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HU Credits:
2
Degree/Cycle:
2nd degree (Master)
Responsible Department:
German Language & Literature
Semester:
2nd Semester
Teaching Languages:
English
Campus:
Mt. Scopus
Course/Module Coordinator:
Prof. Vivian Liska
Coordinator Office Hours:
Mondays 14:00-16:00
Teaching Staff:
Prof Vivian Liska
Course/Module description:
This course explores some of the major literary and theoretical works of German modernism from 1900 to the aftermath of WWII. Among the authors to be discussed are Friedrich Nietzsche, Walter Benjamin, Theodor W. Adorno, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Else Lasker-Schüler, Franz Kafka, Rainer Maria Rilke, Gottfried Benn, Alfred Döblin, and Paul Celan. Special attention will be given to literature and the role of literary language in theoretical texts and to philosophical implications of modernist literary texts.
Course/Module aims:
The course aims at gaining a fuller understanding of the modernist paradigm through close readings of short texts in light of their literary, historical and philosophical contexts
Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
Practice close readings of complex texts, reflect upon and interpret important literary and theoretical works in the context of their times
Attendance requirements(%):
95%
Teaching arrangement and method of instruction:
Interactive Seminar Form
Course/Module Content:
13.March: Introduction: What is Modernism?
Kafka: „Eine kleine Fabel“/“A little Fable,“ „The Trees“/“Die Bäume“
20. March: Death of God
Kafka: „Eine kaiserliche Botschaft“/ „An Imperial Message“
Friedrich Nietzsche: „Vereinsamt“/„Lonely“ and „Der tolle Mensch“„/“The Madman“
Hugo Ball: “Kandinsky”
27. March: Crisis of Language
Hugo von Hofmannsthal: “Brief an Lord Chandos”/ “Letter to Lord Chandos”
Nietzsche: “On Lies and Truth”
17. April Unsettling Literature
Franz Kafka: “Gespräch mit dem Beter”/ Conversation with the Praying Man”
24. April: no class
1. May Saving Confusion
Else Lasker-Schüler: “Der Grossmogul von Philippopel”/ “The Grandmogul of Philippopel”
8. May: Madness
Gottfried Benn: „Gehirne“/ “Brains”; Morgue poems
15. May: Violence
Alfred Döblin: “Die Ermordung einer Butterblume”/ Murder of a Buttercup
22. May: Rebellion and Youth
Reiner Maria Rilke: “Die Turnstunde”/“The Gym Class”
Franz Kafka: “Up on the Gallery”
29. May: Reading Modernism After Auschwitz
Paul Celan reading Franz Kafka: Selected Poetry
5. June: Short student presentations
12. June: Short student presentations and Closing Discussion
Required Reading:
A Reader containing all the primary material will be available for the students before the beginning of the course
Additional Reading Material:
A list with Bibliographical information will be made available for the students
Course/Module evaluation:
End of year written/oral examination 0 %
Presentation 20 %
Participation in Tutorials 0 %
Project work 60 %
Assignments 0 %
Reports 0 %
Research project 0 %
Quizzes 0 %
Other 20 %
participation
Additional information:
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