A non-chronological survey of German literature from 1945 to the present with emphasis on the development of literary traditions, subjects and themes. Special attention will be paid to how and why a "divided" literature developed after 1945, as well as to the theories and discourses of literary trends after 1989.
Learning outcomes:
- Understanding of and ability to identify German Literary trends from 1945-present
- The ability to recognize the development of literature subjects, motives and themes
- The ability to name authors and their works and their correct time periods
- Analyzing and assessment of literature
- The ability to be able to correctly categorize texts according to their time periods as well as to link texts to historical and social context.
Method of presentation:
Lecture, discussion, films, excursions, readings, theater visit (optional), assignments, group work
Required work and form of assessment:
Presentation, analysis and interpretation of literature. Final grades will be based on: a midterm (25%) and a final examination (25%); three short papers (25%), oral presentation (optional), and class participation (25%). Class attendance is required.
content:
- The phenomenon of a “divided” German literature. A historical and literary overview.
- The literary discourse on Fascism and World War II - The question of guilt and strategies for overcoming it
- The individual and society.
- Literature und Gender: the life-like and the fanciful.
- The literary Boheme in “East” and “West”: Generational conflicts.
- German literature at the turn of the century: Balance and Prognosis.
Required readings:
(sel.):
Short stories, poems and novels: Bertolt Brecht; Nelly Sachs; Rose Ausländer; Franz Fühmann; Paul Celan; Thomas Bernhard; Ingeborg Bachmann; Heinrich Böll; Gisela Elsner; Christoph Hein; Peter Handke; Jens Sparschuh; Jakob Hein; Jochen Schmidt.
Recommended readings:
(sel.)
Deutschsprachige Lyriker des 20. Jahrhunderts (2007)
Metzler Autoren Lexikon. Deutschsprachige Dichter und Schriftsteller vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart (2004) Deutsche Literaturgeschichte. Von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart (2001)
Deutschsprachige Gegenwartsliteratur. Wider ihre Verächter (1995)
Karl Otto Conrady: Von einem Land und vom andern. Gedichte zur deutschen Wende. 1989/1990 (1993)
Anderson/Erb (Hgg.): Berührung ist nur eine Randerscheinung. Neue Literatur aus der DDR (1985)
Böthig/Michael (Hgg.): Machtspiele. Literatur und Staatssicherheit im Fokus Prenzlauer Berg (1993)
Briegleb/Weigel (Hgg.): Gegenwartsliteratur seit 1968 (1992)
A non-chronological survey of German literature from 1945 to the present with emphasis on the development of literary traditions, subjects and themes. Special attention will be paid to how and why a "divided" literature developed after 1945, as well as to the theories and discourses of literary trends after 1989.
- Understanding of and ability to identify German Literary trends from 1945-present
- The ability to recognize the development of literature subjects, motives and themes
- The ability to name authors and their works and their correct time periods
- Analyzing and assessment of literature
- The ability to be able to correctly categorize texts according to their time periods as well as to link texts to historical and social context.
Lecture, discussion, films, excursions, readings, theater visit (optional), assignments, group work
Presentation, analysis and interpretation of literature. Final grades will be based on: a midterm (25%) and a final examination (25%); three short papers (25%), oral presentation (optional), and class participation (25%). Class attendance is required.
- The phenomenon of a “divided” German literature. A historical and literary overview.
- The literary discourse on Fascism and World War II - The question of guilt and strategies for overcoming it
- The individual and society.
- Literature und Gender: the life-like and the fanciful.
- The literary Boheme in “East” and “West”: Generational conflicts.
- German literature at the turn of the century: Balance and Prognosis.
(sel.):
Short stories, poems and novels: Bertolt Brecht; Nelly Sachs; Rose Ausländer; Franz Fühmann; Paul Celan; Thomas Bernhard; Ingeborg Bachmann; Heinrich Böll; Gisela Elsner; Christoph Hein; Peter Handke; Jens Sparschuh; Jakob Hein; Jochen Schmidt.
(sel.)
Deutschsprachige Lyriker des 20. Jahrhunderts (2007)
Metzler Autoren Lexikon. Deutschsprachige Dichter und Schriftsteller vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart (2004) Deutsche Literaturgeschichte. Von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart (2001)
Deutschsprachige Gegenwartsliteratur. Wider ihre Verächter (1995)
Karl Otto Conrady: Von einem Land und vom andern. Gedichte zur deutschen Wende. 1989/1990 (1993)
Anderson/Erb (Hgg.): Berührung ist nur eine Randerscheinung. Neue Literatur aus der DDR (1985)
Böthig/Michael (Hgg.): Machtspiele. Literatur und Staatssicherheit im Fokus Prenzlauer Berg (1993)
Briegleb/Weigel (Hgg.): Gegenwartsliteratur seit 1968 (1992)