GER 496C – Capstone Course, and Ger 596C graduate course: German Culture and Literature from ca. 800 to 2024. Spring 2024
INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Albrecht Classen, Dept. of German Studies, 301 Learning Services Building, Office 318; tel. 621-1395; aclassen@u.arizona.edu; sites.arizona.edu/aclassen/
CLASS MEETINGS: Mo and Wed. 2-3:15 p.m.
Class ROOM: ILC 147
OFFICE HOURS: Tu and Thu 10a.m.-11 a.m., and any other time after an appointment (but always feel free simply to stop by at my office, LSB 318)
Course Topic: Deutsche Kultur- und Literaturgeschichte: Gespiegelt in Meistererzählungen, vom 20. Jahrhundert zurück bis ins hohe Mittelalter
Course Goal: Development of an overview of the history of German culture, literature, and history from the Middle Ages to the Twenty-First Century, using each text as a kaleidoscope to study specific cultural and historical periods. You will also achieve a high level of linguistic fluency, and the ability to situate major texts into their historical-cultural context. As the title says, this is a capstone, and the goal is to provide you with a solid understanding of the entire history of German literature from the early Middle Ages to the present, by studying exemplary texts.
Student Learning Outcomes; By the end of the semester, students will be able to engage critically with the history of German literature and culture, will know a solid selection of critical texts from the Middle Ages to the present, and will have acquired the skill to write about the crucial issues in solidly researched papers in German. You will specifically be fully informed about some of the best writers of short prose narratives.
For graduate students, this course will serve as a foundation for their subsequent advanced courses, establishing a deeper understanding of the major historical-cultural periods and of major literary works. Your assignment will be to develop a term paper, building on a selection of texts and some relevant research literature, tracing the narrative discourse focusing on fundamental concerns in human life.
Student Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the semester,
1. students have gained a broad and solid overview of the history of German literature in its cultural and historical context
2. students have established a satisfactory comprehension of the political, physical, and cultural geography of the German speaking lands
3. students can differentiate between the various historical periods of German literature
4. students have achieved the ability to reflect orally and in writing, both in German, on the various topics covered in the course.
Diversity: “We seek to create the comprehensively engaged university with the expectation that everyone will make a contribution to inclusive excellence. Diversity and inclusiveness are core values for the University of Arizona and offer a competitive advantage in attracting faculty, staff, students and their partners. Moreover, diversity allows the institution to prepare students to be leaders in global contexts.” It is my personal goal to provide an all-inclusive classroom where everyone is equally respected and receives the same treatment and dignity, and has the same opportunity (http://diversity.arizona.edu/vision-our-campus).
Accessibility and Accommodations
At the University of Arizona,we strive to make learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience barriers based on disability or pregnancy, please contact the Disability Resource Center (520-621-3268, https://drc.arizona.edu/) to establish reasonable accommodations.
For future majors/minors:
https://german.arizona.edu/declare
Please make sure that you do not simply copy texts from the web for your portfolio. You must express yourself in your own words.
So, in short, this is your learning experience about a city, in all of its complexity. Summary of data; not the interpretation of the texts. That will be in Section B. So separate those two sections in your book.
SPRING 2025:
Deutsche Meistererzahlungen:
Kurt Kusenberg
Heinrich Böll
Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (19. Jh.)
Hebel, “Kalendergeschichten”
Heinrich von Kleist
Spaetmittelalterliche Versnovellen: Die getreue Kaufmannsfrau
Hartmann von Aue, Der arme Heinrich
See the schedule for specifics
Never use AI for any of your work. Based on my experience, I can recognize this easily, its use is a form of plagiarism, hence will be heavily penalized. Thank you!
A: Journals: 30% (for each class meeting, ca. 200-300 words per week, reflect on what we have discussed, use new phrases or words in sentences, formulate questions, and comment on what we have learned) – submit 5 times
B: 1 Mid-term 25%: essay questions
C: 1 Final 25%: essay questions
D: 1 oral presentation on any of the poets, ca. 10 min., with a PPP, or a poster, or however you prefer it: 10%
E: Based on your oral presentation, develop a term project, ca. 5 pp. altogether consisting of biographical information, and interpretation, with some visuals if available. 1. biography, 2. works, 3. interpretation, 4. bibliography (ca. 10 titles, culled from the catalog, and drawing from our library holdings; no need to engage with those studies, but provide all relevant information: name, title (italics), city: publisher, year (for books), name, “title,” journal title vol. (year): pp. You can also add illustrations or be creative in other ways.
Specifically:
A. name and dates of poet – 5
B. time period, describe it a little, use one of the literary histories in the library -10
C. major works -10
D. quote from one of the literary histories as to the importance of your poet -5
E. quote about the poet in German by one of the major scholars (not literary history); and give the full bibliographical information – 5
F. brief analysis of one of his/her works (ca. 100 words) -20
G. why is this work so important for us today? (ca. 50 words) – 20
H. portrait of the poet, online, painting, or photograph. -5
I. bibliography: use printed sources (ca. 5 titles) and an online source (use, Bibliographie der deutschen Sprache und Literatur) to collect: 5 monographs (books) and 5 recent articles (from ca. 2015 to the present (use MLA or BddSpr.). Model: Franz Schmidt, Das Werk von Goethe (Berlin: Erich Schmidt, 1999), or: Klaus Moeller, “Die Balladen von Schiller,” Neophilologus 90.4 (2005): 14-27. NOTE: first name last name, title in italics (kursiv) (city: publisher, year). – 10
J. what does this poet mean for you? In German ca. 50 words) -10
Graduate Students: I expect you to do the same work as all other students, but you will work on a term paper combining the various primary sources with a handful of research material.
ATTENDANCE:
Although it is assumed that you will attend all class sessions, you are informed hereby that excessive absences will have consequences: More than two unexcused absences lead to a drop of one grade in this course, and more than four unexcused absences will lead to an automatic grade of E (failing). If justified circumstances prevent you from attending, please inform me in writing either before or after the event, and provide satisfactory documentation (e.g., doctor’s note).
Participating in the course and attending lectures and other course events are vital to the learning process. As such, attendance is required at all lectures and discussion section meetings. Absences may affect a student’s final course grade. If you anticipate being absent, are unexpectedly absent, or are unable to participate in class online activities, please contact me as soon as possible. To request a disability-related accommodation to this attendance policy, please contact the Disability Resource Center at (520) 621-3268 or drc-info@email.arizona.edu. If you are experiencing unexpected barriers to your success in your courses, the Dean of Students Office is a central support resource for all students and may be helpful. The Dean of Students Office is located in the Robert L. Nugent Building, room 100, or call 520-621-7057.
DISCUSSIONS, ACADEMIC BEHAVIOR, AND EXPECTATIONS:
Please treat each other with respect and tolerance. People do have different views and opinions, but all these can only contribute to the rich learning experience I hope you all will have in this class. You are strongly encouraged to participate in class as much as possible. The two class meetings per week will only be of profit for you if you respond to my questions and those of your classmates and contribute on your own as often as possible.
For information on the University of Arizona Policy on Threatening Behavior by Students, click on this link.
– CELL/SmartPHONES: You are not allowed to have your cell phones on during class because a ringing will disturb everyone strongly. Either turn them off or mute them. All other electronic gadgets not pertinent to this class must also be off.
SPECIAL NEEDS: Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations to participate fully in course activities or meet course requirements must register with the Disability Resource Center. (http://drc.arizona.edu/). Students need to submit appropriate documentation to the instructor if they are requesting reasonable accommodations.I will do everything in my power to make it possible for you to participate fully in the class.
WARNING:
If you use secondary material for your papers, make sure that you indicate clearly where you took it from. Plagiarism and cheating violate the Code of Academic Integrity. Particularly the use of AI for writing assignments is strictly forbidden. For further information, see:
http://www.library.arizona.edu/help/tutorials/plagiarism/index.html
Do not ever copy from the work produced by your classmates or by other students who might have taken this course in previous semesters. If you receive help in writing your papers, make sure that the final outcome still represents your own work. You can discuss your papers with your fellow students, but at the end, they need to consist of your own ideas and words! Be advised that the Web is a great search tool, but never, never copy from there without identifying very clearly what you used. At this point, the scholarly value of web-based material still is not totally reliable, and the chances that you might stumble upon a most dubious webpage with untrustworthy information are very high. When you quote from a secondary source, clearly identify the quote and tell the reader in a footnote where you quoted from. Every year more than 100 students at the UA are caught having committed the crime of plagiarism, resulting in penalties that could be as severe as expulsion from the University! You are smart enough not to copy from other people.
If there is any doubt in your mind whether you might commit plagiarism, see:
Plagiarism and the Web
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html
If you commit plagiarism, you could either receive a 0 on your specific assignment, or an F for the entire course. Depending on the gravity of the case, you might even be expelled from the University. Every plagiarism case must be reported to the Head of my depart., to the head of your dept., and to the Dean of Students.
READING MATERIAL:
All online, see below:
4. Die deutsche Geschichte im Mittelalter – online at: http://www.stefanjacob.de/Geschichte/Unterseiten/Zeittafeln.php
6. Literaturgeschichte – knapper Ueberblick
And: A. Classen, Das deutsche Mittelalter in seinen Dichtungen. 4th rev. and expanded ed. 2009. Now available free of charge as a PDF
Deutsche Literaturepochen – Background information for each literary period
Die Geschichte der Deutschen: Sendungen des ZDF
(As a replacement)
Marie von Ebener-Eschenbach
SYLLABUS:
Jan. 15: Introduction. What have you learned, what major texts have you studied so far?
Stellen Sie sich kurz vor und nennen Sie einen Text, den Sie bisher während Ihres Studiums am liebsten gelesen haben. Schreiben Sie dies erst kurz auf, dann interviewen Sie die anderen im Seminar. Anschliessen hören wir, was jeder über die anderen zu sagen hat. Hausaufgabe: Beginnen Sie auch schon mit Ihrem Journal/Tagebuch, indem Sie eine ganze Seite über sich selbst schreiben, ev. auch mit Foto. Rein biographisch, wie: geboren am, in, Eltern, Geschwister, Schule, Abschluss, Hobbies, Reiseerfahrungen, spezielle Interessen, Arbeitserfahrung, Zukunftsplaene, etc.
Was ist ihre Lieblingsstadt in den deutschsprachigen Laendern? Wo sind Sie schon einmal gewesen? Was war besonders an der Stadt? Wenn Sie noch nicht in D, CH oder A gewesen sind, welche Stadt würden Sie gerne besuchen, und warum? Fragen Sie Ihren Partner, welche Stadt er/sie gewählt hat.
Jan. 20: MLK Day, no class
Jan. 22: Hausaufgabe: Bitte arbeiten Sie zu Hause an dieser Liste wichtiger Begriffe fuer die Forschung Wortschatz für unsere Bibliotheksarbeit. Besuch in der Bibliothek; wir treffen uns in der Empfangshalle des Hauptgebäudes: Literaturgeschichten, Bibliographien, Lexika, Enzyklopaedien etc.
Jan. 27: Einstieg: Heute fangen mit mit einem einfachen Text an, einem Märchen: Brüder Grimm: Der Fischer und seine Frau
Jan. 29: Zwanzigstes Jahrhundert: Kurt Kusenberg: Nihili
Feb. 3: Kusenberg
Feb. 5: Heinrich Boll: Anekdote
Feb. 10: Heinrich Boll
Feb. 12: Ilse Aichinger
Feb. 17: Ilse Aichinger
Feb. 19: Franz Kafka: Der Geier
Feb. 24: Franz Kafka: Der Geier
Feb. 26: Franz Kafka: Vor dem Gesetz
March 3: Franz Kafka: Vor dem Gesetz
March 5: ein Maerchen der Brüder Grimm: Hans im Glueck
March 8-16: Spring break
March 17: Neunzehntes Jahrhundert: Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach: Krambambuli
March 19: Ebner-E.: Krambambuli
March 24: Ebner-E.: Krambambuli
March 26: Ebner-E.: Krambambuli
March 31: Peter Hebel: Kalendergeschichten: Kannitverstan
April 2: Hebel: Kannitverstan
April 7: Hebel: Der geheilte Patient
April 9: Hebel: Der geheilte Patient
April 14: Heinrich von Kleist: Das Erdbeben in Chili
April 16: Kleist: Erdbeben
April 21: Kleist: Erdbeben
April 23: Dreizehntes Jahrhundert: Konrad von Würzburg, “Heinrich von Kempten”
April 28: Konrad v.W.
April 30: Spätes zwölftes Jahrhundert: Hartmann von Aue: Der arme Heinrich
May 5: Hartmann
May 7: last day of class: Der arme Heinrich. Abschlussdiskussion
Ich hoffe, es hat Ihnen Spass gemacht.
Web links that can be useful but we will not consult them this semester.
The texts of Freidank and the Versmaeren
Die deutsche Literatur online: Bibliotheca Augustana
Bertolt Brecht: Die Liebenden (1927). Präsentation: Bertolt Brecht: Text: An die Nachgeborenen.
Fragen zu Brechts “An die Nachgeborenen”
Augsburger Liederbuch Augsburger Liederbuch
Oswald von Wolkenstein, Kl. 18- youtube (Kl 85)
(Martin Luther – Einstieg). Frankfurt a. M.
95 Thesen im Original 95 Thesen in moderner Übersetzung
Martin Luther I Luther II Luther III (Nation)
Luthers Leben, Wittenberg, Eisleben, Eisenach
Babylonische Gefangenschaft – Text
Gnadenlehre, sola fide: Rechtfertigungslehre 1999
Goethe: Der Zauberlehrling: youtube Version auf Deutsch
Erlkönig; Schubert’s version. Classic Period: Goethe: Der König in Thule; Heidenröslein. Goethe: Schuberts Version
Panopto Video
Ramstein: Rosenrot (video). Textversion
Take a look at the Fraktur print).
Heinrich Heine: Deutschland ein Wintermaerchen
Vortrag über Romantik; und Vortrag von Heine: Die Grenadiere. Belsazar
Fragen zu Heine
Maerz: Vorbereitung auf das Mid-Term (not updated)
Althochdeutsche Literatur in Fulda: Leben im Kloster (Youtube); Hildebrandslied (in meinem Textbuch)
Fulda Stadt Video; Hrabanus Maurus, etc., die karolingische Klosterreform, Benediktiner. Wir lesen weiter das Hildebrandslied
Fragen zum Hildebrandslied
Karlsruhe: Karlsruhe, wir lesen Johann Peter Hebels Kalendergeschichten – beantworten Sie die Fragen im google doc.
Walther von der Vogelweide: “Under der linden” und “Ich saz uf eime steine” (im Textbuch). Würzburg
Balladen (Liste) Balladen (Texte)
Ruprecht von Würzburg (see in Verserzahlungen) The texts of Freidank and the Versmaeren (see under: Die getreue Kaufmannsfrau), Konrad von Würzburg (see my Textbuch under PDF, above)
(auch nicht: Bertolt Brecht: Die Liebenden (1927). Bertolt Brecht: Text: An die Nachgeborenen)
Fragen zu Brechts “An die Nachgeborenen”
Weiter mit Brecht, “Laotse” und “Die Loesung” (unter: Balladen)
Kleist-Handbuch : Leben, Werk, Wirkung / herausgegeben von Ingo Breuer.
oder Peter Nusser, Deutsche Literaturgeschichte, PT85 .N87 2012 v.2 .
Celan, Todesfuge. Interview mit Thomas Sparr, 2020
“Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen (Wikipedia.de). Text und Vortrag (einstimmig). Vierstimmig; Komposition von J. S. Bach.
Manessische Liederhandschrift (video)
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidelberg_in_der_Dichtung
“Ich hab mein Herz in Heidelberg verloren” (Text); Heino)
Karoline von Gunderrode Karoline von Günderrode)