German Culture and Civilization

From the Middle Ages to the Age of Goethe

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

 

 

Germ 4213                                                                              Frühling 2008

T,Th 9.30-10.50                                                                      KIMP 411

Dr. Jennifer Hoyer                                                                  Telefon: 5-4897

Kimpel Hall 501                                                                      eMail: jhoyer@uark.edu

Office Hours:

 

Prerequisite:

Upper division standing in German and advanced German proficiency.

 

Course Description:

This course is aimed towards establishing a firm foundation of the significant events and people in the history and development of the German-speaking parts of Europe, as well as improving your receptive and productive language skills.  Students will read short chronologically divided chapters from Roman occupation through the Age of Goethe (the end of the Holy Roman Empire), supplemented by outside materials such as primary texts, visual arts, and music.

Special emphasis will be placed on: Geschichte und Politik; Philosophie und Wissenschaft (social sciences and humanities); Literatur und Kunst.

 

Students will write synthesized responses in German to the material, and will demonstrate knowledge of the details as well as critical engagement through class discussions (questions!), journal entries, essays, quizzes, and one short 10 minute presentations on a topic of choice.

 

Required Readings:

Koepke, Wulf.  Die Deutschen: Vergangenheit und Gegenwart.  5th ed.  New York: Holt, 2000.

 

There will also be class handouts (from instructor as well as students)

 

Goals and Skills:

The overall goal of this course is to acquire an understanding of the major developments in cultural history in what are today the German speaking countries.  Further, through readings in Koepke’s Die Deutschen, students learn to read a dense cultural history in German, and to rearticulate the main points in appropriate terminology and advanced structures.  Students also learn to articulate the major events in their own expanded narratives through response journals, tests, and in-class presentations.  Likewise, students improve writing, listening, and speaking skills through class discussions and presentations.

 

 

Evaluation:

Response Journals (20%):

You will respond to readings, lectures, and class discussions and relate them to your readings. The main benefits are:

--a good record of class sessions

--practicing your written German

--gather material for class discussion

--evaluation of progress

Journal entries (4 points each) will be posted on WebCT on the date due by noon.

 

Tests (20%) and Final Exam (20%):

Tests will include brief identification subjects (historical facts and necessary background knowledge) discussed in class or covered in your readings (Who? What? When? Where?).  The final will also include broader essay questions intended to encourage students to develop a coherent discussion of events, people and characteristics, and to critically reflect on their historical and current significance.

 

Participation and Preparation (20%):

During the semester there will be 10 unannounced PARTICIPATION and PREPARATION activities.  Obviously the points can only be earned through demonstrating preparation through participation.  You must be in class to earn them.  There are no make-ups. This grade includes selected written homework assignments that you will turn in at the beginning of class.

 

In Class Presentations (10%):

In pairs or as individuals, students will deliver ONE ten minute presentation on a topic of particular interest to them throughout the semester, but not on topics explained in depth by me.  Students should organize a presentation combining pictures, audio, selected secondary literature, and a one-page outline handout for their classmates.

 

Essay (10%):

Students will write one essay (two drafts) in answer to one of the proposed Essay Questions in the textbook. You will be graded on content as well as grammatical accuracy and stylistics.

 

DO NOT MISS CLASS.  The fruits of your study are cultivated and reaped through attendance, practice, and participation.  If you have a legitimate reason to miss class, provide adequate documentation, and, if possible, let me know before the session you will be missing.

 

DUE DATES:  Check the syllabus carefully for assignment dates.

Graded work which is done as an in-class activity will be expected to be turned in at the end of that class.  Graded assignments that will be used as the basis of class discussions are due on the day of class discussion.

 

 

Make-up policy

This course will include some graded in-class Preparation and Participation activities that will not be possible to recreate.  If you expect to have an extended absence or multiple absences you should speak to me about the feasibility of keeping up with the course work.

If you miss graded assignments other than the in-class activities because you are absent and the absence falls under the conditions for an excused absence, I will work with you to help you make up the work through comparable, but alternative assignments.  Be prepared to show documentation.

 

University Withdrawal Policy

It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from a class.  Instructors have no obligation to withdraw a student who does not attend a course and may choose not to do so. 

Students should consult the Semester Academic Calendar for the various withdrawal deadlines.

 

Attendance:

Students are responsible for informing their instructor of the reason for the absence. In case a student misses a scheduled test or other assignment due to a serious emergency, s/he must provide the instructor with a valid written excuse before s/he will be allowed to make up that examination. A valid excuse will include the date(s) and reason for the absence from class as well as the name and phone number (and other appropriate information) of the doctor or other person who can be contacted to verify this information.  Your instructor will not accept documentation that is illegible or incomplete. Three excused absences are permissible.

It is wise, if you know you must be absent, to talk to me beforehand so that acceptable alternative activities can be assigned.  In-class activities carry point value, and require participation.  If you are not there, they cannot be reproduced, so alternatives must be found.  Also, learning to speak and understand a language well requires frequent exposure to that language and practice.  Repeated absence for any reason, valid or not, will have an impact on your ability to speak and understand the language.  So be there and participate with passion to get the most out of your experience!

 

Accommodation: Reasonable accommodation for disabilities can be discussed. Students are expected to consult the instructor and have written, university-accepted documentation for the disability.

 

Cheating and Plagiarism:

Please refer to the Student Handbook regarding definitions and university policies concerning academic dishonesty. Please be aware that cheating can result in serious university judiciary action.

A word with regard to online translation programs: work that has been run through an online translation program can be fairly easy to identify, most often because the word choices will be consistently incorrect, but there will be no grammar or spelling errors.  This is a very striking discrepancy, so beware of the temptation to use such programs.
Themenkreise und Aufgaben
(Änderungen vorbehalten!)

 

15. u. 17. Januar

Di: Einführung; Koepke: „Geografie“ (S. 1-12); Landkarte; Städte HA: S. 15-18

Do: Städte; Arminius 9n.Chr., Tacitus, De Germania 98n.Chr. HA: S. 18-24

 

 

22. u. 24. Januar

Römer und Germanen

Di: Koepke: Kapitel 1 „Beginn der deutschen Geschichte“ HA: S. 23 1-6;8, 11; 12-15

Do: Geschichte der deutschen Sprache/germanischer Sprachen HA: Lernen!

 

 

29. u. 31. Januar

Das Mittelalter

Di: Test 1; Germanische Sage: Das Nibelungenlied (Auszüge) HA: Journal 1, S. 25-28

Do: Koepke: Kapitel 2, „Ritter, Bauern und das Heilige Rom“; Journal 1 HA: S. 29-33

 

5. u. 7. Februar

Di: Koepke: Kapitel 2; Minnesang: Walther von der Vogelweide, etc. HA: S. 33-34 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15-17

Do: Heldenepos: Wolfram von Eschenbach „Parzival“ HA: 35-39 (Z. 31)

EC-Möglichkeit! Verfilmungen des Parzifal-Stoffes

 

12. u. 14. Februar

Di: Koepke: Kapitel 3 „Barbarossa“ HA: 39-42

Do: Koepke: Kapitel 3 „Barbarossa“; Musik des Mittelalters, mittelalterliche Mystikerinnen: Mechthild von Magdeburg, Hildegard von Bingen HA: S. 44-50 (Z. 41)

 

19. u. 21. Februar

Di: Koepke: Kapitel 4 „Totentanz“ HA: S. 50-53 (Z. 47)

Do: Koepke: Kapitel 4 „Totentanz“ (S. 53-55 im Unterricht) HA: Journal 2=Zusammenfassung von K. 3, 4 (verwenden Sie „Fragen zum Text“ als Hilfsmittel)

 

26. u. 28. Februar

Di: Test 2, Journal 2 HA: Mein Lieblingspapst; S. 58-61

Do: Martin Luther und die Mystiker; Wiederholung der Geschichte bisher! HA: S. 61-66 (Z. 43)

 

4. u. 6. März

Die Frühneuzeit

Di: Koepke: Kapitel 5 „Die Reformation“ HA: S. 66-68

Do: Koepke: Kapitel 5 „Die Reformation“; Luther in Rom, Luther und Rom; Luther in der deutschen Literatur (Goethe, Götz von Berlichingen, Kleist, Michael Kohlhaas)

HA: S. 69 1, 3, 5, 6-10, 15, 17, 19, 20; Lesen Sie auch S. 71-73 (Z. 32)

 

 

11. u. 13. März

Di: Der Fenstersturz von Prag HA: 73-75

Do: Der dreißigjährige Krieg; Gedichte der Zeit HA: 75-78

 

 

25. u. 27. März

Di: Der dreißigjährige Krieg HA: S. 78-9 1-12; 18

Do: Test 3; Grimmelshausen.  Simplicissimus

Journal 3

 

1. u. 3. April

Di: Die Gegenreformation/ Die Inquisition; Die Hexenverfolgungen: Malleus Maleficarum

HA: S. 80-84 (Z.87)

Die Neuzeit/Die Aufklärung

Do: Koepke: Kapitel 7 „Die Staatsräson“ HA: 84-91 (Z. 64)

 

8. u. 9. April

Die Neuzeit/Die Aufklärung

Di: Koepke: Kapitel 7 „Die Staatsräson“ HA: 91-93

Do: Koepke: Kapitel 7 „Die Staatsräson“; „Was ist Aufklärung?“ (Kant, Schiller) HA: 93-94 1-3; 4, 8; 12, 13; 14, 15; 21-23

 

15. u. 17. April

Di: S. 95-100 im Unterricht: Literaturepochen: Klassik und Romantik: Goethe/Walt Disney: „Der Zauberlehrling“ HA: Essay verfertigen

Do: Schiller/Beethoven: „An die Freude“ [auch Jiddish!]; Goethe/Schubert: „Der Erlkönig“ HA: 100-103

Essay Draft 1 Due

 

22. u. 24. April

Di: Koepke: Kapitel 8, „Die Goethezeit“ HA: S. 104 4-8; 9, 10, 12, 14, 15

Do: Test 4; Literaturepochen:

Sturm und Drang und Klassik; Don Karlos, Nathan der Weise, Faust

Journal 4

 

29. April u. 1. Mai

Essay Draft 2 Due

Mündliche Prüfung; Wiederholung

Journal 5

 

Schlussexamen: Samstag 3. Mai 12.30-14.30