Topics in German Studies

This course explores Berlin's central role as a cultural, political, and intellectual center throughout the 20th century. Through literature, film, art, and architecture, we will examine the city's transformation from the Wilhelminian Empire to the Weimar Republic, from Nazism to the Cold War and German reunification. We will analyze themes and tropes such as democracy and revolution, the rise and fall of fascism, the Berlin wall, exile and migration, student movements and left-wing terrorism, as well as underground culture and electronic music. Seminal works by writers like Alfred Döblin, Irmgard Keun, Bertolt Brecht, and Christa Wolf, as well as filmmakers like Walter Ruttmann and Wim Wenders, or artists like Käthe Kollwitz and Martin Kippenberger will provide insight into Berlin's complex identity as a city at the heart of European modernity. Students will engage with the concept of Berlin as a space of memory, resistance, and transition, reflecting broader cultural changes in 20th century Europe. Readings and discussions in English. Students wishing to receive German major or minor credit must also enroll in the German-language subsection.
Course Attributes: AS LCD; AS HUM; EN H

Topics in German Studies

GERMANIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES 3400

Section 01

Section A