GERM 247: Germanic Fairy Tales
This course provides an introduction to the study of folklore and presents a spectrum of approaches to the interpretation of fairy tales. Students read and discuss writings stemming from oral traditions such as the Nibelungenlied, and chapbooks including Till Eulenspiegel, and Faust; eighteenth-century fables created on models from antiquity; fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm; and Kunstmärchen (literary fairy tales by known writers). Students explore the literary aspects of the works and their historical contexts. Also counts toward the Nordic studies major and concentration and the international relations concentration.
GERM 249: German Cinema
A survey of German films from Caligari (1919) to The Counterfeiters (2008), this course examines 20th-century German history through the lens of Germany’s most renowned films. Students develop analytical and critical skills in “reading” films as cultural products and as cinematic works of art. The course focuses on the increasing social and political importance of mass media for understanding the past. Also counts toward film and media studies major and film and media studies and international relations concentrations.
GERM 263: Topics in German Arts
Students examine the artistic heritage of the German-speaking countries and develop the skill of interpreting and analyzing art works in their cultural context. The specific topic may vary and may be broadly or narrowly defined to include a specific art form, theme, period, artist, or the art of the German-speaking countries. Topics include: the arts in turn-of-the-century Vienna, the Bauhaus, Weimar cinema, and German Expressionism. Taught in English. May be repeated if topic is different. Offered periodically.