German Language Literature and Culture

Recommended Prerequisites

The course assumes an intermediate German language proficiency (CEFR level B1 or B2), as well as a basic knowledge on German speaking literature and culture.

Teaching Methods

Classes will have an expositional element, but particular relevance will be given to the analysis and discussion of literary texts, and films.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the semester, doctoral student should be able to

1) Analyze and comment on literary and filmic texts related to the curricular unit’s theme.

2) Relate the various literary and cultural contexts with each other, analyzing them critically and in a historical perspectivation.

3) Analyze and present the discussed themes, showing intellectual autonomy, synthesizing capacity, argumentation skills and high proficiency in oral and written expression.

4) Show have developed attitudes of intellectual curiosity and rigor, as well as a critical and emancipated thought.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

The curricular unit will focus on the topic “Nazism and World War II in German cultural memory after the fall of the Berlin Wall”. We will analyze representations of historical past, namely the nazi period and the Second World War, in literary texts and films after 1989, taking into account the German speaking countries as a stage of worldwide transformation, and as a configuration of various lieux de mémoire (Pierre Nora) in the European context.

The syllabus may vary from edition to edition, depending on the academic staff member in charge of the curricular unit.

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Oral participation, short text presentations, and/or written papers which will account for 40% of the final mark: 40.0%
Research work: 60.0%

Bibliography

Assmann, J. (1992). Das kulturelle Gedächtnis. München: Beck

Brockmann, Stephen (2020), A Critical History of German Film. Rochester: Camdon House

Erll, A., & Nünning, A. (Eds.) (2008). Cultural memory studies. An international and interdisciplinary handbook. Berlin, New York: De Gruyter

Fuchs, A. (2010) (Ed.). Phantoms of war in contemporary German literature, films and discourse. The politics of memory. Berlin: De Gruyter.

Ginsberg, T., & Mensch, A. (2012) (Eds.). A companion to German cinema. Oxford, NY: Wiley-Blackwell.

Klinkert, T. & Oesterle, G. (2014) (Eds.). Katastrophe und Gedächtnis. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter.

Nora, P. (1990). Zwischen Geschichte und Gedächtnis. Berlin: Wagenbach.

Wellbery, D., & Ryan, J.(2004) (Eds.). A new history of German literature. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard UP.

A lista de textos literários, filmes e bibliografia crítica será fornecida no início do semestre. | The list of texts, films and other readings will be given at the beginning of the semester.