Course Offerings

GM 001.02 German A (Elementary)
A Students are introduced to the basics of the German language:vocabulary, grammar, communicating in every day situations, reading, listening comprehension and writing. The course is supplemented with an interactive CD-Rom and videos. Intended for those with no prior knowledge of German as well as those with some high school background. Graduate students must either take this course for credit or register as auditors.

Requirements: Brief daily assignments and weekly sessions at the language laboratory, frequent quizzes, a mid-term and a final examination. As in any language course, regular attendance, preparation and participation in class are important. With a moderate effort, the students will be able by the middle of this semester to understand spoken classroom German and to read fairly sophisticated texts, as well as to express themselves, although with somewhat less proficiency, in spoken and written German.
Professor: Rachel Freudenburg

GM 001.04 German A (Elementary)
See course description for GM 001.02.
Professor: Rachel Freudenburg

GM 001.01 German A (Elementary)
See course description for GM 001.02.
Professor:Karin Vanderspek

GM 001.03 German A (Elementary)
See course description for GM 002.02.
Professor:Karin Vanderspek

GM 050.01 Intermediate German
Prerequisite: GM 001 and 002 or the equivalent
Further training in active use of the language, with emphasis on reading and conversation. Readings in 20th century prose, fiction and non-fiction. German culture and society. Continuation of grammar review. Discussion and composition.
In addition to regular passages to be brief daily grammar assignments to be prepared orally and/or in written form. Longer written assignments (short essages, etc) are periodically required, as are oral reports in class. A moderate amount of language lab work is likewise expected. In addition to the final exam, there will be an hour exam and seveal short quizzes; class work (attendance, preparation, participation, homework, etc.) will be a factor in the final grade. The course is conducted primarily in German.
Professor: Notburga Connolly

GM 050.02 Intermediate German
See Course description for GM 050.01.
Professor: Michael Resler

GM 050.03 Intermediate German
See Course description for GM 050.01.
Professor: Christoph Eykman

GM 201 German Composition and Conversation
The course is designed to improve the student's fluency in spoken German, to enrich both his or her active and passive vocabulary, and to achieve progress in writing skills as well as in listening comprehension. Typical activities in class will be the following: (1) role playing, i.e., acting out simple dialogues or conversations based on everyday situations (basic vocabulary will be provided beforehand); (2) listening to short anecdotes read in German: students repeat the anecdotes again in German in their own words; (3) listening to taped authentic German dialogues (like "At the gas station"); answering questions relating to these dialogues; (4) answering questions in German based on reading assignments; (5) studying word-groups and idiomatic expressions: using these in proper context; (6) describing the context of German cartoons without text (in German, of course).
There will be regular writing assignments as well as reading assignments. Literary as well as journalistic texts will be read.

Books: Haas/Taylor: Sprechen wir darüber, Philip Grundlehner: Sprich Deutsch! (Holt, Rinehart, Winston)

Exams and quizzes: There will be a written midterm exam and a final exam. All exams contain vocabulary quizzes and sections on creative writing (for example: writing a dialogue, a letter, a brief composition, etc.). There will also be occassional (announced) quizzes on vocabulary, idioms and grammar.
Grades: The semester grade will be based on the grades of the quizzes, the midterm, and the final, the final weighing more heavily than the other exams. Active class participation will also be taken into account as a determining factor. This is not so much a course in which the student progresses from phase to phase, as one in which continuous practice and frequent intensive exposure to the foreign language will lead to progress in overall proficiency. Therefore, regular attendance is a necessity.
Professor: Christoph Eykman

GM 238.01 Passion, Politics & Poetry in the Middle Ages
A study of the timeless themes of love and power during the German Middle Ages, with a focus on the work of Walther von der Vogelweide, the greatest medieval German lyric poet. Among the specific topics which we will address are faith, Christianity and the Crusades: conflict between church and state; political and societal turmoil; the eternal yearning for human fulfillment; and varying views of human sensuality as seen in medieval poetry.

Throughout the course we will return to the enduring relevance--early eight centuries later--of the themes of love and power. Also, we will examine Walther von der Vogelweide's profound influence on his contemporaries, and we will explore traces of his influence on his contemporaries, and we will explore traces of his influence on later generations of Germans (among them, Martin Luther, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Richard Wager). Finally, we will study--and listen to--the accompanying music which was performed at the medieval courts.

Requirements: This course is for students (not necessarily German majors) with a good knowledge of German (at least four semesters of college German with a grade of B+ or higher or the equivalent. The texts will be read chiefly in modern German translation. A highlight of the course will be a carefully guided study of selected poems in the original Middle High German language. The approach will entail a combination of lecture, discussion and regular student presentations. Lectures, readings and presentations will be in German; discussions will be in German and/or English.

Professor: Michael Resler

GM 063.01 Triumphs and Failings of Modern Man
This course focuses on a number of themes which characterize human existance in our time but can at the same time be understood as perennial themes: death, life, illness, suffering, war, and the role of the scientist in the modern world. 20th century German, Swiss, and Austrian authors will be discussed.

Books: Thomas Mann: The Magic Mountain, Sigmund Freud: An Outline of Psychoanalysis (essay), Erich Maria Remarque: All Quiet on the Western Front, Wolfgang Borchert: The Man Outside (play and stories, Heinrich Böll: Stories, Friedrich Dürrenmatt: The Physicists (play). All texts are in English translation.

This course satisfies the Literature CORE requirement. It also counts toward the Major in Germanic Studies.
Conducted in English.
Professor: Christoph Eykman

GM 210.01 History of German Literature I
Prerequisite: GM050-051 (with an honor grade) or the equivalent
An introduction to the study of German literature. Selected texts from the Middle Ages to 1800 will be analyzed against the background of historical events, European literary movements, philosophy, music, art and architecture.

Books: Hanspeter Brode: Deutsche Lyrik (Suhrkamp), Felix Genzmer:Das Niebelungenlied (Reclam), Johann Wolfgang Goethe: Die Leiden des jungen Werther (Reclam).
Photocopies for additional readings will be distributed.

The final grade of students will be determined by two papers (4-5 pages each (40%), a mid-term (20%), a final exam (30%), and class discussion (10%).
Professor: Rachel Freudenburg

GM 299 Reading and Research
Supervised reading within specified areas, for the solution of individual problems of research. Students may sign up for this course only after the need for a special program has been established and a faculty member has agreed to supervise the project.
GM 299.01 Professor: Rachel Freudenburg
GM 299.02 Professor: Christoph Eykman
GM 299.04 Professor: Michael Resler

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