HU Credits: 2

Degree/Cycle: 2nd degree (Master)

Responsible Department: Cont. German Studies:politics, Soc.&Cult

Semester: 1st Semester

Teaching Languages: English

Campus: Mt. Scopus

Course/Module Coordinator: Prof. Gisela Dachs

Coordinator Email: Gisela.Dachs@mail.huji.ac.il

Coordinator Office Hours: Wednesdays 11.00-12.00 or by prior arrangement at any other time

Teaching Staff:
Prof Gisela Dachs

Course/Module description:
Germany and France are often described as the ‘twin engine” or “core countries” of Europe. Both countries work indeed closely together on many levels. Their alliance is based on agreements and political vision. The course teaches the development of the special relations between France and Germany – from ‘hereditary enmity’ to reconciliation and the current partnership. It focuses on the principles, structure, practice and challenges of today’s multi-layered bilateral cooperation that has been key to furthering the ideals of European integration since its beginning.

Course/Module aims:
The course aims to transmit historical perspectives as well as contemporary challenges of the Franco-German alliance including political, cultural as well as linguistic approaches. It provides insights into both societies with an emphasis on mutual perceptions.

Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• To have good knowledge about the multi-layered processes of reconciliation leading to the current alliance between Germany and France.
• To assess similarities and differences between the two countries with respect to past and ongoing key issues.
•To be able to identify the uniqueness of the German-French alliance as well as its universal aspects potentially relevant for other rapprochements.
• To demonstrate how transnational practices and cooperation affect both societies
• To have a reflective view on the current state of the bilateral relations between France and Germany through the critical discussion of academic texts as well as news content.

Attendance requirements(%):
90%

Teaching arrangement and method of instruction: The teaching combines theoretical and practical approaches including lectures, text discussion, presentations. It includes also a guest-lecture from an expert in the field.
The teaching combines theoretical and practical approaches including lectures, text discussion, presentations. It includes also a guest-lecture from an expert in the field.

Course/Module Content:

A fully updated syllabus and reading list will be posted on Moodle at the beginning of the semester

-Class (1) The Franco-German couple – a narrative, a myth or reality? Introduction to the course
U. Krotz, U. (2015) History and Foreign Policy in France and Germany, Introduction P.1-10 .

Class (2) From “arch-enmity” to “eternal friendship”.
U. Pfeil, 2021, “Reconciliation: a Definitory Approach”, in: N.Colin & C.Demesmay (eds.) Franco-German Relations seen from Abroad, Post-war reconciliation in International Perspectives, 2021.
Ackermann, Alice (1994) “Reconciliation as a peace building process in Postwar Europe, The Franco-German Case”, in: Peace & Change, Vol.19, N.3, July, pp.229-250.

Class (3) Going back to Charlemagne/Karl der Grosse: Common heritage – different views
Ailes, Marianne (2012), Charlemagne 'Father of Europe': A European Icon in the Making,
Reading Medieval Studies, 38: 59-76.

Bartov. Omer, (1994) The Nation in Arms’: Germany and France, 1989-1939, History Today, September, pp.27-33.

Class (4) Old and new prejudices, superiority/inferior) complexes and the role of education.
Susan N. Bayley (2014) The English Miss, German Fräulein and French Mademoiselle: foreign governesses and national stereotyping in nineteenth- and early twentiethcentury Europe, History of Education, 43:2, 160-186,
Siegel, M.; Harjes, K. (2012), Disarming Hatred: History Education, National Memories, and Franco-German Reconciliation from World War I to the Cold War, History of Education Quarterly, Vol. 52 (3), pp.370-402.
Further reading:
https://www.thelocal.fr/20140703/what-do-the-french-really-think-of-the-germans

Class (5) Rapprochement after 1945 – treaties, principles, symbols and meanings – and its limits
Krotz, U. (2012) “Carolingian Symbols and Meanings”, in: U. Krotz, and J. Schild, (eds.) Shaping Europe - France, Germany, and Embedded Bilateralism from the Elysée Treaty to Twenty-First Century Politics, pp..75-97.
Erkenbrecher, A. (2012) A Right to Irreconcilability? Oradour-sur-Glane, German-French Relations and the Limits of Reconciliation after World War II, in: Birgit Schwelling (ed.) Reconciliation, Civil Society, and the Politics of Memory Transnational Initiatives in the 20th and 21st Century, pp. 167-200

Class (6) „Special relationship”: structure and practices of the transnational alliance
Krotz, Ulrich (2007) Parapublic Underpinnings of International Relations: The Franco-German Construction of Europeanization of a Particular Kind, SAGE Publications and ECPR-European Consortium for Political Research, Vol. 13(3): 385–417.
Further reading :
Krotz, U. (2010) Regularized Intergovernmentalism: France, Germany and Beyond 1963-2009, Foreign Policy Analysis vol. 6, pp 147-185.

Class (7) Defining common interests - French-German power couples and beyond
Saunier, G. (2008) A special relationship: Franco-German relations at the time of Francois Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl, in: Germond , C & Turk , H (eds)‪, A history of Franco-German relations in Europe: from "hereditary enemies" to partners ., pp. 235-248‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
Further reading:
Vogel, W. (2008) The France-German-Polish Weimar triangle – a strategic instrument of Franco-German Relations, in: Germond , C & Turk , H (eds)‪, A history of Franco-German relations in Europe: from "heredity enemies" to partners, pp. 261-271‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Class (8) From Berlin to Paris and back: cultural/intellectual transfers and the shaping of new identity
Lüsebrink, H.J. (1998), Conceptual History and Conceptual transfer: the case of “nation” in Revolutionary France and Germany, in: Iain Hampsher-Monk, Karin Tilmans, Frank van Vree (eds.) History of Concepts: Comparative Perspectives, pp. 115-128.
Further reading:
Stockhorst Rodopi, S. (2010) Cultural Transfer Through Translation: The Circulation of Enlightened Thought in Europe by Means of Translation. Introduction: p.7-27, free access via google books

Class (9) The role of French Jews of German origin building bridges between both countries – from Joseph Rovan to Alfred Grosser and Daniel Cohn-Bendit.
Jobs, R. (2009), Youth Movements: Travel, Protest, and Europe in 1968, The American Historical Review, Volume 114, Issue 2, 1 April 2009, Pages 376–404.
Kober, A. (1945) The French Revolution and the Jews in Germany, Jewish Social Studies Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct), pp. 291-322.

Class (10) France and Germany within the EU
Alistair Cole (2010) Franco-German Europe
Pfeil, U. (2008) The “Other” Franco-German relations: the GDR and France from 1949-1990, in: Germond, C. & Turk. H (eds)‪, A history of Franco-German relations in Europe: from "heredity enemies" to partners, pp. 249-260. ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
Further reading: Glomb W. (2011) The Franco-German tandem confronts the Eurocrisis.

Class (11) “Brothers in arms” in a globalized world: shared perceptions and different perspectives on world affairs.
U. Krotz, 2015, “Elements of French and German Role Constructions, 1958–1998: Core Components, Vocabulary, and Historical Reference Points”, German civilianism versus French greatness” P. 62-73, in: U. Krotz (2015) History and Foreign Policy in France and Germany.
U. Krotz, “Impact and Implications (2): Nuclear Deterrent and Overall Force Structures”, in: U. Krotz (2015) History and Foreign Policy in France and Germany. Pp. 92-107.

Class (12) Still a dream couple? Asymmetries and future challenges for the
German-French relations.

Gunther, Scott (2011) A new identity for old Europe: How and why the French Imagined Françallemagne in recent years, French Politics, Culture & Society, Vol. 29, No. 1, Spring 2011, pp.46-67.
Mourlon-Druol, E. (2017) Rethinking Franco-German relations: A historical perspective, Policy Contributions Issue 29.

Required Reading:
A fully updated syllabus with the reading material will be posted on the Moodle at the beginning of the semester.

Additional Reading Material:
See above

Grading Scheme :
Essay / Project / Final Assignment / Home Exam / Referat 60 %
Presentation / Poster Presentation / Lecture/ Seminar / Pro-seminar / Research proposal 30 %
Active Participation / Team Assignment 10 %

Additional information:
Regular attendance of and participation in class discussions is essential to success in this course. Absences must be cleared with the instructor in advance barring emergencies so appropriate make-up work can be assigned.

The course is required as a preparation for the students who wish to participate in the related study trip “From Berlin to Paris” from 22-29.5.22.


Requirements and Grading: Active participation, including reading of the required texts as listed with each class. One presentation related to a topic/text of the syllabus (30%). A written final exam in English focusing on several topics of the course.

The full, updated, obliging syllabus will be in moodle at the beginning of the semester.

Students should follow the announcements in moodle.