German 240: Nineteenth-Century German Literature

Required texts:

Texts are available at the AS Bookstore or online at IBIS:

Droste-Hülshoff, Annette von. "Die Judenbuche." Reclam: latest edition.
  Hauptmann, Gerhart. Vor Sonnenaufgang. Ullstein Tb, latest ed.
  Hebbel, Friedrich. Maria Magdalene. Reclam: latest edition.
  Heine, Heinrich. Die Harzreise. Reclam: latest edition.
  Keller, Gottfried. "Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe." Reclam: latest edition.

Additional materials are on reserve in Meriam Library or will be distributed as handouts. Multiple resources are also available online.

Course objectives:

The 19th century was a period of rapid social, political, scientific, & ideological change in Europe. We will examine five literary works & excerpts from a wide range of other textual, audio, & visual materials dating between 1815 and 1898. We will treat these sources as historical cultural documents that open a window on the society, trends, intellectual traditions& and events of the era in which they were composed. Our work in this course will lead us through several topics, including but not limited to issues of gender & class, social norms, the changing role of religion, shifting perspectives on the role of the artist in society, political movements & trends, & industrialization. You will thus attain a deeper understanding of the complex factors influencing & shaping society & events in German-speaking Europe of the 19th century and beyond.

As a result of this course, you will ...

be able to identify the characteristics of the main literary movements from 1815 to 1898

be able to identify the relationships between texts and their contexts and to recognize the correlation between form and function in literary works and other public media.

be able to describe the most important intellectual trends and events and name the major personalities shaping nineteenth-century Germany.

be able to explain the interconnections between those ideas, events, and personages and specify their place in overall tendencies and long-term trends in German culture, thought, and politics relative to other European nations.

improve your fluency in German by expanding your vocabulary and fine-tuning your writing, reading, conversational, and critical thinking skills in German.

Grading:

Final grades for the course will be based on the following criteria:

Participation & oral presentations (Referate) (25%)

Short written assignments / Portfolio (50%)

Research paper & presentation (25%)

Course outline:

WEEK 1

Einführung in das 19. Jahrhundert

WEEK 2

Biedermeier (1815-30/48)

WEEK 3

Droste-Hülshoff: "Die Judenbuche"

WEEK 4

Droste-Hülshoff: "Die Judenbuche"

WEEK 5

Junges Deutschland (1830-48)

WEEK 6

Heine: Die Harzreise

WEEK 7

Heine: Die Harzreise

WEEK 8

1848/49 - Hebbel: Maria Magdalena
Portfolios

WEEK 9

Poetischer Realismus (1848-98) - Hebbel: Maria Magdalena

WEEK 10

Keller: "Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe"

WEEK 11

Keller: "Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe"

WEEK 12

Film: Effi Briest
Outline of Final Paper

WEEK 13

Naturalismus (1889-98)

WEEK 14

Hauptmann: Vor Sonnenaufgang

WEEK 15

Hauptmann: Vor Sonnenaufgang - Synthese und Zusammenfassung
Draft of Final Paper

FINAL EXAM WEEK

Final paper and presentation
Portfolios

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