.g., Seamus Heaney). A core question that will guide us is: how can rivers (and landscapes more broadly) function as guides through literary history, and why have cultures—especially in the German-speaking world—so often chosen the imagery of rivers in particular as a means for imagining and (re)constructing their own histories? Genres and epochs include: ancient and medieval epic poetry, Romanticism, Modernism and contemporary literature, along with art, film, music, and landscape architecture.
W

GERM 203: Intermediate German I
Tim Schmidt

This course is intended as a first step in the expansion of your German language skills beyond the basic functionality acquired in the first two semesters. By engaging with a variety of authentic cultural materials (short literary texts, video blogs featuring native speakers, newspaper articles, online content, etc.), students will develop their comprehension skills as well as their skills of spoken and written expression. Where the early stages of language learning prioritize the communication of information, you will now learn structures and strategies for expressing your own opinions, experiences, and interpretations. Integrated skill development, functional communicative proficiency, and cultural awareness are the chief goals of the course. German is the main language of instruction. GERM 203 uses a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased.
WL3

GERM 204: Intermediate German II
Lieselotte Sippel

Continuation of GERM 203. This course is intended as a first step in the expansion of your German language skills beyond the basic functionality acquired in the first three semesters. By engaging with a variety of authentic cultural materials (short literary texts, video blogs featuring native speakers, newspaper articles, online content, etc.), students will develop their comprehension skills as well as their skills of spoken and written expression. Where the early stages of language learning prioritize the communication of information, you will now learn structures and strategies for expressing your own opinions, experiences, and interpretations. Integrated skill development, functional communicative proficiency, and cultural awareness are the chief goals of the course. German is the main language of instruction. Prerequisite: successful completion of GERM 203 or permission of Director of Undergraduate Studies.

GERM 221: Intermediate German Conversation
AnnaLena Schulze

Informal instruction and practice in colloquial German,.. Primarily for students who have completed GERM 102. Discussion based on variety of cultural, commercial and some technical materials provides practice in more advance conversational speech patterns and vocabulary. This course is taught in the 2nd half of the semester.

GERM 281D: Queerness and Gender in Film Culture
Rebecca Schaefer

“You can’t be what you can’t see.” – This statement by Marian Wright Edelman holds especially true for visual culture. How have images and film taught us to see, or rather to unsee, non-normative identities? How have they shaped representation and social discourse and have (re)produced concepts such as sexuality and gender—concepts which, like race, ability, or class, still constitute powerful systems of inequality in societies at large as well as in an increasingly globalized visual culture? To introduce students to representations of non-normative sexualities and gender identities in 20th and 21st century visual culture with a special emphasis on film, this course zooms in on German cinema. Mapping the emergence of (gender)queer representation throughout German filmic history, the course moves from the avantgarde filmic imagery of the Weimar Republic (1919–1933), including ANDERS ALS DIE ANDEREN (1919), with a screenplay by Jewish-German gender pioneer and sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld, and Christa Winsloe’s first-ever lesbian film MÄDCHEN IN UNIFORM (1931), to the seminal work of New German cinema icons Rainer Werner Fassbinder (FOX AND HIS FRIENDS, 1975) and Rosa von Praunheim (IT IS NOT THE HOMOSEXUAL WHO IS PERVERSE, BUT THE SOCIETY IN WHICH HE LIVES, 1970; AIDS TRILOGY, 1989/90), to the GDR’s controversial, only gay-themed film COMING OUT (1989, Heiner Carow) and Berlinale winner AIMÉE UND JAGUAR (Max Färberböck, 1999), to Germany’s new queer cinema (GLÜCK, 2021, Henrika Kull) and especially the new queer post migrant cinema of Angelina Maccarone (FREMDE HAUT, 2005), Fatih Akin (AUF DER ANDEREN SEITE, 2007), Uisenma Borchu (SCHAU MICH NICHT SO AN, 2015), and Faraz Shariat (FUTUR DREI, 2020). While examining how this vibrant visual archive has articulated radical critiques of and alternatives to the heteronormative film culture of the mainstream, the male gaze etc., the course will especially highlight how directors increasingly articulate queerness intersectionally; relating it to questions of (post)migration, race and ethnicity, nationhood and belonging, or class and ability. With its focus on visual representation, this viewing- and writing-intensive and discussion-based seminar also employs film analysis methods and aesthetic, gender, and film theory to recognize and discuss the ways in which visual culture teaches us to (un)see. No film theoretical background knowledge or previous knowledge of German culture required. Participants of all majors are welcome, as a diversity of backgrounds and majors will contribute to our discussions. Course taught entirely in English.
C,D,H

GERM 281J: Marx, Nietzsche, Freud
Rebecca Schaefer

To participate in pressing debates concerning politics, philosophy, economy, psychology, ethics, or the relationship between intellectual life and society, it is necessary to have a basic grasp of Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud. This writing-intensive and discussion-based seminar introduces students to “these three masters of suspicion” (Ricoeur) whose work has had such profound global effects on modern thought, practice, and society for over a century. The course’s focus is on short texts or excerpts from longer texts, which serve as an introduction to key concepts, questions, methods, and moves of their work. Although Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud mark very different moments in the history of philosophy and theory, they all share a suspicion that, when it comes to human beings, things are usually not what they seem. How we arrange our economic life, how we understand ethical codes and moral systems, how we understand even our own understanding, our mental life, our motivation, and our desires: none of these questions, for Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud, are as self-evident as they seem. This class will accordingly explore how these three thinkers pursued the hidden structures that shape human life.
H,W

GERM 306: Texts & Contexts II
Carl Gelderloos

Course offers students the opportunity to refine modes of expression, improve accuracy and fluency and build cultural competency in German by engaging with important trends, ideas and events in the German-speaking world. It prepares students for more advanced work in German Studies in an interdisciplinary context. Students will engage texts and images from a range of genres (literature, history, philosophy, politics film, popular culture, news media, art) to improve critical reading abilities and accuracy in writing. The course also reviews advanced grammar structures in context. Taught entirely in German. Prerequisite: GERM 305 or instructor permission.

GERM 380B: Post War Germany
Harald Zils

After Germany's defeat in 1945, the country, divided into four, then two parts by the victorious allies, found itself in political, moral, intellectual and economic crisis. In the eye of the Cold War, German societies in east and west had to choose whether to come to terms with the past in order to make decisions for the future; or to remain silent and to suppress memories in favor of a truce for the present. The course focuses on four decisive years in the history of the two new states: 1949; 1956; 1961; and 1968. Three presentations (two short, one long), midterm, final. Course taught in English
H,O,W

GERM 380I: Post War Germany
Harald Zils

After Germany's defeat in 1945, the country, divided into four, then two parts by the victorious allies, found itself in political, moral, intellectual and economic crisis. In the eye of the Cold War, German societies in east and west had to choose whether to come to terms with the past in order to make decisions for the future; or to remain silent and to suppress memories in favor of a truce for the present. The course focuses on four decisive years in the history of the two new states: 1949; 1956; 1961; and 1968. Three presentations (two short, one long), midterm, final. Course taught in English.
H,O,W

GERM 380X: Nazi Culture
Harald Zils

German Cultural Politics, 1933-1945
The National Socialists' takeover of Germany had enormous impact on society. This included the transformation of the cultural sphere: the complete takeover of German film production by the regime; the persecution of authors, artists and intellectuals; the banning and defamation of numerous works; the Gleichschaltung of schools, universities, publishers and other cultural institutions. As part of their war of conquest, the Nazis soon wanted to control the cultural production of all of occupied Europe. The course examines the impact of the political on the cultural. What measures did the new rulers use to ensure the new direction of social discourse? How did the established institutions respond? Was there resistance – and if so, what did it look like? We analyze primary sources: Propaganda films such as "The Eternal Forest," "The Rothschilds," and "I Accuse, governmental decrees and laws, public declarations such as Martin Heidegger's Rectorate speech and private diary entries of the "inner exile," as well as excerpts from literary texts that carefully skirted censorship. In addition, we hear voices from exile: from politicians, authors, artists and scholars who desperately try to preserve their own, the "other" Germany.
Course taught in English. 4 credits.
H,W

GERM 381H: Deutschland heute
Neil Christian Pages

Inspired by student curiosity about ‘what Germans are talking about now’, this discussion-based seminar examines current events through the lens of the Germanophone media. Through readings from the major German news outlets, official websites and popular media we will explore the issues and events that appear to concern Germans in the contemporary moment. We’ll think about how Germans see the U.S. and how we see the Germans. We’ll read a contemporary bestseller, Daniel Kehlmann’s 2023 novel Lichtspiel, a fictionalized version of the life of the famous Austrian filmmaker G.W. Pabst, and look at the film that launched Pabst’s career (and Greta Garbo’s), Die freudlose Gasse/The Joyless Street. Requirements: Weekly written homework; two short papers; two in-class presentations. This course is taught entirely in German.

Courses crosslisted with German

GERM 281J: Yiddish II
Gina Glasman

Follows on from Yiddish 101 as students sharpen their linguistic skills with more complex sentence structure, a deeper knowledge of tenses and cases, and a broader vocabulary. In addition, we explore Yiddish culture through film, stories, folk sayings and the occasional joke! As always lyrics from Yiddish popular song provide the backbone of the class, and individual attention is a feature of the instruction. Note: interested students can join 102 directly without having taken 101. (Instructor permission needed).
WL1

GERM 380D: German Jews
Allan Arkush

This course will examine the lives of representative German Jews from the middle of the 18th century to the beginning of the Nazi era. It will focus on these individuals? relationship to Judaism and Jewish life and the changing German world in which they lived. Among the figures studied will be philosophers (Moses Mendelssohn), politicians (Gabriel Riesser and Walter Rathenau), rabbis (Leo Baeck), and feminists (Bertha Pappenheim). Selected Topics: the fight for Jewish civil rights in the 19th century, the reception of Jews in the German public sphere, responses to anti-Semitism, new philosophies of Judaism.

GERM 380K: Modern Yiddish Culture
Gina Glasman

In the half century before the Second World War, a Yiddish speaking "Jewish Street" stretched from Buenos Aires to Boston, from London to Lodz, with many cities in between. What characterized the culture of this mostly urban and modernizing society is the subject of this class. Cinema and short stories, poetry and politics provide our vehicle to explore the world of Eastern European Jewry in a time of radical transformation and approaching catastrophe (all material is in English). Note: If a student has already taken a 200-level version of Modern Yiddish Culture they will not receive credit for this course.

GERM 481E: The Nobel Prize in Literature
Kaitlyn Sorenson

Since 1901, The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to an author who has "in the field of literature, produced the most outstanding work in an idealistic direction." In so doing, the Prize has long generated heated debates about literature as an aesthetic form, an agent of social change, and an aspect of human culture. This course will allow students to sample a diverse survey of authors who have won the prize, while also examining the critical discourse that has emerged surrounding several controversial selections (and omissions). Ultimately, this course uses the Nobel as a case study to examine various conceptions of literary prestige, and to study the mechanisms by which contemporary literature is both celebrated and overlooked.

Fall 2024

GERM 101: Elementary German I
Lieselotte Sippel, Rebecca Schaefer

Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. At the end of the German 101/102 sequence, students will understand the basic structures of the German language. They will be able to interact with native speakers of German in simple everyday situations. German 101/102 count toward Harpur College's foreign language requirement. Students who satisfy the Foreign Language requirement will demonstrate basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language; and knowledge of the distinctive features of cultures(s) associated with the languages they are studying. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. GERM 101, 102, and 203 use a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased. *Completion of both GERM 101 and GERM 102 fulfills the 'G' requirement.
WL1

GERM 102: Elementary German II
Rebecca Schaefer, Annalena Schulze

Continuation of GERM 101. Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. At the end of the German 101/102 sequence, students will understand the basic structures of the German language. They will be able to interact with native speakers of German in simple everyday situations. German 101/102 count toward Harpur College's foreign language requirement. Students who satisfy the Foreign Language requirement will demonstrate basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language; and knowledge of the distinctive features of cultures(s) associated with the languages they are studying. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. GERM 101, 102, and 203 use a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased. *Completion of both GERM 101 and GERM 102 fulfills the 'G' requirement.
WL2

GERM 203: Intermediate German I
Christina Feil, Annalena Schulze

This course is intended as a first step in the expansion of your German language skills beyond the basic functionality acquired in the first two semesters. By engaging with a variety of authentic cultural materials (short literary texts, video blogs featuring native speakers, newspaper articles, online content, etc.), students will develop their comprehension skills as well as their skills of spoken and written expression. Where the early stages of language learning prioritize the communication of information, you will now learn structures and strategies for expressing your own opinions, experiences, and interpretations. Integrated skill development, functional communicative proficiency, and cultural awareness are the chief goals of the course. German is the main language of instruction. GERM 203 uses a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased.
WL3

GERM 281A: The Nazi State
Harald Zils

This course examines Germany between 1933 and 1939, the organization and internal workings of the National Socialist government and administration. Topics include the permanent crisis of the Weimar Republic, the rise of the NSDAP, the Nazi takeover of power, party structures, the Gleichschaltung of administration, society, economy and media, the persecution of minorities, the situation of workers and farmers, the role of the churches, etc. The course uses a broad social science approach to comprehend instruments of domination and power and to understand “how it all could happen”; the emphasis is on structures rather than events. Methodologically, the focus of this course is on the interpretation of documents and other sources. The course is taught in English. Textbook: Bendersky, A Concise History of Nazi Germany, 5th edition
H,N

GERM 281B: Nature, Imagination, & Aesthetics
Alexander Sorenson

How have understandings of nature shaped art and philosophy in modern times, and how have art and philosophy shaped our ideas about nature? This course examines the role of nature as both a subject and an object of artistic and philosophical production in European culture from roughly 1800 to the present. Focusing primarily on material from the German-speaking world, but also drawing upon other cultural and linguistic contexts, the class will explore how the natural world is something that has not only been represented and thought about, but that has also actively shaped these processes of representation and theorization. Materials will include works by figures such as: J.W. Goethe, S.T. Coleridge, F.W.J Schelling, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, Emily Dickinson, Rainer Maria Rilke, Hannah Arendt, Luce Irigaray, and Werner Herzog.
H,O

GERM 281C: Cold War Science Fictions
Carl Gelderloos

This course explores science fiction literature and film from both sides of the “Iron Curtain” during the Cold War (1945–1990ish). By situating these works within their cultural and geopolitical contexts, we will learn how science fiction constituted a unique paradigm for understanding—and critiquing—modern society, whether of the capitalist or state socialist variety. How did science fiction, as the cultural form most associated with progress and the future, provide a novel perspective on an era marked both by the ecstasy of the space race and the terror of nuclear annihilation? Conversely, how did the context of the Cold War shape the imagination of what kinds of human futures were likely, possible, desirable, or inevitable? And what might these works help us understand about our own relationship to the future? Topics include the space race; fears and excitement about technology; utopia and dystopia; labor, the human, and the cyborg; aliens and the imagination of difference; SF as gender critique. We’ll read novels, short stories, and essays by writers such as Ursula Le Guin, Samuel Delany, Philip K. Dick, Joanna Russ, Stanisław Lem, the Strugatsky brothers, Ivan Efremov, Fredric Jameson, and view films such as Solaris, Dr. Strangelove, and Blade Runner.
H, W

GERM 281J: Marx, Nietzsche, Freud
Rebecca Schäfer, Tim Schmidt

To participate in pressing debates concerning politics, philosophy, economy, psychology, ethics, or the relationship between intellectual life and society, it is necessary to have a basic grasp of Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud. This writing-intensive and discussion-based seminar introduces students to “these three masters of suspicion” (Ricoeur) whose work has had such profound global effects on modern thought, practice, and society for over a century. The course’s focus is on short texts or excerpts from longer texts, which serve as an introduction to key concepts, questions, methods, and moves of their work. Although Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud mark very different moments in the history of philosophy and theory, they all share a suspicion that, when it comes to human beings, things are usually not what they seem. How we arrange our economic life, how we understand ethical codes and moral systems, how we understand even our own understanding, our mental life, our motivation, and our desires: none of these questions, for Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud, are as self-evident as they seem. This class will accordingly explore how these three thinkers pursued the hidden structures that shape human life.
C, H

GERM 305: Texts & Contexts I
Carl Gelderloos

In this course we’ll be building on the work you’ve done in previous German courses in order to take your German skills—your speaking, listening, writing, and reading abilities, your comprehension of the German grammatical system, and your knowledge of vocabulary—to the next level. By the end of this semester, you should feel comfortable and capable reading and analyzing German news articles, short prose texts, and social media content; you will be able to watch, understand, and discuss contemporary German films, and your written German will branch out beyond communicating facts, experiences, and opinions (though these will remain important), allowing you to analyze, interpret, and persuade. When listening to German radio, podcasts, news, movies, or songs, you won’t catch every word, but you should be able to understand the gist and main points, especially on listening to it a second time. In conversation with native speakers of German, you’ll be able to hold your own, and communicate information, perspectives, and experiences beyond the basic facts of your biography. At this point in your German language journey, you should be getting increasingly comfortable with communicative repair and circumlocution in German, i.e., figuring out a way to understand your interlocutor and make yourself understood by them in situations when communication breaks down or you can’t find the right word. To do this, you will need to develop and refine your study habits and learning strategies. In this class, we will be researching current events in Germany, watching recent German films, and reading short literary texts published in the past few decades. Assignments will include presentations, regular short written homework, regular grammar homework, and longer analytical papers; there will be quizzes, tests, and spoken tests to help you solidify and expand your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. We will use our class time for discussion, practice, review, exploring new topics, and other things; a regular rhythm of assignments is designed to help you keep on top of the work. German is the language of instruction. Prerequisite: GERM 204 or permission of instructor.

GERM 380E: Jews in German Literature
Harald Zils

This course examines the complex interplay between Jewish identity and German culture from the Enlightenment through the 21st century. It considers how Jewish figures have been represented in various literary genres and periods, and how Jewish writers have shaped the German literary landscape. We will analyze texts by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Heinrich Heine, Else Lasker-Schüler, and contemporary authors. The course includes critical reading of primary texts alongside secondary scholarly analyses, fostering an understanding of the historical and cultural dynamics that influenced the literary depiction of Jews in Germany. We will focus on literary responses to significant historical events, including Emancipation, the rise of antisemitism, the Holocaust, and the re-unification of Germany. Course taught in English.
H,O

Courses crosslisted with German

GERM 180C: Yiddish I
Gina Glasman

Yiddish I is the first semester of the Yiddish language course sequence and is intended for beginners. It introduces students to the Yiddish language and its culture. It emphasizes all facets of the language – comprehension, speech, reading, grammar and writing. The focus of instruction is on enabling students to develop basic skills.

GERM 281D: The Fairy Tale
Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit

Structure and meaning of fairy tales. Oral vs. literary fairy tales. Different approaches to interpreting fairy tales: anthropological, psychological, socio-historical, structuralist. Lectures approximately once a week; discussion; take-home midterm and final exams; two 10-page papers

Spring 2024

GERM 101: Elementary German I
Rebecca Schaefer, Michael Kaefer

Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading and speaking skills, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. Texts augmented by tapes and video materials. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G. GERM 101 uses a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased. 4 credits
WL1

GERM 102: Elementary German II
Guelden Olgun, Michael Kaefer

Continuation of GERM 101. Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. At the end of the German 101/102 sequence, students will understand the basic structures of the German language. They will be able to interact with native speakers of German in simple everyday situations. German 101/102 count toward Harpur College's foreign language requirement. Students who satisfy the Foreign Language requirement will demonstrate basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language; and knowledge of the distinctive features of cultures(s) associated with the languages they are studying. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G. GERM 101–102 use a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased.
WL2

GERM 203: Intermediate German I
Rebecca Schaefer

This course is intended as a first step in the expansion of your German language skills beyond the basic functionality acquired in the first two semesters. By engaging with a variety of authentic cultural materials (short literary texts, video blogs featuring native speakers, newspaper articles, online content, etc.), students will develop their comprehension skills as well as their skills of spoken and written expression. Where the early stages of language learning prioritize the communication of information, you will now learn structures and strategies for expressing your own opinions, experiences, and interpretations. Integrated skill development, functional communicative proficiency, and cultural awareness are the chief goals of the course. German is the main language of instruction. GERM 203 uses a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased.
WL3

GERM 204: Intermediate German II
Guelden Olgun

Continuation of GERM 203. This course is intended as a first step in the expansion of your German language skills beyond the basic functionality acquired in the first three semesters. By engaging with a variety of authentic cultural materials (short literary texts, video blogs featuring native speakers, newspaper articles, online content, etc.), students will develop their comprehension skills as well as their skills of spoken and written expression. Where the early stages of language learning prioritize the communication of information, you will now learn structures and strategies for expressing your own opinions, experiences, and interpretations. Integrated skill development, functional communicative proficiency, and cultural awareness are the chief goals of the course. German is the main language of instruction. Prerequisite: successful completion of GERM 203 or permission of Director of Undergraduate Studies.

GERM 281A: Fairy Tales and the Uncanny
Christina Feil

In this course, we will set out on a journey through dark forests filled with monsters, fairies, magic, and princesses. The goal of this journey is to understand how these fantasies shape our everyday, “normal” reality. From being told and re-told orally, fairy tales have been invented and re-invented in folklore, literature, and modern mass media. Since fairy tales are produced in a variety of cultural settings, they introduce and structure the people’s values and beliefs, and are therefore a core part of our cultural identities. We will examine the evolution of fairy tales with selections from the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, Nikolai Gogol, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Anne Sexton, but also Simone de Beauvoir and Donald Haase, among others. We will pay particular attention to the transformations during late German Romanticism towards the paranormal and uncanny. In addition, we will focus on the critical analysis of the representation of gender identities in and through fairytales. Writing—that is, drafting, revising, getting and receiving feedback—will be our main tool of analytic inquiry in this class and will require thoughtful, active participation from students.
C,H

GERM 281D: Queerness and Gender in Film Culture
Rebecca Schaefer

“You can’t be what you can’t see.” – This statement by Marian Wright Edelman holds especially true for visual culture. How have images and film taught us to see, or rather to unsee, non-normative identities? How have they shaped representation and social discourse and have (re)produced concepts such as sexuality and gender—concepts which, like race, ability, or class, still constitute powerful systems of inequality in societies at large as well as in an increasingly globalized visual culture? To introduce students to representations of non-normative sexualities and gender identities in 20th and 21st century visual culture with a special emphasis on film, this course zooms in on German cinema. Mapping the emergence of (gender)queer representation throughout German filmic history, the course moves from the avantgarde filmic imagery of the Weimar Republic (1919–1933), including ANDERS ALS DIE ANDEREN (1919), with a screenplay by Jewish-German gender pioneer and sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld, and Christa Winsloe’s first-ever lesbian film MÄDCHEN IN UNIFORM (1931), to the seminal work of New German cinema icons Rainer Werner Fassbinder (FOX AND HIS FRIENDS, 1975) and Rosa von Praunheim (IT IS NOT THE HOMOSEXUAL WHO IS PERVERSE, BUT THE SOCIETY IN WHICH HE LIVES, 1970; AIDS TRILOGY, 1989/90), to the GDR’s controversial, only gay-themed film COMING OUT (1989, Heiner Carow) and Berlinale winner AIMÉE UND JAGUAR (Max Färberböck, 1999), to Germany’s new queer cinema (GLÜCK, 2021, Henrika Kull) and especially the new queer postmigrant cinema of Angelina Maccarone (FREMDE HAUT, 2005), Fatih Akin (AUF DER ANDEREN SEITE, 2007), Uisenma Borchu (SCHAU MICH NICHT SO AN, 2015), and Faraz Shariat (FUTUR DREI, 2020). While examining how this vibrant visual archive has articulated radical critiques of and alternatives to the heteronormative film culture of the mainstream, the male gaze etc., the course will especially highlight how directors increasingly articulate queerness intersectionally; relating it to questions of (post)migration, race and ethnicity, nationhood and belonging, or class and ability. With its focus on visual representation, this viewing- and writing-intensive and discussion-based seminar also employs film analysis methods and aesthetic, gender, and film theory to recognize and discuss the ways in which visual culture teaches us to (un)see.No film theoretical background knowledge or previous knowledge of German culture required. Participants of all majors are welcome, as a diversity of backgrounds and majors will contribute to our discussions. Course taught entirely in English.
C,D,H

GERM 281G: Intro to Marx & Critical Theory
Carl Gelderloos

“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.” So begins Part One of the Communist Manifesto of Marx and Engels. This sentence also stands at the beginning of a tradition in philosophy, history, and politics that places everyday human labor and struggle at the heart of historical change. This course offers an introduction to this tradition, with an emphasis on its origins in the 19th century and its development in the 20th century, particularly in the work of writers associated with the Frankfurt School. As we will see, this critical tradition draws its strength from the ways in which it considers questions of power, economy, society, and culture as inextricable from each other rather than as separate disciplines. Because it holds that cultures and ideologies cannot be understood without considering how given societies and economies are organized, the tradition of critical theory is materialist; because it highlights the importance of struggle and contradiction, it is dialectical. Topics we will consider include capitalism, revolution, utopia, mass culture, dialectical reasoning, historical materialism, the state, fascism, antifascism, and the human relationship to nature. Readings may include works by Marx, Hegel, Nietzsche, Freud, Adorno, Benjamin, Lukács, Kracauer, Brecht, and Fanon.
H,N,O

GERM 306: Texts & Contexts II
Neil Christian Pages

Course offers students the opportunity to refine modes of expression, improve accuracy andfluency and build cultural competency in German by engaging with important trends, ideas and events in the German-speaking world. It prepares students for more advanced work in German Studies in an interdisciplinary context. Students will engage texts and images from a range of genres (literature, history, philosophy, politics film, popular culture, news media, art) to improve critical reading abilities and accuracy in writing. The course also reviews advanced grammar structures in context. Taught entirely in German. Prerequisite: GERM 305 or instructor permission.

GERM 380L: Imperial Germany
Harald Zils

Course taught in English -- This course takes a close look at the German Empire at the end of the 19th century: political and social structures, economic and cultural developments. We will pay particular attention to the young German nation’s attempts to find its position in an international context.
H,N

GERM 381Q: Kafka and His Readers
Neil Christian Pages

European Modernism and the inspiration for the slippery idiom “Kafkaesque.” Kafka died one hundred years ago, having published just a few hundred pages of prose, but his life and work have had an abiding impact on how we think about art, interpretation and representation. Indeed, Kafka’s writing and his image have influenced not only writers (W.G. Sebald, J.M Coetzee, Jorge Luis Borges) and critics (Benjamin, Adorno, Derrida), they have also inspired illustrators and cartoonists (R. Crumb), filmmakers (Orson Wells, Michael Haneke, Steven Soderbergh) and visual and acoustic artists (Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, Jeff Wall). While considering Kafka’s literary legacy, his academic function, his impact on thinking about representation, and the debates about the translation of his work, we will also reflect on the process of reading and interpretation generally and think about what literature does and the ways in which literary criticism works.
H,W

GERM 380X: Nazi Culture
Harald Zils

German Cultural Politics, 1933-1945
The National Socialists' takeover of Germany had enormous impact on society. This included the transformation of the cultural sphere: the complete takeover of German film production by the regime; the persecution of authors, artists and intellectuals; the banning and defamation of numerous works; the Gleichschaltung of schools, universities, publishers and other cultural institutions. As part of their war of conquest, the Nazis soon wanted to control the cultural production of all of occupied Europe. The course examines the impact of the political on the cultural. What measures did the new rulers use to ensure the new direction of social discourse? How did the established institutions respond? Was there resistance – and if so, what did it look like? We analyze primary sources: Propaganda films such as "The Eternal Forest," "The Rothschilds," and "I Accuse, governmental decrees and laws, public declarations such as Martin Heidegger's Rectorate speech and private diary entries of the "inner exile," as well as excerpts from literary texts that carefully skirted censorship. In addition, we hear voices from exile: from politicians, authors, artists and scholars who desperately try to preserve their own, the "other" Germany.
Course taught in English. 4 credits.
H,N

Courses crosslisted with German

GERM 241J: Yiddish II
Gina Glasman

Follows on from Yiddish 101 as students sharpen their linguistic skills with more complex sentence structure, a deeper knowledge of tenses and cases, and a broader vocabulary. In addition, we explore Yiddish culture through film, stories, folk sayings and the occasional joke! As always lyrics from Yiddish popular song provide the backbone of the class, and individual attention is a feature of the instruction. Note: interested students can join 102 directly without having taken 101. (Instructor permission needed).
WL1

GERM 380K: Modern Yiddish Culture
Gina Glasman

In the half century before the Second World War, a Yiddish speaking "Jewish Street" stretched from Buenos Aires to Boston, from London to Lodz, with many cities in between. What characterized the culture of this mostly urban and modernizing society is the subject of this class. Cinema and short stories, poetry and politics provide our vehicle to explore the world of Eastern European Jewry in a time of radical transformation and approaching catastrophe (all material is in English). Note: If a student has already taken a 200-level version of Modern Yiddish Culture they will not receive credit for this course.

GERM 480D: Photographic Fictions of Central Europe
Kailtlyn Sorenson

Literature from Central Europe in past years has been overwhelmingly populated by the genre of “witness literature,” or fictional narratives about factual historical traumas. These works often embed photographs—pictures of real people and places—within their fictional narratives. The course is guided by the core question of how this mixing of media—and of reality and fiction— affects the various ways in which these novels “bear witness.” This course will provide students with an introduction to critical theories of photography as well as an introduction to the contemporary literature of Central Europe.Theory: Walter Benjamin, Siegfried Kracauer, Roland Barthes, Susan Sontag, Aleš Erjavec, Susie Linfield, Dominic LaCapra, Marianne Hirsch, Slavoj Žižek, Andreas Huyssen. Literature: W.G. Sebald, Aleksandar Hemon, Dubravka Ugrešić, Dušan Šarotar, Paveł Huelle, László Krasznahorkai, Menyhért Lakatos, Evgeniya Belorusets

GERM 481B: Enlightenment and Empire
Giovanna Montenegro

Ever wondered what the Enlightenment was and why it matters? Are you interested in reading foundational texts of critical theory? The Enlightenment is often discussed as one of the most important movements of Western history that has continued to shape our intellectual and political lives. This seminar will investigate Enlightenment texts and images and will study the movement’s cosmopolitan and global aftermath through its effect on colonialism and Empire. We will discuss essays and treatises from the political, literary, and aesthetic concerns of the French, German, and British Enlightenment such as Immanuel Kant’s and Moses Mendelssohn’s essay responses to the question “What is Enlightenment?”; entries from Diderot’s and D’Alembert’s massive Encyclopedie; Rousseau’s Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men; Montesquieu’s Persian Letters and other works. We will also debate how racism, slavery and abolition in the Caribbean and Latin America, religious freedom, orientalism, cosmopolitanism, globality, and independence are promoted, debated, or criticized in Enlightenment works. Finally, we will finish with recent 20th- and 21st-century critiques and adaptations of Enlightenment such as Susan Buck-Morss’s work on Hegel and Haiti as well as Alejo Carpentier. Seminar discussions will be complemented with trips to the University Library’s Special Collections. 4 credits

GERM 489A: German Reading for Research

This course is intended for upper-level students of German interested in advancing their knowledge of reading and translation. Students work independently and in class meetings to obtain high-level reading and translation ability. 1 credit

Fall 2023

GERM 101: Elementary German I
Jeanette Franza, Gülden Olgun

Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. At the end of the German 101/102 sequence, students will understand the basic structures of the German language. They will be able to interact with native speakers of German in simple everyday situations. German 101/102 count toward Harpur College's foreign language requirement. Students who satisfy the Foreign Language requirement will demonstrate basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language; and knowledge of the distinctive features of cultures(s) associated with the languages they are studying. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. GERM 101, 102, and 203 use a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased. *Completion of both GERM 101 and GERM 102 fulfills the 'G' requirement.
WL1, G*

GERM 102: Elementary German II
Christina Feil, Rebecca Schaefer

Continuation of GERM 101. Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. At the end of the German 101/102 sequence, students will understand the basic structures of the German language. They will be able to interact with native speakers of German in simple everyday situations. German 101/102 count toward Harpur College's foreign language requirement. Students who satisfy the Foreign Language requirement will demonstrate basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language; and knowledge of the distinctive features of cultures(s) associated with the languages they are studying. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. GERM 101, 102, and 203 use a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased. *Completion of both GERM 101 and GERM 102 fulfills the 'G' requirement.
WL2, G*

GERM 180G: German Culture: A History
Neil Christian Pages

Course introduces students to the political, social and cultural history of modern Germany (1871–1989). From the founding of the first German nation state in 1871 to the emergence of Expressionism in painting, to the ’golden’ age of Weimar culture, to the Nazi state and the Shoah, to the division of Germany into two states with competing ideological systems in the wake of World War II, course engages events and ideas that inform contemporary German culture and its memories and identities. We will look at art and architecture, photography and film, read about history and politics and engage literary and aesthetic approaches to German cultural history in order to gain an understanding of contemporary Germany and the Germans. Readings and discussions assist students in developing intercultural competencies and fluencies across genres and media while building skills in critical reading and thinking. Taught entirely in English.
A, N, T

GERM 181G: Intensive German Grammar MINI COURSE
Gülden Olgun

This course offers a thorough review of the major areas of German grammar. The course emphasizes linguistic accuracy and is designed to familiarize students with the most important aspects of German grammar at the elementary and intermediate levels, such as the major verb tenses, the cases and declinations of nouns, articles, and adjectives, word order, pronouns, and the like. Student needs and preferences will help determine what areas receive special focus; this course is for all students who want to consolidate, improve, and perfect their knowledge of German grammar and their ability to use spoken and written German with accuracy and nuance. 2 credits

GERM 203: Intermediate German I
Rebecca Schaefer

Herzlich Willkommen! In this course, you’ll be further developing your German skills by using them, as much as possible, in different ways: speaking German in class in small groups, whole-class discussion, or in partner work; exercising your reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills, as well as your knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and German culture by doing activities on the textbook’s online platform; independently studying and practicing according to your individual needs; and seeking to expand your German abilities and level of comfort with the language by exploring German-language materials – movies & TV shows on Netflix, songs, podcasts, YouTube videos, newspaper and magazine articles, etc. – outside of class. By the end of the semester, if you put in the work, time, and dedication, you’ll find that you are able to use your German for so many more things than you could at the beginning of the semester: at the end of 203, students from previous classes have been able to navigate and understand German news sites, enjoy German movies and television, discover new music in German, and even study abroad at a German or Austrian university. Where the early stages of language learning prioritize the communication of information, you will now learn structures and strategies for expressing your own opinions, experiences, and interpretations. Integrated skill development, functional communicative proficiency, and cultural awareness are the chief goals of the course. German is the main language of instruction. GERM 101, 102, and 203 use a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased. Prerequisites: GERM 102 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.
WL3

GERM 241J: Marx, Nietzsche, Freud
Tim Schmidt

To participate in pressing debates concerning politics, philosophy, economy, psychology, ethics, or the relationship between intellectual life and society, it is necessary to have a basic grasp of Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud. This writing-intensive and discussion-based seminar introduces students to “these three masters of suspicion” (Ricoeur) whose work has had such profound global effects on modern thought, practice, and society for over a century. The course’s focus is on short texts or excerpts from longer texts, which serve as an introduction to key concepts, questions, methods, and moves of their work. Although Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud mark very different moments in the history of philosophy and theory, they all share a suspicion that, when it comes to human beings, things are usually not what they seem. How we arrange our economic life, how we understand ethical codes and moral systems, how we understand even our own understanding, our mental life, our motivation, and our desires: none of these questions, for Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud, are as self-evident as they seem. This class will accordingly explore how these three thinkers pursued the hidden structures that shape human life. C, H

GERM 241K: Learning to See: Art & Media in Weimar Germany
Carl Gelderloos

From the movies we watch to the advertisements we see, from the way we understand images to the fonts we use, the vibrant legacy of modern culture in the 1920s and 1930s continues to influence the way we use and think about media, art, technology, and communication. Drawing on richly innovative visual artworks and groundbreaking theoretical texts, this course explores the visual culture of the Weimar Republic (1919–1933) with a special emphasis on film, photography, and montage. Visual media played a central role in the cultural production and aesthetic and political debates of the time: the rise of the cinema provoked an unparalleled reexamination of the relationship between art, technology, and society, while the rapid expansion of photography into newspapers and other mass media helped spark diverse discussions of aesthetics, perception, and individuality. Why did visual media and discussions about them play such a central role in the cultural and political ferment of modern culture between two world wars? How did new visual media and technologies help contemporaries rethink other, non-visual media such as literature and aesthetic representation more generally? Why were debates about photography and film often so politically charged? In what ways did Weimar culture draw on new technologies to see and depict processes of modernization, urbanization, and industrialization with new eyes? These are the questions we will explore in this class.

This course requires no background knowledge of aesthetic or media theory, nor of German culture. Participants of all majors are welcome. Indeed, the key role played throughout the humanities by the texts and works we’ll be looking at means that the seminar will be inherently interdisciplinary, and a diversity of backgrounds and majors will contribute to our discussions.
A,H,W

GERM 241N: The Nazi State
Harald Zils

The course looks at Germany between 1933 and 1939, at the organization and inner functioning of the Nazi government and administration. Topics include the Nazi rise to power, party structures, "Gleichschaltung" of society, economy, and media, persecution of minorities, the situation of workers and peasants, the role of the churches etc. Two midterms, one final. Course taught in English.
H,N

GERM 281A: Migrant & Minority Voices in Popular Culture
Gülden Olgun

What does it mean to be a migrant or a minority in society? How do the presence of migrants and minorities challenge a society's self-understanding? Conversely, what do migrant and minoritized positionalities entail for members of these groups—how do they understand and identify their own cultures and their location among cultures? How do they remix the very concepts of identity, belonging, and culture? Because the U.S. American context is most familiar to most Binghamton students, we can get a new view of these questions by globalizing our view. This course will explore the example of Germany: what does it mean to be "German"? Authors, poets, filmmakers, and musicians with a migration background challenge stereotypes about what Germans look like, their traditions, their language, and what it means to be German, coming up with their own answer to the question of how to live, survive, and thrive in a country that often struggles to create inclusive spaces for people of diverse backgrounds. In this writing- and discussion-intensive seminar, we will listen to the voices of Turkish-Germans, German and Russian Jews, Afro-Germans, Syrian-Germans, Japanese-Germans, Ukrainian-Germans, Iraqi-Germans, refugees, and others through their literary works, films, music, and performing arts. No prerequisites; course taught in English.
C,G,H

GERM 305: Texts & Contexts I
Carl Gelderloos

This course is intended to expand your German language skills beyond the functional areas of information exchange, description and narration. By developing integrated language skills through reading, writing, learning grammatical principles and applying these in short essays, focused tasks and presentations, the course will enable you to develop more advanced language skills in oral and written communication. By reading and interpreting a variety of literary and cultural texts, viewing films and working with media online, you will develop your comprehension and the ability to express your opinions and interpretations. Integrated skill development including a basic mastery of grammatical form, functional proficiency and cultural awareness are major goals of the course; ordinarily German is the language of instruction. The proactive use of learning strategies in language learning and continuing reflection on them are important to your learning. Course work emphasizes the most frequently used grammatical structures but focuses also on activities designed to lead to advanced proficiency by broadening your vocabulary and linguistic resources in German. General grammatical topics will be introduced and studied regularly through tasks and exercises assigned to all learners; however, most work will support the individual development of greater accuracy, fluency and complexity through feedback given on numerous short writing samples and oral reports. It is expected that students will be listening every day to German broadcasts and will be doing on-line and off-line work. Prerequisite: Germ 204 or permission of instructor.

GERM 380S: Germany in the 1960’s
Harald Zils

This course looks at German society in the 1960s, using three focal points:
— Jerusalem/Frankfurt: The trial of Adolf Eichmann and the Auschwitz trials bring to light what had long been buried: German crimes in World War II and the Holocaust. Reactions range from disbelief and rejection to helpless despair at being confronted with historical reality. For the first time, a public confrontation with this part of German history happens, and attempts are made to find a language and rules for this new discourse.
— Berlin: The building of the Wall in 1961 seals the division of Germany; in 1965, a new beginning for a utopian, alternative East Germany seems possible.
— Frankfurt, Berlin; Berkeley; Paris: In West Germany and elsewhere, students take to the streets. They demand a different republic: away with the old customs and faces, in with more personal freedom, with more democracy and more commitment to an unconditional peace. They fail, and they succeed. A new concept of the public sphere is born – and many of its problems, from "wokeness" to "betrayal" by veterans, sound familiar today... what can we learn from this for our own political dealings with each other? W,N,O

GERM 380V: Vienna 1900: Modernism & Empire
Neil Christian Pages

Course explores the ideas, impulses and implosions that accompanied the rise of Modernism in Vienna around 1900. Like the multicultural, multi-ethnic empire of which it was the capital, the culture of Habsburg Vienna at the fin-de-siècle was marked by fragmentation, experimentation and contestation. Struggles with politics, identities and aesthetics generated new ways of thinking (Freudian psychoanalysis), political movements (Zionism; Marxism; fascism), radical experiments with art and architecture (Klimt, Schiele, Loos, Bauer, Schönberg) and a lasting literary legacy (Schnitzler, Musil, von Hofmannsthal, Trakl, Roth, Kraus, Zweig). By engaging specific works (buildings, paintings, texts) across disciplines, students will develop skills in reading and interpretation and gain an understanding of the cultural history of “Vienna 1900” specifically and theories of Modernism generally. We will also question how eras and cultural legacies are constructed and how cultures of memory are reflected in works of art, in historiography and in literary works.
A, H, T, W

Courses crosslisted with German

GERM 180C: Yiddish I
Gina Glasman

Yiddish 101 is the first semester of the Yiddish language course sequence and is intended for beginners. It introduces students to the Yiddish language and its culture. It emphasizes all facets of the language – comprehension, speech, reading, grammar and writing. The focus of instruction is on enabling students to develop basic skills.
G, O, WL1

GERM 180B: Yiddish II
Gina Glasman

Follows on from Yiddish I as students sharpen their linguistic skills with more complex sentence structure, a deeper knowledge of tenses and cases, and a broader vocabulary. In addition, we explore Yiddish culture through film, stories, folk sayings and the occasional joke! As always lyrics from Yiddish popular song provide the backbone of the class, and individual attention is a feature of the instruction. Note: interested students can join Yiddish II directly without having taken Yiddish I (Instructor permission needed).
WL2

GERM 241D: The Fairy Tale
Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit

Structure and meaning of fairy tales. Oral vs. literary fairy tales. Different approaches to interpreting fairy tales: anthropological, psychological, socio-historical, structuralist. Lectures approximately once a week; discussion; take-home midterm and final exams; two 10-page papers.
H,W

Spring 2023

GERM 101: Elementary German I
Rebecca Schaefer

Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. At the end of the German 101/102 sequence, students will understand the basic structures of the German language. They will be able to interact with native speakers of German in simple everyday situations. German 101/102 count toward Harpur College's foreign language requirement. Students who satisfy the Foreign Language requirement will demonstrate basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language; and knowledge of the distinctive features of cultures(s) associated with the languages they are studying. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G. GERM 101–102 use a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased.
FL1

GERM 102: Elementary German II
Jeanette Franza, Michael Kaefer, Tim Schmidt

Continuation of GERM 101. Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. At the end of the German 101/102 sequence, students will understand the basic structures of the German language. They will be able to interact with native speakers of German in simple everyday situations. German 101/102 count toward Harpur College's foreign language requirement. Students who satisfy the Foreign Language requirement will demonstrate basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language; and knowledge of the distinctive features of cultures(s) associated with the languages they are studying. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G. GERM 101–102 use a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased.
FL2

GERM 203: Intermediate German I
Christina Feil

Herzlich Willkommen! In this course, you’ll be further developing your German skills by using them, as much as possible, in different ways: speaking German in class in small groups, whole-class discussion, or in partner work; exercising your reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills, as well as your knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and German culture by doing activities on the textbook’s online platform; independently studying and practicing according to your individual needs; and seeking to expand your German abilities and level of comfort with the language by exploring German-language materials – movies & TV shows on Netflix, songs, podcasts, YouTube videos, newspaper and magazine articles, etc. – outside of class. By the end of the semester, if you put in the work, time, and dedication, you’ll find that you are able to use your German for so many more things than you could at the beginning of the semester: at the end of 203, students from previous classes have been able to navigate and understand German news sites, enjoy German movies and television, discover new music in German, and even study abroad at a German or Austrian university. Where the early stages of language learning prioritize the communication of information, you will now learn structures and strategies for expressing your own opinions, experiences, and interpretations. Integrated skill development, functional communicative proficiency, and cultural awareness are the chief goals of the course. German is the main language of instruction. Prerequisites: GERM 102 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.
FL3

GERM 204: Intermediate German II
Rebecca Schaefer

Continuation of GERM 203. First step in expansion of German language skills beyond functional areas of information exchange, description and narration. By reading and responding to a variety of stimulating texts (modern fiction, lyrics, newspaper articles, historical texts, film clips), students develop both comprehension skills and the ability to express and support their own opinions and interpretations. Equal emphasis on both spoken and written expression. Includes review of more complex grammatical structures and activities designed to broaden vocabulary resources.

GERM 221: German in Conversation
Rebecca Schaefer

Informal instruction and practice in colloquial German. Primarily for students who have completed GERM 102. Discussion based on variety of cultural, commercial and some technical materials provides practice in more advanced conversational speech patterns and vocabulary.

GERM 241CP: The German Road Movie
Eric Mattina

This course will examine the road movie as defined and explored predominantly by German New Wave director Wim Wenders from his informally named 70s “Road Trilogy” to his “ultimate road movie” epic Until the End of the World in 1991. Using Wenders’ themes of travel, displacement, and journey through these post-war and post-Nazi landscapes as an origin point, this course will travel through other New Wave directors' own interpretations of the road narrative, consider both the influences of thematic preoccupations and stylistic choices on film makers within and outside of Germany, and conclude with contemporary German film makers’ approaches to the genre. Course taught in English.
H, W

GERM 241W: Cold War Science Fictions
Yijun Liu

This course explores science fiction literature and film from both sides of the “Iron Curtain” during the Cold War (1945–1990ish). By situating these works within their cultural and geopolitical contexts, we will learn how science fiction constituted a unique paradigm for understanding – and critiquing – modern society, whether of the capitalist or state socialist variety. How did science fiction, as the cultural form most associated with progress and the future, provide a novel perspective on an era marked both by the ecstasy of the space race and the terror of nuclear annihilation? Conversely, how did the context of the Cold War shape the imagination of what kinds of human futures were likely, possible, desirable, or inevitable? And what might these works help us understand about our own relationship to the future? Topics include the space race; fears and excitement about technology; utopia and dystopia; labor, the human, and the cyborg; aliens and the imagination of difference; SF as gender critique. We’ll read novels, short stories, and essays by writers such as Ursula Le Guin, Samuel Delany, Philip K. Dick, Joanna Russ, Stanisław Lem, the Strugatsky brothers, Ivan Efremov, Fredric Jameson, and view films such as Solaris, Dr. Strangelove, and Blade Runner. Course taught in English.
H, W

GERM 306: Texts & Contexts II
Neil Christian Pages

Texts and Contexts II: GERM 306 offers students the opportunity to refine modes of expression, improve accuracy and fluency and build cultural competency in German by engaging with important trends, ideas and events in the German-speaking world. It prepares students for more advanced work in German Studies in an interdisciplinary context. Students will engage texts and images from a range of genres (literature, history, philosophy, politics film, popular culture, news media, art) to improve critical reading abilities and accuracy in writing. The course also reviews advanced grammar structures in context. Taught entirely in German. Prerequisite: GERM 305 or instructor permission.

GERM 380I: Post-War Germany
Harald Zils

After Germany's defeat in 1945, the country, divided into four, then two parts by the victorious allies, found itself in political, moral, intellectual and economic crisis. In the midst of the Cold War, German societies in east and west had to choose whether to come to terms with the past in order to make decisions for the future; or to silence public discourse and to suppress memories in favor of a truce for the present. The course will focus on four decisive years: 1945; 1949; 1956; and 1961. Course taught in English.
H, W

GERM 380O: The Art of Exile
Neil Christian Pages

What does it mean to lose one’s home, to be uprooted from a ‘native’ language and culture and to look for a home elsewhere? What does it mean for the self to be ‘at home’ in the first place? This course explores those questions through the figure of the exile, émigré and refugee. Its focus is the life and work of writers, intellectuals and visual artists who fled Nazi Germany in and after 1933. We will consider how this particular historical moment informs contemporary debates on migration and integration, human rights and the relationship between the artist and the state. Course materials include literary works, historiography, film and visual culture. Course taught in English.
H

GERM 380T: Turkish-German Culture
Gülden Olgun

One in four people in Germany now has, as it is termed, migrant background. Immigration from Turkey is probably the most prominent not only in terms of its massiveness and demographic consequences, but also for its significant role in changing Germany's overall cultural, social, political and economic landscape. This course introduces students to contemporary Turkish-German cinema in the context of Turkish labor migration to West Germany. Through analyzing selected documentary or feature films, TV serials, plays and literary works produced by Turkish-German filmmakers,writers and artists, we will discuss complex ideas like migration, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, nationality, sexual orientation and class, resorting not to oversimplifications and binary thinking but instead to relevant literary concepts and formative historical moments which have shaped the Turkish-German experience. In other words, contemporary Turkish-German filmmakers invite us to see highly contested spaces (called Germany) through the lens of the cultural Other, they try to express the “truth” of life experiences of Turkish people in the diaspora in terms of transnational filmmaking. Course taught in English.
G, H, W

GERM 380X: Nazi Culture
Harald Zils

German Cultural Politics, 1933–1945
The National Socialists' takeover of Germany had an enormous impact on society. This involved the transformation of the cultural sphere—the complete takeover of German film production by the regime; the persecution of authors, artists and intellectuals; the banning and defamation of numerous works; the "Gleichschaltung" of schools, universities, publishers and other cultural institutions. As part of their war of conquest, the Nazis soon wanted to control the cultural production of all of occupied Europe.

This course examines the impact of the political on the cultural. What measures did the new rulers use to ensure the new direction of social discourse? How did the established institutions respond? Was there resistance—and if so, what did it look like? We analyze primary sources: Propaganda films such as The Eternal Forest, The Rothschilds, and I Accuse, governmental decrees and laws, public declarations such as Martin Heidegger's Rectorate speech and private diary entries of the "inner exile," as well as excerpts from literary texts that carefully skirted censorship. In addition, we hear voices from exile: from politicians, authors, artists and scholars who desperately try to preserve their own, the "other" Germany.
Course taught in English.
H

Courses crosslisted with German

GERM 380K: Modern Yiddish Culture
Gina Glasman

In the half century before the Second World War, a Yiddish speaking "Jewish Street" stretched from Buenos Aires to Boston, from London to Łódź, with many cities in between. What characterized the culture of this mostly urban and modernizing society is the subject of this class. Cinema and short stories, poetry and politics provide our vehicle to explore the world of Eastern European Jewry in a time of radical transformation and approaching catastrophe (all material is in English). If a student has taken a 200-level version of Modern Yiddish Culture they will not receive credit for this course.

GERM 381B: Hoarding & the Human Condition
Kaitlyn Sorenson

Why do humans hoard? What drives the impulse to accumulate objects and capital? This course examines literary and philosophical representations of money, misers, greed, and hoarding. It begins by introducing students to key theoretical approaches to the social lives of currency, such as Aristotle's objection to moneylending, Marx's notion of commodity fetishism, and Freud's diagnosis of hoarding. Using these theoretical texts as a framework, we will then survey the classical literature of avarice, including Plautus's The Pot of Gold, Dante's Inferno, Moliere's The Miser, Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, Pushkin's "Queen of Spades," and Dickens's The Christmas Carol. We'll study how these narratives diagnose (and, occasionally, claim to cure) avarice before turning to more contemporary representations of greed (including the film Wall Street, the television series Hoarders, and fiction by Sylvia Townsend Warner and Imbolo Mbue).

GERM 480A: Marxist Humanism
Kaitlyn Sorenson

This course traces the development of the leftist discourse in which Marxist philosophers critiqued the historical socialisms of the 20th century and attempted to theorize a humanist socialism, defined by its anti-dogmatic, anti-Stalinist and anti-positivist approach. The course begins with an introduction to the (predominantly Central and Eastern European) founders of “Western Marxism” (Luxemburg, Lukács, Kautsky, Korsch, Gramsci), before examining the source texts that this discourse champions (Kant, Hegel and Marx) as well as those that it rejects (Plekhanov, Stalin). The course then traces the confrontations between Humanism and Existentialism as well as Phenomenology, before examining how the project of Marxist Humanism served as a discursive anchor for a series of post-war philosophical schools (The Frankfurt School, the Yugoslav Praxis Group, the Polish School, and the Budapest School). However, at key moments, this steady march through the intellectual history of Marxist Humanism is interrupted by authors who, for a variety of theoretical and historical reasons, have been excluded from that canon, such as: Alexandra Kollontai, C.L.R. James, Raya Dunayevskaya, Roy Medvedev, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Franz Fanon, M.N. Roy and Wang Ruoshui. In addition to expanding the canon, the course also introduces students to important critics of Marxist Humanism from various points in its history (e.g., Martin Heidegger, Louis Althusser, Slavoj Žižek, N. Katherine Hayles, Donna Haraway)—and examines how these critiques of Marxist Humanism influenced a variety of alternative theoretical paradigms. The course concludes by analyzing how Cold War framings distorted this theoretical tradition and examining contemporary attempts to revive Socialist Humanism as both a theory and a praxis.

Fall 2022

GERM 101: Elementary German I
Jeanette Franza, Carl Gelderloos, Rebecca Schäfer, Tim Schmidt

Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. At the end of the German 101/102 sequence, students will understand the basic structures of the German language. They will be able to interact with native speakers of German in simple everyday situations. German 101/102 count toward Harpur College's foreign language requirement. Students who satisfy the Foreign Language requirement will demonstrate basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language; and knowledge of the distinctive features of cultures(s) associated with the languages they are studying. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G. GERM 101–102 use a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased.
FL1

GERM 102: Elementary German II
Christina Feil, Alexander Sorenson

Continuation of GERM 101. Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. At the end of the German 101/102 sequence, students will understand the basic structures of the German language. They will be able to interact with native speakers of German in simple everyday situations. German 101/102 count toward Harpur College's foreign language requirement. Students who satisfy the Foreign Language requirement will demonstrate basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language; and knowledge of the distinctive features of cultures(s) associated with the languages they are studying. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G. GERM 101–102 use a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased.
FL2

GERM 180G: German Culture: A History
Neil Christian Pages

Course introduces students to the political, social and cultural history of modern Germany (1871–1989). From the founding of the first German nation state in 1871 to the emergence of Expressionism in painting, to the ’golden’ age of Weimar culture, to the Nazi state and the Shoah, to the division of Germany into two states with competing ideological systems in the wake of World War II, course engages events and ideas that inform contemporary German culture and its memories and identities. We will look at art and architecture, photography and film, read about history and politics and engage literary and aesthetic approaches to German cultural history in order to gain an understanding of contemporary Germany and the Germans. Readings and discussions assist students in developing intercultural competencies and fluencies across genres and media while building skills in critical reading and thinking. Taught entirely in English.
W

GERM 203: Intermediate German I
Carl Gelderloos, Rebecca Schäfer

Herzlich Willkommen! In this course, you’ll be further developing your German skills by using them, as much as possible, in different ways: speaking German in class in small groups, whole-class discussion, or in partner work; exercising your reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills, as well as your knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and German culture by doing activities on the textbook’s online platform; independently studying and practicing according to your individual needs; and seeking to expand your German abilities and level of comfort with the language by exploring German-language materials – movies & TV shows on Netflix, songs, podcasts, YouTube videos, newspaper and magazine articles, etc. – outside of class. By the end of the semester, if you put in the work, time, and dedication, you’ll find that you are able to use your German for so many more things than you could at the beginning of the semester: at the end of 203, students from previous classes have been able to navigate and understand German news sites, enjoy German movies and television, discover new music in German, and even study abroad at a German or Austrian university. Where the early stages of language learning prioritize the communication of information, you will now learn structures and strategies for expressing your own opinions, experiences, and interpretations. Integrated skill development, functional communicative proficiency, and cultural awareness are the chief goals of the course. German is the main language of instruction. Prerequisites: GERM 102 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.
FL3

GERM 241H: Fairy Tales in Social History
Rosmarie Morewedge

A study of the shift from the folk tale in France and Germany to the German literary fairy tale to discover how tales (collected in large part by the Brothers Grimm) mirror symbolically social historical processes related to upward social mobility. We shall study how subversively fairy tales address the ideas, social attitudes, behavior, gender roles, power relationships and cultural evolution during absolutism, enlightenment, the French Revolution and Romanticism. We will explore the structure and meaning of tales written for adults (Kunstmärchen) by Goethe, enjoy Schikaneder/Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and read tales by Tieck, Novalis, E.T.A. Hoffmann and others, analyzing the civilizing processes depicted, as the search for the self and its development, become grand themes. Gender construction, the intersection of gender and class, the historical location of power, negotiations with authority by the rising middle class, and implications of the development of literacy will be important topics of discussion.

GERM 241N: The Nazi State
Harald Zils

The course looks at Germany between 1933 and 1939, at the organization and inner functioning of the Nazi government and administration. Topics include the Nazi rise to power, party structures, "Gleichschaltung" of society, economy, and media, persecution of minorities, the situation of workers and peasants, the role of the churches etc. Two midterms, one final. Course taught in English.
H, N, W

GERM 305: Texts & Contexts I
Rosmarie Morewedge

This course is intended to expand your German language skills beyond the functional areas of information exchange, description and narration. By developing integrated language skills through reading, writing, learning grammatical principles and applying these in short essays, focused tasks and presentations, the course will enable you to develop more advanced language skills in oral and written communication. By reading and interpreting a variety of literary and cultural texts, viewing films and working with media online, you will develop your comprehension and the ability to express your opinions and interpretations. Integrated skill development including a basic mastery of grammatical form, functional proficiency and cultural awareness are major goals of the course; ordinarily German is the language of instruction. The proactive use of learning strategies in language learning and continuing reflection on them are important to your learning. Course work emphasizes the most frequently used grammatical structures but focuses also on activities designed to lead to advanced proficiency by broadening your vocabulary and linguistic resources in German. General grammatical topics will be introduced and studied regularly through tasks and exercises assigned to all learners; however, most work will support the individual development of greater accuracy, fluency and complexity through feedback given on numerous short writing samples and oral reports.. It is expected that students will be listening every day to German broadcasts and will be doing on-line and off-line work. Prerequisite: Germ 204 or permission of instructor.

GERM 380V: Vienna 1900: Modernism & Empire
Neil Christian Pages

Course explores the ideas, impulses and implosions that accompanied the rise of Modernism in Vienna around 1900. Like the multicultural, multi-ethnic empire of which it was the capital, the culture of Habsburg Vienna at the fin-de-siècle was marked by fragmentation, experimentation and contestation. Struggles with politics, identities and aesthetics generated new ways of thinking (Freudian psychoanalysis), political movements (Zionism; Marxism; fascism), radical experiments with art and architecture (Klimt, Schiele, Loos, Bauer, Schönberg) and a lasting literary legacy (Schnitzler, Musil, von Hofmannsthal, Trakl, Roth, Kraus, Zweig). By engaging specific works (buildings, paintings, texts) across disciplines, students will develop skills in reading and interpretation and gain an understanding of the cultural history of “Vienna 1900” specifically and theories of Modernism generally. We will also question how eras and cultural legacies are constructed and how cultures of memory are reflected in works of art, in historiography and in literary works.
A, H, W

GERM 380W: Germany after the Wall
Harald Zils

In 1989, the world witnessed for the fourth time in the 20th century how German society went through the greatest possible upheaval. The course examines how the fall of the Wall came about, the efforts to turn two Germanys into one, and how under these conditions the country has sought to redefine its role in the world, from the Balkan Wars to 9/11 to global migration and climate change. Course taught in English.
W

Courses crosslisted with German

GERM 180: Yiddish I
Gina Glasman

Yiddish 101 is the first semester of the Yiddish language course sequence and is intended for beginners. It introduces students to the Yiddish language and its culture. It emphasizes all facets of the language – comprehension, speech, reading, grammar and writing. The focus of instruction is on enabling students to develop basic skills.
FL1

GERM 241D: The Fairy Tale
Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit

Structure and meaning of fairy tales. Oral vs. literary fairy tales. Different approaches to interpreting fairy tales: anthropological, psychological, socio-historical, structuralist. Lectures approximately once a week; discussion; take-home midterm and final exams; two 10-page papers.
H,W

GERM 481C: Reformation: Religion & Society
Sean Dunwoody

For Hegel, it was “the all-enlightening sun” that followed upon the darkness of the Middle Ages, one that lighted the path to freedom for the World Spirit. For Marx, it was an ultimately failed revolution cooked up “in the brain of the monk,” born out of the contradictions of feudal society. For Weber, it set into motion a process that has resulted in our being trapped in the “iron cage” of modern industrialized capitalist society. For historians since, it has occasioned tremendous debate. Few events in European history can claim the central role assigned to the Reformation; few historical events have proven to be as fertile a ground for the cultivation of historiographical debates. In this seminar, we will study the major debates that have shaped the field and consider how historians continue to ask new questions with new sources. Students shall prepare for and actively participate in weekly readings. They will also be expected to prepare a research paper grounded in critical engagement of primary sources and in the light of scholarly conversations.
C, N

Spring 2022

GERM 101: Elementary German I
Frank Mischke

Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading and speaking skills, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. Texts augmented by tapes and video materials. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. As of fall 2021, GERM 101 uses a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased.
MW 1:10–2:10, TR 1:15–2:40, or MW 2:20–3:20, TR 2:50–4:15

GERM 102: Elementary German II
Jeanette Franza, Gülden Olgun, Tim Schmidt

Continuation of GERM 101. Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment. Encouraging cultural awareness through texts, films, discussions, etc., and understanding German in a global context. Successful completion of both GERM 101–102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G. As of spring 2022, GERM 102 uses a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased.
MW 10:50–11:50, TR 10:05–11:30, or MW 12:00–1:00, TR 11:40–1:05, or MW 2:20–3:20, TR 2:50–4:15, or MW 4:40–5:40, TR 4:25–5:50

GERM 180A: From Hero to Knight, from Priest-King to Merchant Prince
Rosmarie Morewedge

Introduction to global tale telling in the Middle Ages with a focus on tales of heroes and knights who perform extraordinary deeds and acquire honor and fame in countries from Spain to Germany to England, Ireland and Constantinople, from the Holy Land to India and Africa—as recorded in history as well as in fabulous landscapes of the imagination. The Course covers the time from the early Middle Ages of Emperor Charlemagne to the high Middle Ages of King Arthur and the late Middle Ages of Solomonic diplomatic envoys of Dawit Nägäst in pre-colonial Ethiopia to European courts. We will look at depictions of global encounters in heroic tales and knightly romances—encoded as texts and visualized as movies—and learn how global interactions and global interdependencies reveal new perspectives in/on civilization, identify formation and myths of power. Course taught in English.
G, H | TR 2:50–4:15

GERM 181G: Intensive German Grammar
Anja Salman

This course offers a thorough review of the major areas of German grammar. The course emphasizes linguistic accuracy and is designed to familiarize students with the most important aspects of German grammar at the elementary and intermediate levels, such as the major verb tenses, the cases and declinations of nouns, articles, and adjectives, word order, pronouns, and the like. Student needs and preferences will help determine what areas receive special focus; this course is for all students who want to consolidate, improve, and perfect their knowledge of German grammar and their ability to use spoken and written German with accuracy and nuance. Prerequisites: Successful completion of GERM 102 or equivalent, or instructor’s permission.

GERM 203: Intermediate German I
Christina Feil, Anja Salman

Helps students develop ability to communicate in German beyond the basic "survival" level. Begins with a systematic review of German grammar that continues through the second semester at the intermediate level. Students read a series of short literary texts and work with texts taken from popular culture, as they improve their reading, writing and discussion skills. Designed especially for students who are interested in the humanities and social sciences.
Prerequisites: GERM 102 or equivalent, or permission of instructor
MW 1:10–2:10, TR 1:15–2:15

GERM 204: Intermediate German II
Rosmarie Morewedge

Continuation of GERM 203. First step in expansion of German language skills beyond functional areas of information exchange, description and narration. By reading and responding to a variety of stimulating texts (modern fiction, lyrics, newspaper articles, historical texts, film clips), students develop both comprehension skills and the ability to express and support their own opinions and interpretations. Equal emphasis on both spoken and written expression. Includes review of more complex grammatical structures and activities designed to broaden vocabulary resources.
MW 1:10–2:10, TR 1:15–2:15

GERM 241G: Introduction to Marx & Critical Theory
Carl Gelderloos

“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.” So begins Part One of the Communist Manifesto of Marx and Engels. This sentence also stands at the beginning of a tradition in philosophy, history, and politics that places everyday human labor and struggle at the heart of historical change. This course offers an introduction to this tradition, with an emphasis on its origins in the 19th century and its development in the 20th century, particularly in the work of writers associated with the Frankfurt School. As we will see, this critical tradition draws its strength from the ways in which it considers questions of power, economy, society, and culture as inextricable from each other rather than as separate disciplines. Because it holds that cultures and ideologies cannot be understood without considering how given societies and economies are organized, the tradition of critical theory is materialist; because it highlights the importance of struggle and contradiction, it is dialectical. Topics we will consider include capitalism, revolution, utopia, mass culture, dialectical reasoning, historical materialism, the state, fascism, antifascism, and the human relationship to nature. Readings may include works by Marx, Hegel, Nietzsche, Freud, Adorno, Benjamin, Lukács, Kracauer, Brecht, Fanon, Davis, and Fields, among others. Course taught in English.
H, N, O | MW 1:10–2:35

GERM 241J, 241K: Volkswagen and Beyond
Harald Zils

What makes "German Engineering" so special that the phrase brings up twice as many Google hits as "American Engineering"? For a long time, there have been common qualities in the products of German design. The course investigates into the creative ideas that have been driving the history of German engineering and its continuations in society (Bauhaus, Volkswagen, Kraftwerk). It shows how ideas of beauty and well-formedness, even principles of ''good'' engineering are determined by economic situations and political issues, for better and for worse; and how engineers' designs influence the self-image of a whole society in return. Students are introduced to creative artists' statements and aesthetic programs, but for a huge part of the course we will analyze concrete manifestations of engineering aesthetics.
Note: This is a humanities course, not an engineering course. We will not discuss BMW's anti-locking brakes; we will discuss the institutional and intellectual traditions and mindsets in the background. Course taught in English. Grading is based on two presentations, an exam and a group project.
A, (O,) W | TR 4:25–5:50

GERM 306: Texts & Contexts II
Carl Gelderloos

Texts and Contexts II: GERM 306 offers students the opportunity to refine modes of expression, improve accuracy and fluency and build cultural competency in German by engaging with important trends, ideas and events in the German-speaking world. It prepares students for more advanced work in German Studies in an interdisciplinary context. Students will engage texts and images from a range of genres (literature, history, philosophy, politics film, popular culture, news media, art) to improve critical reading abilities and accuracy in writing. The course also reviews advanced grammar structures in context. Taught entirely in German. Prerequisite: GERM 305 or instructor permission.
MW 2:50–4:15

GERM 380O: The Art of Exile
Neil Christian Pages

What does it mean to lose one’s home, to be uprooted from a ‘native’ language and culture and to look for a home elsewhere? What does it mean for the self to be ‘at home’ in the first place? This course explores those questions through the figure of the exile, émigré and refugee. Its focus is the life and work of writers, intellectuals and visual artists who fled Nazi Germany in and after 1933. We will consider how this particular historical moment informs contemporary debates on migration and integration, human rights and the relationship between the artist and the state. Course materials include literary works, historiography, film and visual culture. Course taught in English.
H | TR 4:25–5:50

GERM 380S: Germany in the 1960s
Harald Zils

This course looks at German society in the nineteen-sixties, using three focal points:
1) Jerusalem/Frankfurt: The trial of Adolf Eichmann and the Auschwitz trials bring to light what had long been buried: German crimes in World War II and the Holocaust. Reactions range from disbelief and rejection to helpless despair at being confronted with historical reality. For the first time, a public confrontation with this part of German history happens, and attempts are made to find a language and rules for this new discourse.
2) Berlin: The building of the Wall in 1961 seals the division of Germany; in 1965, a new beginning for a utopian, alternative East Germany seems possible.
3) Frankfurt, Berlin; Berkeley; Paris: In West Germany and elsewhere, students take to the streets. They demand a different republic: away with the old customs and faces, in with more personal freedom, with more democracy and more commitment to an unconditional peace. They fail, and they succeed. A new concept of the public sphere is born - and many of its problems, from "wokeness" to "betrayal" by veterans, sound familiar today... what can we learn from this for our own political dealings with each other?
Two book reviews, one term paper. Course taught in English.
N, O | MW 4:40–6:05

GERM 381D: The Uncanny
Neil Christian Pages

“Everywhere I go, I find a poet has been there before me”: The ubiquity of this remark, widely attributed to Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), speaks to Freud’s enduring status as a cultural icon, his deep engagement with literature and to the experience at the heart of this course: the Uncanny. We will begin the course with a close reading of Freud’s 1919 essay of the same name and move on to analyze a series of crucial texts from German literature that grapple with “das Unheimliche” while simultaneously mobilizing it as a literary device. Readings of novellas and prose fiction by ETA Hoffmann, Joseph Roth, Franz Kafka and W.G. Sebald. Taught entirely in German.
H | TR 2:50–4:15

COURSES FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS CROSSLISTED WITH GERMAN

GERM 380D: German Jews
Allan Arkush

This course will examine the lives of representative German Jews from the middle of the 18th century to the beginning of the Nazi era. It will focus on these individuals’ relationship to Judaism and Jewish life and the changing German world in which they lived. Among the figures studied will be philosophers (Moses Mendelssohn), politicians (Gabriel Riesser and Walter Rathenau), rabbis (Leo Baeck), and feminists (Bertha Pappenheim). Selected Topics: the fight for Jewish civil rights in the 19th century, the reception of Jews in the German public sphere, responses to anti-Semitism, new philosophies of Judaism.
H | TR 1:15–2:40

GERM 380G: The Holocaust: A Victims' History
Gina Glasman

How did the Jews of Europe respond to German occupation and its machinery of death during the Second World War? Our class will explore an answer to this question by seeking to reconstruct a history of the Holocaust through the voices of its victims. We will examine various forms of contemporary testimony including diaries and the spoken word. Works of history, as well as documentary cinema, will also frame our conversation about chronicling the effects of Nazi genocide through the surviving record of the murdered and the dead.
N, W | TR 11:40–1:05

Fall 2021

GERM 101: Elementary German I
Jeanette Franza, Gülden Olgun, Anja Salman, Tim Schmidt

Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading and speaking skills, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. Texts augmented by multimedia materials. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G. As of fall 2021, GERM 101 uses a free online platform customized to Binghamton University, instead of a textbook that needs to be purchased.

GERM 102: Elementary German II
Frank Mischke

Continuation of GERM 101. Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment. Encouraging cultural awareness through texts, films, discussions, etc., and understanding German in a global context. Successful completion of both GERM 101 and 102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G.

GERM 180G: German Culture: A History
Neil Christian Pages

Course introduces students to the political, social and cultural history of modern Germany (1871–1989). From the founding of the first German nation state in 1871 to the emergence of Expressionism in painting, to the ’golden’ age of Weimar culture, to the Nazi state and the Shoah, to the division of Germany into two states with competing ideological systems in the wake of World War II, course engages events and ideas that inform contemporary German culture and its memories and identities. We will look at art and architecture, photography and film, read about history and politics and engage literary and aesthetic approaches to German cultural history in order to gain an understanding of contemporary Germany and the Germans. Readings and discussions assist students in developing intercultural competencies and fluencies across genres and media while building skills in critical reading and thinking. Taught entirely in English.
Gen Ed: A, N

GERM 203: Intermediate German I
Carl Gelderloos, Anja Salman

Helps students develop ability to communicate in German beyond the basic "survival" level. Begins with a systematic review of German grammar that continues through the second semester at the intermediate level. Students read a series of short literary texts and work with texts taken from popular culture, as they improve their reading, writing and discussion skills. Designed especially for students who are interested in the humanities and social sciences. Prerequisites: GERM 102 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.

GERM 241M: Myths of Power
Rosmarie Morewedge

Courts, Kings, Cities and Cathedrals in Germany: Myths of Power in Ideas, Images and Icons Focusing on the time span of the Middle Ages to the French Revolution, we shall explore in literature and the visual arts myths of power and the power of myth. The focus will be on the rise of sacral kingship, the medieval institutionalization of power, the development of major courts of the high nobility, power struggles between the church and the empire, between conservative forces and the ascending middle class in cities, as well as centripetal and centrifugal force fields that shape the center and peripheries in Central Europe. We will study the history of ideas, icons and images, read texts and watch a number of films, making use of a series of compelling historical docudramas as well as feature films, but will also critique literary and visual depictions of major historical power struggles. We will explore how these ideas, images and icons linked to myths of power-- have contributed to the shaping of aristocratic status, social hierarchies, social mobility, and ultimately to a regional, urban national identity in Germany.
Gen Ed: H

GERM 241N: The Nazi State
Harald Zils

The course looks at Germany between 1933 and 1939, at the organization and inner functioning of the Nazi government and administration. Topics include the Nazi rise to power, party structures, "Gleichschaltung" of society, economy, and media, persecution of minorities, the situation of workers and peasants, the role of the churches etc. Two midterms, one final. Course taught in English.
Gen Ed: H

GERM 305: Texts & Contexts I
Rosmarie Morewedge

Course provides a comprehensive review of German grammar and usage through readings of texts and contexts related to German-speaking Europe and the global reach of German language and culture. We will work with different genres (fiction and non-fiction; history; geography; art; philosophy; media; visual culture) in order to develop fluency and accuracy in spoken and written German, to explore strategies for reading texts needed for an interdisciplinary approach to German Studies and to learn more about key aspects of German language and culture. Evaluation and grading are based on in-class participation, written homework and exams. Course is taught entirely in German. Prerequisite: GERM 204 or equivalent or instructor permission.

GERM 380B: Learning to See: Art & Media in Weimar Germany
Carl Gelderloos

From the movies we watch to the advertisements we see, from the way we understand images to the fonts we use, the vibrant legacy of modern culture in the 1920s and 1930s continues to influence the way we use and think about media, art, technology, and communication. Drawing on richly innovative visual artworks and groundbreaking theoretical texts, this course explores the visual culture of the Weimar Republic (1919–1933) with a special emphasis on film, photography, and montage. Visual media played a central role in the cultural production and aesthetic and political debates of the time: the rise of the cinema provoked an unparalleled reexamination of the relationship between art, technology, and society, while the rapid expansion of photography into newspapers and other mass media helped spark diverse discussions of aesthetics, perception, and individuality. Why did visual media and discussions about them play such a central role in the cultural and political ferment of modern culture between two world wars? How did new visual media and technologies help contemporaries rethink other, non-visual media such as literature and aesthetic representation more generally? Why were debates about photography and film often so politically charged, and how were images related to democracy, communism, and fascism? In what ways did Weimar culture draw on new technologies to see and depict processes of modernization, urbanization, and industrialization with new eyes? From Dada to advertising culture, photojournalism to Bertolt Brecht, these are the questions we will explore in this class.
Gen Ed: A, H

GERM 380H: Modern Yiddish Culture
Gina Glasman

In the half century before the Second World War, a Yiddish speaking "Jewish Street" stretched from Buenos Aires to Boston, from London to Lodz, with many cities in between. What characterized the culture of this mostly urban and modernizing society is the subject of this class. Cinema and short stories, poetry and politics provide our vehicle to explore the world of Eastern European Jewry in a time of radical transformation and approaching catastrophe (all material is in English). If a student has taken a 200-level version of Modern Yiddish Culture they will not receive credit for this course.
Gen Ed: H, J

GERM 380O: Art, Image, Psychoanalysis
Jeffrey Kirkwood

This course explores the history of psychoanalysis as both a critical fixture in the interpretation of images during the 20th century, as well as a theory deeply tied to developments in aesthetics and technology. Despite having become a standard theoretical tool in the interpretation of art and film, psychoanalysis, since its inception, has had difficulty accounting for the nature and function of images. Through readings of core psychoanalytic and pre-psychoanalytic texts (Freud, Ferenczi, Rank, Klein, Lacan, etc.) and an engagement with 20th century movements in art and film (including Dada, Surrealism, Weimar cinema, and contemporary criticism) we will examine the ways in which psychoanalysis has informed and been informed by the history of image-making. Prerequisite: any 100- or 200-level course in Art History, Comparative Literature, Cinema, or German; or permission of instructor. This course fulfills the "Post-1800" distribution requirement for the Art History major.
Gen Ed: A

GERM 480U: Kafka and His Readers
Neil Christian Pages

Seminar explores the work and reception of Franz Kafka (1883–1924), arguably the most famous writer of German Modernism and the inspiration for the troublesome idiom “Kafkaesque.” We will examine the Kafkan text with and against some of the cultural productions that have emerged from it, from the illustrations of R. Crumb, to the installation art of Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, to musical compositions, the films of Steven Soderbergh and Michael Haneke, the work of visual artists like Jeff Wall, the literary texts of authors like Jonathan Franzen, Haruki Murakami and J.M. Coetzee and the criticism of thinkers like Benjamin, Adorno, Derrida and Blanchot. While considering Kafka’s literary legacy, his academic function, his impact on thinking about art and representation, and the debates about the translation of his work, we will also reflect on the process of reading and interpretation generally as well as on what literature does and the ways in which literary criticism works.

GERM 481H: Hitler
Harald Zils

An investigation into the life and afterlife of Adolf Hitler. We examine various turning points in Hitler's life based on various portrayals, including the self-portrayal in Mein Kampf. What can be learned about this person that goes beyond mere demonization? What is the function of biographies for society, and how useful are they for historiography? How much do they reflect the current issues of their respective times? The second part of the course takes on Hitler's afterlife in social and cultural discourse inside and outside Germany: The remembrance of Hitler as a dire warning, as an obligation, as a provocation; Hitler as the protagonist of glorifications and conspiracy theories; Hitler as a trope and as a caricature. The course will use speeches, memoirs, and also products of mass culture like Downfall and Jojo Rabbit as source material to document the interplay of memory, guilt, longing for justice and attempts to comprehend the unforgivable. Course taught in English.

GERM 481M: Theories of Media
Jeffrey Kirkwood

This course will offer an intensive study of core media theoretical texts—both historical and contemporary. Media theory has undergone increasing institutionalization and now exerts an ever-greater force on the study of art, philosophy, cinema, science, and literature. By engaging with a canon of foundational theoretical texts we will explore the impact of various genealogies of thinking about media technologies on the many fields it has come to shape. Readings for the course include Ernst Kapp, Gilbert Simondon, Lewis Mumford, Donna Haraway, Friedrich Kittler, Michel Serres, Bernhard Siegert, N. Katherine Hayles, Jean Baudrillard, Sybille Krämer, Bernard Stiegler, Niklas Luhmann, and others.
Gen Ed: A

Spring 2021

GERM 101: Elementary German I
Frank Mischke

Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading and speaking skills, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. Texts augmented by multimedia materials. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G.

GERM 102: Elementary German II
Christina Feil, Jeanette Franza, Tim Schmidt

Continuation of GERM 101. Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment. Encouraging cultural awareness through texts, films, discussions, etc., and understanding German in a global context. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G.

GERM 181G: Intensive German Grammar
Christina Feil

This course offers a thorough review of the major areas of German grammar. The course emphasizes linguistic accuracy and is designed to familiarize students with the most important aspects of German grammar at the elementary and intermediate levels, such as the major verb tenses, the cases and declinations of nouns, articles, and adjectives, word order, pronouns, and the like. Student needs and preferences will help determine what areas receive special focus; this course is for all students who want to consolidate, improve, and perfect their knowledge of German grammar and their ability to use spoken and written German with accuracy and nuance. Prerequisites: Successful completion of GERM 102 or equivalent, or instructor's permission.

GERM 203: Intermediate German I
Jan Hohenstein

Helps students develop ability to communicate in German beyond the basic "survival" level. Begins with a systematic review of German grammar that continues through the second semester at the intermediate level. Students read a series of short literary texts and work with texts taken from popular culture, as they improve their reading, writing and discussion skills. Designed especially for students who are interested in the humanities and social sciences. Prerequisites: GERM 102 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.

GERM 204: Intermediate German II
Christina Feil

Continuation of GERM 203. First step in expansion of German-language skills beyond functional areas of information exchange, description and narration. By reading and responding to a variety of stimulating texts (modern fiction, lyrics, newspaper articles, historical texts, film clips), students develop both comprehension skills and the ability to express and support their own opinions and interpretations. Equal emphasis on both spoken and written expression. Includes review of more complex grammatical structures and activities designed to broaden vocabulary resources.

GERM 241A: From Hero to Knight
Rosmarie Morewedge

Beginning with Orff's Carmina Burana, Game of Thrones, Spamalot, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail, we will construct heroic, courtly and narrative codes in the Middle Ages. We study tales that were recited and performed in Germany as they move from oral performance into the written tradition. Learning about the cognitive revolution that took place in the turn from the oral to the written tradition will be carried out through close reading of the entire Song of the Nibelungs. Access to literacy and the acquisition of this new mode of communication will be studied in terms of their effect on different layers of society. We will also read and explore great tales that define relations between the West and the East during the times of the Crusades, heroic tales of ancient warriors that turn up in courtly dress, as well as Arthurian romances that portray and shape courtly society and civilization. How does the heroic code change into the knightly code? Tellers and writers of tales seek to create a literature that forges values and ideas of heroism, nation building, governance, knighthood, chivalry, courtly love, civilization, kingship, justice, warfare, service to God, the encounter with the Orient, and implications of the rise of the new merchant class in the cities. Works will be read in English translation.. The course will be taught in English with a special discussion section in German for students who have completed Intermediate German or the equivalent. Texts and Movies: The Lay of Hildebrand The older lay and the younger lay BB The Song of the Nibelungs, (complete epic) tr. Frank G. Ryder Siegfried, Kriemhild's Revenge Fritz Lang Duke Ernst, tr. J.W. Thomas and Carolyn Dussere Poor Henry/Der arme Heinrich, Hartmann von Aue, BB Parzival, Wolfram von Eschenbach Excalibur, John Boorman Tristan und Isolde, Gottfried von Strassburg The Book of Memory, Carruthers, Mary (selections) The Power of the Written Tradition, Jack Goody (selections). H

GERM 241E/COLI 280A/ENG 200A: Fairy Tales in Social History
Rosmarie Morewedge

A study of the shift from the oral folk tale to the literary fairy tale in France and Germany to discover how tales mirror symbolically the social historical processes that occur in the transformation of an agrarian society into an industrialized society that dreams of social mobility. We shall explore great fairy tales that mirror the transformation of social attitudes and behavior in connection with societal changes occurring from absolutism to enlightenment, from authoritarian aristocratic rule to the French Revolution and to utopian but also progressive and satirical thinking that continued in its wake. We will explore the role of tales in the civilizing process, as the development of the self and social evolution become grand themes. Formal aspects of tales, gender construction, the intersection of gender and class, confrontational and participatory modes of behavior, the historical location of authority and negotiations with power by the rising middle class, and implications of the development of literacy by the middle class will be further topics of discussion. In English; no knowledge of German required; an additional weekly one hour discussion section of the course will be offered to those wishing to work in German. H

GERM 241S: A Novel and its Context: Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain
Harald Zils

Course is taught in English. Intensive reading and discussion of Thomas Mann's "The Magic Mountain," published in 1924, one of the major novels of the 20th century. Course explores the work in its context: history, politics, philosophy, literature, music, medicine, psychoanalysis. Students will give two presentations and write a 10-page term paper. Everyman's Library edition of the translation by John E. Woods (important: hardcover edition, ISBN 1400044219) will be used. H, O, W.

GERM 306: Texts and Contexts II
Neil Christian Pages

Texts and Contexts II: GERM 306 offers students the opportunity to refine modes of expression, improve accuracy and fluency and build cultural competency in German by engaging with important trends, ideas and events in the German-speaking world. It prepares students for more advanced work in German Studies in an interdisciplinary context. Students will engage texts and images from a range of genres (literature, history, philosophy, politics film, popular culture, news media, art) to improve critical reading abilities and accuracy in writing. The course also reviews advanced grammar structures in context. Taught entirely in German. Prerequisite: GERM 305 or instructor permission.

GERM 380I: Post-War Germany
Harald Zils

After Germany's defeat in 1945, the country, divided into four, then two parts by the victorious allies, found itself in political, moral, intellectual and economic crisis. In the midst of the Cold War, German societies in east and west had to choose whether to come to terms with the past in order to make decisions for the future; or to silence public discourse and to suppress memories in favor of a truce for the present.
The course will focus on four decisive years: 1945; 1949; 1956; and 1961.
Course taught in English. H, W

COLI 381Q/GERM 380V/JUST 384D/HIST 381U/ARTH 387B: Vienna 1900: Modernism and the End of Empire
Neil Christian Pages

Course explores the ideas, impulses and implosions that accompanied the rise of Modernism in Vienna around 1900. Like the multicultural, multi-ethnic empire of which it was the capital, the culture of Habsburg Vienna at the fin-de-siècle was marked by fragmentation, experimentation and contestation. Struggles with politics, identities and aesthetics generated new ways of thinking (Freudian psychoanalysis), political movements (Zionism; Marxism; fascism), radical experiments with art, architecture and music (Klimt, Schiele, Loos, Bauer, Schönberg) and a lasting literary legacy (Schnitzler, Musil, Hofmannsthal, Trakl, Roth, Kraus, Zweig). By engaging specific works (buildings, paintings, texts, objects) across disciplines, students will develop skills in reading and interpretation and gain an understanding of the cultural history of “Vienna 1900” specifically and theories of Modernism generally. We will also question how eras and cultural legacies are constructed as objects of study and how cultures of memory are reflected in works of art, in historiography, literary works, commemorative practices and cultural institutions like museums and universities. A, H

COURSES FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS CROSSLISTED IN GERMAN

GERM 380D: German Jews
Allan Arkush

This course will examine the lives of representative German Jews from the middle of the 18th century to the beginning of the Nazi era. It will focus on these individuals’ relationship to Judaism and Jewish life and the changing German world in which they lived. Among the figures studied will be philosophers (Moses Mendelssohn), politicians (Gabriel Riesser and Walter Rathenau), rabbis (Leo Baeck), and feminists (Bertha Pappenheim). Selected Topics: the fight for Jewish civil rights in the 19th century, the reception of Jews in the German public sphere, responses to anti-Semitism, new philosophies of Judaism. H

GERM 380G: The Holocaust: A Victims' History
Gina Glasman

How did the Jews of Europe respond to German occupation and its machinery of death during the Second World War? Our class will explore an answer to this question by seeking to reconstruct a history of the Holocaust through the voices of its victims. We will examine various forms of contemporary testimony including diaries and the spoken word. Works of history, as well as documentary cinema, will also frame our conversation about chronicling the effects of Nazi genocide through the surviving record of the murdered and the dead. N, W

GERM 481B: Colonization/Violence/Genocide
Giovanna Montenegro

This course explores the themes of colonization, mass violence, genocide and cultural memory through literature, film, and visual culture. Beginning with literature of the conquest and colonization of the Americas including works such as Bartolomé de Las Casas’ A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, we will explore rhetorical arguments used to defend indigenous peoples’ rights while analyzing indigenous-authored texts such as those of Titu Cusi Yupanqui, Guamán Poma Ayala and Mexica (Aztec) accounts of the conquest. We will investigate how French author Michel de Montaigne used cultural relativism to critique religious persecution at home in his essay Of Cannibals. Using theoretical and historical readings from indigenous studies and genocide studies, we will investigate the repercussions of colonization, mass violence, and genocide (Dirk Moses, Mahmood Mamdani, Jürgen Zimmerer). For example, on the latter points the course will examine accounts and representations of genocide carried out by the German Empire in Southwest Africa against the Herero people (through the film Skulls of my People, Dir. Vincent Moloi, 2017), and recent attempts to discuss reparations in Germany vis-à-vis the Holocaust. Likewise, we’ll examine links between earlier conquest narratives as well as more recent testimonial literature produced in 20th-century conflicts within Latin America. The final part of the course will focus on the cultural memory of conquest, colonization, mass violence, and genocide and will include theoretical texts on lieux de mémoire (sites of memory) and commemorative sites and evaluate recent attempts to decolonize spaces as well as address justice and reparations.

Fall 2020

GERM 101: Elementary German I
Christina Feil, Gülden Olgun, Tim Schmidt

Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading and speaking skills, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. Texts augmented by multimedia materials. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G.

GERM 102: Elementary German II
Jan Hohenstein

Continuation of GERM 101. Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment. Encouraging cultural awareness through texts, films, discussions, etc., and understanding German in a global context. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G.

GERM 180B: Global Tales
Rosmarie Morewedge

Exploration and discussion of fairy tales and how the great classical fairy tales told in the noble salons of 17th c. France and by the Brothers Grimm in 19th c. Germany have been influenced by medieval Indian, Middle Eastern and early modern Mediterranean narrative traditions; how they shaped the process of civilization in 17th c. France and 19th c. Germany; and finally, how the strands of the Western European fairy tale tradition have in turn influenced modern Indian English fantasy narratives. Topics such as the development of the self, the role of women, good government, responsible citizenship, class conflict, entrepreneurship, the acquisition of wealth and wisdom, the pursuit of happiness, the acquisition and retention of power, membership in organic communities and becoming mindful of one’s relationship to nature are some of the great topics introduced in the amazing tales we shall study.

G, H

GERM 203: Intermediate German I
Christina Feil, Carl Gelderloos

Helps students develop ability to communicate in German beyond the basic "survival" level. Begins with a systematic review of German grammar that continues through the second semester at the intermediate level. Students read a series of short literary texts and work with texts taken from popular culture, as they improve their reading, writing and discussion skills. Designed especially for students who are interested in the humanities and social sciences. Prerequisites: GERM 102 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.

GERM 241D: The Fairy Tale
Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit

Structure and meaning of fairy tales. Oral vs. literary fairy tales. Different approaches to interpreting fairy tales: anthropological, psychological, socio-historical, structuralist. Lectures approximately once a week; discussion; take-home midterm and final exams; two 10-page papers.

H, W

GERM 241F: Cold War Science Fictions
Carl Gelderloos

This course explores science fiction literature and film from both sides of the “Iron Curtain” during the Cold War (1945–1990). By situating these works from the US, Eastern Europe, and the Soviet Union within their cultural and geopolitical contexts, we will learn how science fiction constituted a unique paradigm for understanding – and critiquing – modern society, whether of the capitalist or state socialist variety. How did science fiction, as the cultural form most associated with progress and the future, provide a novel perspective on an era marked both by the ecstasy of the space race and the terror of nuclear annihilation? Conversely, how did the context of the Cold War shape the imagination of what kinds of human futures were likely, possible, desirable, or inevitable? And what might these works help us understand about our own relationship to the future? Topics we’ll cover include the space race; fears and excitement about technology; utopia and dystopia; labor, the human, and the cyborg; aliens and the imagination of difference; SF as gender critique; virtuality and cyberpunk. We’ll read novels, short stories, and essays by Ursula Le Guin, Samuel Delany, Philip K. Dick, Joanna Russ, Stanisław Lem, the Strugatsky brothers, Ivan Efremov, Fredric Jameson, Thomas Pynchon, Leon Trotsky, and view films such as Solaris, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien, and Blade Runner.

H, W

GERM 241N: The Nazi State
Harald Zils

The course looks at the Nazi regime in Germany between 1933 and 1945, at the organization and inner functioning of the government and administration. Topics include the Nazi rise to power, party structures, "Gleichschaltung" of society, economy, and media, persecution of minorities, the situation of workers and peasants, the role of the churches etc. Course taught in English.
Course counts as H, W

GERM 305: Texts & Contexts I
Rosmarie Morewedge

Course provides a comprehensive review of German grammar and usage through readings of texts and contexts related to German-speaking Europe and the global reach of German language and culture. We will work with different genres (fiction and non-fiction; history; geography; art; philosophy; media; visual culture) in order to develop fluency and accuracy in spoken and written German, to explore strategies for reading texts needed for an interdisciplinary approach to German Studies and to learn more about key aspects of German language and culture. Evaluation and grading are based on in-class participation, written homework and exams. Course is taught entirely in German. Prerequisite: GERM 204 or equivalent or instructor permission.

GERM 380H: Modern Yiddish Culture
Gina Glasman

In the half century before the Second World War, a Yiddish speaking "Jewish Street" stretched from Buenos Aires to Boston, from London to Lodz, with many cities in between. What characterized the culture of this mostly urban and modernizing society is the subject of this class. Cinema and short stories, poetry and politics provide our vehicle to explore the world of Eastern European Jewry in a time of radical transformation and approaching catastrophe (all material is in English). If a student has taken a 200-level version of Modern Yiddish Culture they will not receive credit for this course.

H, J

GERM 380K: Imperial Germany
Harald Zils

Course taught in English – This survey course takes a close look at the German Empire at the end of the 19th century: political and social structures, economic and cultural developments. We will pay particular attention to the young German nation’s attempts to find its position in an international context. One exam, one review paper with presentation, term paper.

H

Spring 2020

GERM 101: Elementary German I
Frank Mischke, Nadia Schuman

Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading and speaking skills, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. Texts augmented by multimedia materials. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G.

GERM 102: Elementary German II
Tim Schmidt, Gülden Olgun

Continuation of GERM 101. Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment. Encouraging cultural awareness through texts, films, discussions, etc., and understanding German in a global context. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G.

GERM 181G: Intensive German Grammar
Ruth Seifert

This course offers a thorough review of the major areas of German grammar. The course emphasizes linguistic accuracy and is designed to familiarize students with the most important aspects of German grammar at the elementary and intermediate levels, such as the major verb tenses, the cases and declinations of nouns, articles, and adjectives, word order, pronouns, and the like. Student needs and preferences will help determine what areas receive special focus; this course is for all students who want to consolidate, improve, and perfect their knowledge of German grammar and their ability to use spoken and written German with accuracy and nuance. Prerequisites: Successful completion of GERM 102 or equivalent, or instructor's permission.

GERM 203: Intermediate German I
Ruth Seifert

Helps students develop ability to communicate in German beyond the basic "survival" level. Begins with a systematic review of German grammar that continues through the second semester at the intermediate level. Students read a series of short literary texts and work with texts taken from popular culture, as they improve their reading, writing and discussion skills. Designed especially for students who are interested in the humanities and social sciences. Prerequisites: GERM 102 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.

GERM 204: Intermediate German II
Ruth Seifert

Continuation of GERM 203. First step in expansion of German-language skills beyond functional areas of information exchange, description and narration. By reading and responding to a variety of stimulating texts (modern fiction, lyrics, newspaper articles, historical texts, film clips), students develop both comprehension skills and the ability to express and support their own opinions and interpretations. Equal emphasis on both spoken and written expression. Includes review of more complex grammatical structures and activities designed to broaden vocabulary resources.

GERM 241E/COLI 280A/ENG 200A: Fairy Tales in Social History
Rosmarie Morewedge

A study of the shift from the oral folk tale to the literary fairy tale in France and Germany to discover how tales mirror symbolically the social historical processes that occur in the transformation of an agrarian society into an industrialized society that dreams of social mobility. We shall explore great fairy tales that mirror the transformation of social attitudes and behavior in connection with societal changes occurring from absolutism to enlightenment, from authoritarian aristocratic rule to the French Revolution and to utopian but also progressive and satirical thinking that continued in its wake. We will explore the role of tales in the civilizing process, as the development of the self and social evolution become grand themes. Formal aspects of tales, gender construction, the intersection of gender and class, confrontational and participatory modes of behavior, the historical location of authority and negotiations with power by the rising middle class, and implications of the development of literacy by the middle class will be further topics of discussion. In English; no knowledge of German required; an additional weekly one hour discussion section of the course will be offered to those wishing to work in German. H

GERM 241G/ENG 200W/PHIL 280C: Introduction to Marx and Critical Theory
Carl Gelderloos

"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." So begins Part One of the Communist Manifesto of Marx and Engels. This sentence also stands at the beginning of a tradition in philosophy, history, and politics that places everyday human labor and struggle at the heart of historical change. This course offers an introduction to this tradition, with an emphasis on its origins in the 19th century and its development in the 20th century, particularly in the work of writers associated with the Frankfurt School. As we will see, this critical tradition draws its strength from the ways in which it considers questions of power, economy, society, and culture as inextricable from each other rather than as separate disciplines. Because it holds that cultures and ideologies cannot be understood without considering how given societies and economies are organized, the tradition of critical theory is materialist; because it highlights the importance of struggle and contradiction, it is dialectical. Topics we will consider include capitalism, revolution, utopia, mass culture, dialectical reasoning, historical materialism, the state, fascism, antifascism, and the human relationship to nature. Readings may include works by Marx, Hegel, Nietzsche, Freud, Adorno, Benjamin, Lukács, Kracauer, Brecht, and Fanon.
H, N, O

GERM 241L/MDVL 280C: Myths of Power
Rosmarie Morewedge

Courts, Kings, Dynasties and Cities in Germany: Myths of Power in Images and Icons Focusing on the time span of the Middle Ages to the French Revolution, we shall explore the rise of sacral kingship, the institutionalization of power, the development of major courts of the high nobility, power struggles between the more conservative forces of power and the ascending middle class in cities, as well as centripetal and centrifugal force fields that shape the center and the periphery . We will study icons and images, read texts and watch a number of films, making use of a series of compelling docudramas produced by the German broadcaster ZdF, as well as feature films, but will also critique literary and visual depictions of these historical power struggles. We will explore how these iconic images – linked often to myths of power-- have contributed to the shaping of aristocratic status, social hierarchies and social mobility, and ultimately to a regional, urban and/or national identity in Germany.

H

GERM 306: Texts and Contexts II
Carl Gelderloos

Texts and Contexts II: GERM 306 offers students the opportunity to refine modes of expression, improve accuracy and fluency and build cultural competency in German by engaging with important trends, ideas and events in the German-speaking world. It prepares students for more advanced work in German Studies in an interdisciplinary context. Students will engage texts and images from a range of genres (literature, history, philosophy, politics film, popular culture, news media, art) to improve critical reading abilities and accuracy in writing. The course also reviews advanced grammar structures in context. Taught entirely in German. Prerequisite: GERM 305 or instructor permission.

GERM 380V: Vienna 1900: Modernism & the End of Empire
Neil Christian Pages

Course explores the ideas, impulses and implosions that accompanied the rise of Modernism in Vienna around 1900. Like the multicultural, multi-ethnic empire of which it was the capital, the culture of Habsburg Vienna at the fin de siècle was marked by fragmentation, experimentation and contestation. Struggles with politics, identities and aesthetics generated new ways of thinking (Freudian psychoanalysis), political movements (Zionism; Marxism; fascism), radical experiments with art and architecture (Klimt, Schiele, Loos, Bauer, Schönberg) and a lasting literary legacy (Schnitzler, Musil, von Hofmannsthal, Trakl, Roth, Kraus, Zweig). By engaging specific works (buildings, paintings, texts) across disciplines, students will develop skills in reading and interpretation and gain an understanding of the cultural history of “Vienna 1900” specifically and theories of Modernism generally. We will also question how eras and cultural legacies are constructed and how cultures of memory are reflected in works of art, in historiography and in literary works.

A, H

COURSES CROSSLISTED IN GERMAN

GERM 380F: Art, Image, Psychoanalysis
Jeffrey Kirkwood

This course explores the history of psychoanalysis as both a critical fixture in the interpretation of images during the 20th century, as well as a theory deeply tied to developments in aesthetics and technology. Despite having become a standard theoretical tool in the interpretation of art and film, psychoanalysis, since its inception, has had difficulty accounting for the nature and function of images. Through readings of core psychoanalytic and pre-psychoanalytic texts (Freud, Ferenczi, Rank, Klein, Lacan, etc.) and an engagement with 20th century movements in art and film (including Dada, Surrealism, Weimar cinema, and contemporary criticism) we will examine the ways in which psychoanalysis has informed and been informed by the history of image-making. Prerequisite: any 100- or 200-level course in Art History, English, Comparative Literature, Cinema, or German and Russian Studies; or permission of instructor. This course fulfills the "Post-1800" distribution requirement for the Art History major.

H, W

GERM 380G: The Holocaust
Gina Glasman

The Holocaust: A History of the Resistance from Anti-Fascist Brigades to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. This class explores the history of Jewish resistance to the existential threat posed by Nazism, both before and during the Second World War. All kinds of responses to that threat – political and cultural, collective and individual – will form part of our inquiry into this terrible historical moment. History, memoir literature and popular song will act as our guides. All sources will be in English translation.
H, W

Fall 2019

GERM 101: Elementary German I
Jan Hohenstein, Gülden Olgun, Ruth Seifert

Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading and speaking skills, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. Texts augmented by multimedia materials. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G.

GERM 102: Elementary German II
Frank K. Mischke

Continuation of GERM 101. Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment. Encouraging cultural awareness through texts, films, discussions, etc., and understanding German in a global context. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G.

GERM 203: Intermediate German I
Carl Gelderloos

Helps students develop ability to communicate in German beyond the basic "survival" level. Begins with a systematic review of German grammar that continues through the second semester at the intermediate level. Students read a series of short literary texts and work with texts taken from popular culture, as they improve their reading, writing and discussion skills. Designed especially for students who are interested in the humanities and social sciences. Prerequisites: GERM 102 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.

GERM 241E, 241L: Volkswagen and Beyond
Harald Zils

What makes "German Engineering" so special that the phrase brings up twice as many Google hits as "American Engineering?" For a long time, there have been common qualities in the products of German design. The course investigates into the creative ideas that have been driving the history of German engineering and its continuations in society (Bauhaus, Volkswagen, Kraftwerk). It shows how ideas of beauty and well-formedness, even principles of "good" engineering are determined by economic situations and political issues; and how engineers' designs influence the self-image of a whole society in return. Students are introduced to creative artists' statements and aesthetic programs, but for a huge part of the course we will analyze concrete manifestations of engineering aesthetics and the role of science, technology and engineering in German and US societies. Note: This is a humanities course, not an engineering course. We will not discuss BMW's anti-locking brakes; we will discuss the institutional and intellectual traditions and mindsets that engineer the engineering. Course taught in English. Grading is based on two presentations, an exam and a group project.
Course counts as A, (O,) W

GERM 241N: The Nazi State
Harald Zils

The course looks at the Nazi regime in Germany between 1933 and 1945, at the organization and inner functioning of the government and administration. Topics include the Nazi rise to power, party structures, "Gleichschaltung" of society, economy, and media, persecution of minorities, the situation of workers and peasants, the role of the churches etc. Course taught in English.
Course counts as H, W

GERM 241H: Modern Yiddish Culture
Gina Glasman

In the half century before the Second World War, a Yiddish speaking "Jewish Street" stretched from Buenos Aires to Boston, from London to Łódź, with many cities in between. What characterized the culture of this mostly urban and modernizing society is the subject of this class. Cinema and short stories, poetry and politics provide our vehicle to explore the world of Eastern European Jewry in a time of radical transformation and approaching catastrophe (all material is in English).

Course counts as H,J

GERM 305: Texts & Contexts I
Jan Hohenstein

Course provides a comprehensive review of German grammar and usage through readings of texts and contexts related to German-speaking Europe and the global reach of German language and culture. We will work with different genres (fiction and non-fiction; history; geography; art; philosophy; media; visual culture) in order to develop fluency and accuracy in spoken and written German, to explore strategies for reading texts needed for an interdisciplinary approach to German Studies and to learn more about key aspects of German language and culture. Evaluation and grading are based on in-class participation, written homework and exams. Course is taught entirely in German. Prerequisite: GERM 204 or equivalent or instructor permission.

GERM 380B: Learning to See: Art & Media in Weimar Germany
Carl Gelderloos

From the movies we watch to the advertisements we see, from the way we understand images to the fonts we use, the vibrant legacy of modern culture in the 1920s and 1930s continues to influence the way we use and think about media, art, technology, and communication. Drawing on richly innovative visual artworks and groundbreaking theoretical texts, this course explores the visual culture of the Weimar Republic (1919-1933) with a special emphasis on film, photography, and montage. Visual media played a central role in the cultural production and aesthetic and political debates of the time: the rise of the cinema provoked an unparalleled reexamination of the relationship between art, technology, and society, while the rapid expansion of photography into newspapers and other mass media helped spark diverse discussions of aesthetics, perception, and individuality. Why did visual media and discussions about them play such a central role in the cultural and political ferment of modern culture between two world wars? How did new visual media and technologies help contemporaries rethink other, non-visual media such as literature and aesthetic representation more generally? Why were debates about photography and film often so politically charged, and how were images related to democracy, communism, and fascism? In what ways did Weimar culture draw on new technologies to see and depict processes of modernization, urbanization, and industrialization with new eyes? From Dada to advertising culture, photojournalism to Bertolt Brecht, these are the questions we will explore in this class. Course taught in English
Course counts as A,H,W

GERM 480U: Kafka and His Readers
Neil Christian Pages

Seminar explores the work and reception of Franz Kafka (1883–1924), arguably the most famous writer of German Modernism and the inspiration for the troublesome idiom "Kafkaesque." We will examine the Kafkan text with and against some of the cultural productions that have emerged from it, from the illustrations of R. Crumb, to the installation art of Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, the musical compositions of Carsten Nicolai, the films of Steven Soderbergh and Michael Haneke, the literary texts of authors like Jonathan Franzen, Haruki Murakami and J.M. Coetzee and the criticism of thinkers like Adorno, Derrida and Blanchot. While considering Kafka's literary legacy, his academic function, his impact on thinking about representation, and the debates about the translation of his work, we will also reflect on the process of reading and interpretation generally as well as on what literature does and the ways in which literary criticism works.

Course counts as W

GERM 481B: Early Cinema
Jeffrey Kirkwood

In a media environment saturated with screens it is easy to forget that our habits of viewership, however intuitive they may seem, were learned. The nature of our interactions with and understanding of images on screens becomes legible when returning to a historical moment in which the conventions of cinematic spectatorship were just being established—a time in which the explosion of popular cinema was transforming notions of aesthetics, narrative, and psychology. Beginning with an exploration of proto-cinematic devices and meditations on the nature of perception, and continuing through the very first full-length narrative films in the 1910s, the course examines a period that arguably represents the most radical revision of the practices of seeing, watching, and vision prior to the "digital revolution." Through primary and secondary sources on illusions of movement, early forms of cinema, and the emergence of long-format narrative films, as well as rare archival films, the course confronts the technological and cultural conditions responsible for what could be called "modern vision."

Course counts as A

Spring 2019

GERM 101: Elementary German I

Frank Mischke

Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading and speaking skills, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. Texts augmented by multimedia materials. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G.

GERM 102: Elementary German II
Jan Hohenstein, Anna Pfeifer

Continuation of GERM 101. Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment. Encouraging cultural awareness through texts, films, discussions, etc., and understanding German in a global context. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G.

GERM 181G: Intensive German Grammar
Anna Pfeifer

This course offers a thorough review of the major areas of German grammar. The course emphasizes linguistic accuracy and is designed to familiarize students with the most important aspects of German grammar at the elementary and intermediate levels, such as the major verb tenses, the cases and declinations of nouns, articles, and adjectives, word order, pronouns, and the like. Student needs and preferences will help determine what areas receive special focus; this course is for all students who want to consolidate, improve, and perfect their knowledge of German grammar and their ability to use spoken and written German with accuracy and nuance. Prerequisites: Successful completion of GERM 102 or equivalent, or instructor's permission.

GERM 203: Intermediate German I
Gülden Olgun

Helps students develop ability to communicate in German beyond the basic "survival" level. Begins with a systematic review of German grammar that continues through the second semester at the intermediate level. Students read a series of short literary texts and work with texts taken from popular culture, as they improve their reading, writing and discussion skills. Designed especially for students who are interested in the humanities and social sciences. Prerequisites: GERM 102 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.

GERM 204: Intermediate German II
Anna Pfeifer

Continuation of GERM 203. First step in expansion of German-language skills beyond functional areas of information exchange, description and narration. By reading and responding to a variety of stimulating texts (modern fiction, lyrics, newspaper articles, historical texts, film clips), students develop both comprehension skills and the ability to express and support their own opinions and interpretations. Equal emphasis on both spoken and written expression. Includes review of more complex grammatical structures and activities designed to broaden vocabulary resources.

GERM 241E/COLI 280A/ENG 200A: Fairy Tales in Social History
Rosmarie Morewedge

A study of the shift from the oral folk tale to the literary fairy tale in France and Germany to discover how tales mirror symbolically the social historical processes that occur in the transformation of an agrarian society into an industrialized society that dreams of social mobility. We shall explore great fairy tales that mirror the transformation of social attitudes and behavior in connection with societal changes occurring from absolutism to enlightenment, from authoritarian aristocratic rule to the French Revolution and to utopian but also progressive and satirical thinking that continued in its wake. We will explore the role of tales in the civilizing process, as the development of the self and social evolution become grand themes. Formal aspects of tales, gender construction, the intersection of gender and class, confrontational and participatory modes of behavior, the historical location of authority and negotiations with power by the rising middle class, and implications of the development of literacy by the middle class will be further topics of discussion. In English; no knowledge of German required; an additional weekly one hour discussion section of the course will be offered to those wishing to work in German.
Gen Ed: H, W

GERM 241L/MDVL 280C: Myths of Power
Rosmarie Morewedge

Courts, Kings, Dynasties and Cities in Germany: Myths of Power in Images and Icons Focusing on the time span of the Middle Ages to the French Revolution, we shall explore the rise of sacral kingship, the institutionalization of power, the development of major courts of the high nobility, power struggles between the more conservative forces of power and the ascending middle class in cities, as well as centripetal and centrifugal force fields that shape the center and the periphery . We will study icons and images, read texts and watch a number of films, making use of a series of compelling docudramas produced by the German broadcaster ZdF, as well as feature films, but will also critique literary and visual depictions of these historical power struggles. We will explore how these iconic images – linked often to myths of power – have contributed to the shaping of aristocratic status, social hierarchies and social mobility, and ultimately to a regional, urban and/or national identity in Germany.
Gen Ed: H, W

GERM 306: Texts and Contexts II
Carl Gelderloos

Texts and Contexts II: GERM 306 offers students the opportunity to refine modes of expression, improve accuracy and fluency and build cultural competency in German by engaging with important trends, ideas and events in the German-speaking world. It prepares students for more advanced work in German Studies in an interdisciplinary context. Students will engage texts and images from a range of genres (literature, history, philosophy, politics film, popular culture, news media, art) to improve critical reading abilities and accuracy in writing. The course also reviews advanced grammar structures in context. Taught entirely in German. Prerequisite: GERM 305 or instructor permission.

GERM 380 courses—taught in English
GERM 380G: The Holocaust
Gina Glasman

The Holocaust: A History of the Resistance from Anti-Fascist Brigades to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. This class explores the history of Jewish resistance to the existential threat posed by Nazism, both before and during the Second World War. All kinds of responses to that threat – political and cultural, collective and individual – will form part of our inquiry into this terrible historical moment. History, memoir literature and popular song will act as our guides. All sources will be in English translation.
Gen Ed: H, W

GERM 380I: Post-War Germany
Harald Zils

After Germany's defeat in 1945, the country, divided into four, then two parts by the victorious allies, found itself in political, moral, intellectual and economic crisis. In the eye of the Cold War, German societies in east and west had to choose whether to come to terms with the past in order to make decisions for the future; or to remain silent and to suppress memories in favor of a truce for the present. The course focuses on four decisive years in the history of the two new states: 1949; 1956; 1961; and 1968. Three presentations (two short, one long), midterm, final. Course taught in English.
Gen Ed: H, W

GERM 380K: Modern Yiddish Culture
Gina Glasman

In the half century before the Second World War, a Yiddish speaking "Jewish Street" stretched from Buenos Aires to Boston, from London to Lodz, with many cities in between. What characterized the culture of this mostly urban and modernizing society is the subject of this class. Cinema and short stories, poetry and politics provide our vehicle to explore the world of Eastern European Jewry in a time of radical transformation and approaching catastrophe (all material is in English). If a student has taken a 200-level version of Modern Yiddish Culture they will not receive credit for this course.
Gen Ed: H, J

GERM 380N: Staging Revolutions
Carl Gelderloos

In this course we will read plays about revolution. Specifically, we will be exploring German works from the 18th to the 21st centuries (in English translation) that deal with revolutions, revolts, uprisings, and violence. As the literary form that actually involves people modeling a social situation on a stage in front of other people, drama seems uniquely suited to represent the thoughts, ideas, and impulses behind moments of political and social conflict and upheaval, as well as to explore questions of agency, individuality, collectivity, and nation; yet how does drama represent mass social and political events with only a few actors on stage, and how does the genre respond to this problem of representation? Our focus on revolutions will allow us to see how the history of German drama offers a wide variety of strategies by which literature grapples with society, history, and politics. We will read texts by Aristotle, Lessing, Schiller, Büchner, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Brecht, and Arendt, among others. This is a writing class, which means both that you will learn to write analytically about literature, and that analytic writing will be the primary tool with which you will probe and learn about the texts we will be reading. Writing is a process that involves many overlapping and recursive stages, including planning, brainstorming, rereading, drafting, revising, reviewing, rewriting, and revising. Your active, thoughtful participation at all stages of this process is essential to your success in this course. Course taught in English
Gen Ed: C, H

GERM 381C: German Culture 1871–1989
Neil Christian Pages

Course surveys major themes, events and intellectual discourses in German cultural history from the founding of the first German nation state in 1871 to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The course will place special emphasis on the year "1918" and its reverberations in German culture and politics. GERM 381C equips students with skills in critical analysis of texts, formal writing and oral expression needed for more advanced work in German Studies. It is excellent preparation for study abroad in a German-speaking country. Taught in German. Prerequisites: Interest in German cultural history and a desire to learn more. Students should have completed GERM 305 or the equivalent.

Fall 2018

GERM 101: Elementary German I
Tom Hanel, Jan Hohenstein, Gülden Olgun, Anna Pfeifer

Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading and speaking skills, introduction to cross-cultural communication. Introduces students to German culture and to cultural interdependencies between German-speaking countries and the U.S. Texts augmented by multimedia materials. Not for native speakers. Not open to students who have passed the high school German Regents examination within the past three years. Meets four times per week; grades based on quizzes, chapter tests, in-class compositions, class participation and special assignments. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G.

GERM 102: Elementary German II
Frank Mischke

Continuation of GERM 101. Acquisition of basic grammar and vocabulary, development of reading, writing and speaking skills in an interactive learning environment. Encouraging cultural awareness through texts, films, discussions, etc., and understanding German in a global context. Successful completion of both GERM 101-102 will fulfill the Gen Ed G requirement. Students must take both GERM 101 and 102 for a letter grade to receive the G; courses must be taken at Binghamton University to receive the G.

GERM 203: Intermediate German I
Carl Gelderloos, Anna Pfeifer

Helps students develop ability to communicate in German beyond the basic "survival" level. Begins with a systematic review of German grammar that continues through the second semester at the intermediate level. Students read a series of short literary texts and work with texts taken from popular culture, as they improve their reading, writing and discussion skills. Designed especially for students who are interested in the humanities and social sciences. Prerequisites: GERM 102 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.

GERM 241A: From Hero to Knight
Rosmarie Morewedge

Beginning with Orff's Carmina Burana, Game of Thrones, Spamalot, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail, we will construct heroic, courtly and narrative codes in the Middle Ages. We study tales that were recited and performed in Germany as they move from oral performance into the written tradition. Learning about the cognitive revolution that took place in the turn from the oral to the written tradition will be carried out through close reading of the entire Song of the Nibelungs. Access to literacy and the acquisition of this new mode of communication will be studied in terms of their effect on different layers of society. We will also read and explore great tales that define relations between the West and the East during the times of the Crusades, heroic tales of ancient warriors that turn up in courtly dress, as well as Arthurian romances that portray and shape courtly society and civilization. How does the heroic code change into the knightly code? Tellers and writers of tales seek to create a literature that forges values and ideas of heroism, nation building, governance, knighthood, chivalry, courtly love, civilization, kingship, justice, warfare, service to God, the encounter with the Orient, and implications of the rise of the new merchant class in the cities. Works will be read in English translation.. The course will be taught in English with a special discussion section in German for students who have completed Intermediate German or the equivalent. Texts and Movies: The Lay of Hildebrand The older lay and the younger lay BB The Song of the Nibelungs, (complete epic) tr. Frank G. Ryder Siegfried, Kriemhild's Revenge Fritz Lang Duke Ernst, tr. J.W. Thomas and Carolyn Dussere Poor Henry/Der arme Heinrich, Hartmann von Aue, BB Parzival, Wolfram von Eschenbach Excalibur, John Boorman Tristan und Isolde, Gottfried von Strassburg The Book of Memory, Carruthers, Mary (selections) The Power of the Written Tradition, Jack Goody (selections).

Course counts as 'H.'

GERM 241C: Global Tales
Rosmarie Morewedge

Exploration and discussion of how the great classical fairy tales told by Charles Perrault in 17th c. France and the Brothers Grimm in 19th c. Germany have been influenced by medieval Indian, Middle Eastern and early modern Mediterranean narrative traditions, how they shaped the process of civilization in 17th c. France and 19th c. Germany, and finally, how the strands of the Western European fairy tale tradition have in turn influenced modern Indian English language narratives. Reading and discussion of great tales from the Panchatantra, The Arabian Nights, of Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm and Salman Rushdie.

Course counts as H, W

GERM 241D: The Fairy Tale
Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit

Structure and meaning of fairy tales. Oral vs. literary fairy tales. Different approaches to interpreting fairy tales: anthropological, psychological, socio-historical, structuralist. Lectures approximately once a week; discussion; take-home midterm and final exams; two 10-page papers.

Course counts as H, W

GERM 241N: The Nazi State
Harald Zils

The course looks at the Nazi regime in Germany between 1933 and 1945, at the organization and inner functioning of the government and administration. Topics include the Nazi rise to power, party structures, "Gleichschaltung" of society, economy, and media, persecution of minorities, the situation of workers and peasants, the role of the churches etc. Course taught in English.

Course counts as H, W

GERM 305: Texts & Contexts I
Neil Christian Pages

Course provides a comprehensive review of German grammar and usage through readings of texts and contexts related to German-speaking Europe and the global reach of German language and culture. We will work with different genres (fiction and non-fiction; history; geography; art; philosophy; media; visual culture) in order to develop fluency and accuracy in spoken and written German, to explore strategies for reading texts needed for an interdisciplinary approach to German Studies and to learn more about key aspects of German language and culture. Evaluation and grading are based on in-class participation, written homework and exams. Course is taught entirely in German. Prerequisite: GERM 204 or equivalent or instructor permission.

All GERM 380 courses taught in English
GERM 380A: Modern Women in Literature and Film
Gisela Brinker-Gabler

With an overview of the wide range and tradition of 20th-century women writers, the course will focus on a century of representation of women "practicing modernity." Leaving behind the so-called "cult of domesticity," ascribed to women in the Victorian era, a new model of woman emerged encouraging women to liberate themselves, manage their own lives and to leave behind anything that might restrict their pursuit of happiness and self-realization (e.g., in professional career, activity in a social or political movement or in new styles of love and life defying convention and social norms). What kind of choices did women have in the modern world and the modern city? How did they succeed or fail or both in pursuing happiness and fulfillment? What conflicts did they have to work through, what different practices and decision-making processes emerge from their lives? In this seminar students will learn about key women writers, who created new narratives, and poetic and visual languages, and they will analyze and discuss their books that were turned into films, presenting the challenge and the new consciousness about women in the modern world. BOOKS: Lou Andreas-Salome, FENITSCHKA, Nella Larsen, QUICKSAND, Virginia Woolf, MRS. DALLOWAY, Anita Loos, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, Irmgard Keun, THE ARTIFICAL SILK GIRL, Ingeborg Bachmann, THREE PATHS TO THE LAKE. Films: A DOLL'S HOUSE, THE HOURS, JULIA, HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT.

GERM 380B: Learning to See: Art & Media in Weimar Germany
Carl Gelderloos

From the movies we watch to the advertisements we see, from the way we understand images to the fonts we use, the vibrant legacy of modern culture in the 1920s and 1930s continues to influence the way we use and think about media, art, technology, and communication. Drawing on richly innovative visual artworks and groundbreaking theoretical texts, this course explores the visual culture of the Weimar Republic (1919-1933) with a special emphasis on film, photography, and montage. Visual media played a central role in the cultural production and aesthetic and political debates of the time: the rise of the cinema provoked an unparalleled reexamination of the relationship between art, technology, and society, while the rapid expansion of photography into newspapers and other mass media helped spark diverse discussions of aesthetics, perception, and individuality. Why did visual media and discussions about them play such a central role in the cultural and political ferment of modern culture between two world wars? How did new visual media and technologies help contemporaries rethink other, non-visual media such as literature and aesthetic representation more generally? Why were debates about photography and film often so politically charged, and how were images related to democracy, communism, and fascism? In what ways did Weimar culture draw on new technologies to see and depict processes of modernization, urbanization, and industrialization with new eyes? From Dada to advertising culture, photojournalism to Bertolt Brecht, these are the questions we will explore in this class. Course taught in English
Course counts as A, H, W

GERM 380D: German Jews
Allan Arkush

This course will examine the lives of representative German Jews from the middle of the 18th century to the beginning of the Nazi era. It will focus on these individuals' relationship to Judaism and Jewish life and the changing German world in which they lived. Among the figures studied will be philosophers (Moses Mendelssohn), politicians (Gabriel Riesser and Walter Rathenau), rabbis (Leo Baeck), and feminists (Bertha Pappenheim). Selected Topics: the fight for Jewish civil rights in the 19th century, the reception of Jews in the German public sphere, responses to anti-Semitism, new philosophies of Judaism. Not suitable for freshmen.

GERM 380S: Stalingrad
Harald Zils, Sidney Dement

The battle of Stalingrad, fought more than seventy years ago, is burned into the cultural memories of Germans and Russians to this day. More than 700,000 people died; it was the beginning of the end of Hitler's War. This course investigates the battle and its aftermath in German and Russian culture. In order to examine the multiple perspectives on this cultural and historical watershed more fully, GERM 380G, taught by Prof. Zils, and RUSS 380D, taught by Prof. Dement, meet together. We discuss the historical event, its consequences for WW II, the soldiers' and civilians' perspectives, the images of the war in German and Russian propaganda and its impact on German and Russian public discourse, movies, art and literature. Two 8-page papers, one group presentation. This is a course that is team-taught by faculty members of the German Studies and Russian Studies programs. Therefore there are sections listed and cross-listed in the German Studies as well as in the Russian Studies program. All sections will meet and be taught as one.

Course counts as H, W

GERM 481C: Reformation: Religion & Society
Sean Dunwoody

HIST 481Q/MDVL 480C/GERM 481C - Reformation: Church and Society Professor Sean Dunwoody Fall 2018 Course Description: For Hegel, it was "the all-enlightening sun" that followed upon the darkness of the Middle Ages, one that lighted the path to freedom for the World Spirit. For Marx, it was an ultimately failed revolution cooked up "in the brain of the monk," born out of the contradictions of feudal society. For Weber, it set into motion a process that has resulted in our being trapped in the "iron cage" of modern industrialized capitalist society. For historians since, it has occasioned tremendous debate. Few events in European history can claim the central role assigned to the Reformation; few historical events have proven to be as fertile a ground for the cultivation of historiographical debates. In this seminar, we will study the major debates that have shaped the field and consider how historians continue to ask new questions with new sources. Students shall prepare for and actively participate in weekly readings. They will also be expected to prepare a research paper grounded in critical engagement of primary sources and in the light of scholarly conversations.

Course counts as C, N

German Studies Courses

Courses crosslisted with German

Courses crosslisted with German

Courses crosslisted with German

Courses crosslisted with German

Courses crosslisted with German

Courses crosslisted with German

COURSES FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS CROSSLISTED WITH GERMAN

COURSES FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS CROSSLISTED IN GERMAN

COURSES CROSSLISTED IN GERMAN