Courses

GER 101, 102 (Elementary German I & II); GER 103, 104 (Intermediate German I & II). MWF 4 hours.
All beginning and intermediate German language courses are blended-online and classroom courses. Use of computer and internet access is required.

• 101:    11-11:50 am,  12-12:50 pm & 1-1:50 pm
• 102:    11-11:50 am
• 103:    10-10:50 am &  11-11:50 am
• 104:    1-1:50 pm

GER 212:  Berlin — Gateway to German Regions; TR 2-3:15 pm; Instructor: Dr. Patrick Fortmann; 3 hours.

Berlin remains the focal point in the diverse landscape of German-speaking cities and regions. With a topography that is punctuated by monuments to a troubled past, the German capital is on the one hand a large-scale memory site. On the other hand, Berlin’s cityscape is constantly changing — mostly in ways that anticipate things to come. The course will harness Berlin’s vibrant energy to explores contemporary trends and concerns in German-speaking cities and regions. Students will investigate a range of themes, such as memory and time, living arrangements and mobility culture, community and futurity by drawing on short readings in contemporary prose, articles, and blogs as well as on interviews, podcasts and videos. The course also aims to refine and expand students’ proficiency in all four language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension. It is designed to deepen the understanding of grammatical structures, to help acquiring more sophisticated and varied vocabulary and to enhance writing skills. All materials and discussions in German. Prerequisites: German 104 or the equivalent.

GER 311; TR 12:30-1:45 pm; Instructor: Dr. Katrin Dennerlein; 3 hours

German Literature in a Global Context: Migratory Journeys: The Individual, the Community, and the Environment

Migration is a highly relevant topic today. Literature has long engaged with it, capturing in vivid imagery both the consequences of permanent relocation for the migrating individual as well as for groups and the environment. This course delves into literary representations of migration in the German-speaking world, exploring themes of identity, social interaction, cultural diversity, and environmental issues. The goal is to understand the dynamic interplay between literature and migration, analyzing how literature helps us make sense out of both forced and voluntary migrations. Narrative techniques such as voice, perspective, spatial positioning, and time structuring play a central role. We will analyze theoretical texts on narratology, narratives of migration, and theories of fictionality, and on this basis, we will examine works by authors like Adelbert von Chamisso, Lion Feuchtwanger, Anna Seghers, Franz Kafka, Christian Kracht, and Ulrike Draesner. Advanced training in German language skills. Course Information: May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite(s): Credit or concurrent registration in GER 211; or Credit or concurrent registration in GER 212; or Credit or concurrent registration in GER 214 or the equivalent.

If you have questions about the prerequisites, please contact Dr. Meyer (ixmeyer@uic.edu).

History 117: Understanding the Holocaust: Dr. Elizabeth Loentz; 3 hours – 2-3:15 pm

Examines the Holocaust of European Jewry as the result of antisemitic ideology and the development of modern German political forces; implementation of the Final Solution. Course Information: Same as JST 117 and RELS 117. Individual and Society course, and Past course.

GER 217; TR 9:30-10:45 am; Instructor: Dr. Hall; 4 hours

Introduction to German Cinema

This course will provide an overview of German film history, one of the most influential national cinemas in the world: beginning with the celebrated films of Weimar Germany (1919-1933), we will examine how cinema reflects and comments upon specific socio-historic contexts and shifting notions of German national identity. We will discuss films made under the Nazis (1933-45); post-war cinema; films of the critically acclaimed New German Cinema of the 1970s; cinema made in socialist East Germany after World War II; historical dramas; and art house and international favorites of the contemporary period. We will consider the parameters of national cinema, asking to what extent a nation’s films can be seen as a projection screen for cultural hopes and anxieties. Along these lines, we will examine the ways in which the specters of fascism and the Holocaust loom in post-war German cinema along with the history of the division of Berlin and Germany from 1945-89. We will likewise consider German film in light of the limits of national categorizations for cinema in a globalizing world. In addition to screening and analyzing films, we will read a number of theoretical texts that will provide an aesthetic and cultural frame for interpretation. Course Information: Taught in English. Films with subtitles. No knowledge of German required. Area literature/culture. General Education credit for Creative Arts and World Cultures.

For more information about Germanic Studies courses, please contact Ms. Meg LaLonde (mlalonde@uic.edu) or Dr. Imke Meyer (ixmeyer@uic.edu): http://lcsl.uic.edu/germanic.

LCSL 502

Theoretical and Research Foundations of Communicative Language Teaching (CRN: 35557)

Prof. Susanne Rott

Wednesdays: 3-5:30

Introduces students to contemporary theory and research on second language acquisition. Emphasis is on understanding the research and examining classroom practice. Course Information: Credit is not given for LCSL 502 if the student has credit for SPAN 450, FR 450, GER 407, SPAN 502, FR 502, or GER 502. Previously listed as SPAN 502. Taught in English. Prerequisite(s): Appointment as a teaching assistant. For students outside the department: consent of the instructor. Required for new TAs.

German 531: Prisms of Modern Life: The Dynamics of Small Forms (CRN: 42257)

Prof. Patrick Fortmann

Tuesdays: 5-7:30 pm

In Modernity, the rhythm of life accelerates, with ubiquitous effects: the ever-increasing pace in the circulation of information, commodities, and people within complex networks and across various technological channels reshapes traditional systems of knowledge and beliefs and mobilizes once stable ideas of identity. To keep pace, literature increasingly eschews the grand narrative constructions that undergird the novel in the nineteenth century and turns instead to small forms. Fragmented, atomized, but hardly ever self-contained, the small seems uniquely suited for providing snapshots of modern life, wresting meaning from an instance. Though referencing a rich history, small forms come into their own in Modernity. The course investigates the connection between the conditions of modern life and the constraints of small forms. It studies a range of genres, from anecdote and aphorism, to feuilleton, sketch, and reflective prose, to digital short forms of fiction and auto-fiction. Special emphasis will be paid to aesthetic conceptions of form: What are criteria for determining literary smallness? Does small equal short, shortened, compressed, minor, miniaturized, simple, etc.? The course will draw on reading from Hebbel, Kleist, Heine, Rilke, Benn, Kracauer, Benjamin, Kafka, as well as twenty-first century authors, and engage with recent theoretical interventions by Levine, Fuchs, and others. Readings are available in German as well as in English; discussions will be in English.

German 531: Emotions in German Drama around 1800. Hermeneutical and Computational Readings (CRN: 38269)

Professor Katrin Dennerlein

Thursdays: 3:30-6 pm

Emotions play a crucial role in German drama around 1800, serving as key instruments for both character development and aesthetic expression. Writers of this era, such as Goethe, Schiller, Kotzebue, and von Rupp, explore the complexities of human emotions, examining the conflicts between reason and passion, individual and societal expectations. They each consider, to varying degrees, the aesthetics of the stage or advanced aesthetic theories. The investigation of emotions in dramas from this period requires a comprehensive approach that includes close readings of dramatic texts in light of contemporary theories of emotion. Additionally, methodologies from the ‘Emotions in Drama’ project (http://katrindennerlein.de/digitale-literaturgeschichte/), which uses artificial intelligence to categorize character emotions in 18th-century dramas, are explained and partially implemented. Participants do not need prior experience in programming or Digital Humanities.

1-credit courses:

LCSL 503

Professional Development Workshop I

Prof. Elizabeth Loentz

Every other Friday (3:00-4:45)

Introduction to the academic profession for students of foreign languages and literatures. Focus on presentational skills and preparation for the job market. Course Information: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only. Previously listed as SPAN 504. Taught in English. Prerequisite(s): LCSL 503 or consent of the instructor.

LCSL 505

Teaching Professional Development Workshop I

Prof. Elizabeth Weber

Every other Friday (3:00-4:45)

Development of teaching pedagogy, methodology, and technology methods. Course Information: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only. May be repeated to a maximum of 3 hours.

Recommended course in Literatures, Cultural Studies, and Linguistics (for Max Kade scholars):

CEES 515 / GER 515: Introduction to Film Theory and CEE Film Historiography

M 3-5:30 PM

Instructor: Prof. Matthew Kendall

4 hours. CRN: 43920

This course will introduce the central questions of film theory and historiography to graduate students who want to pursue these topics at the professional level. What is film history? What is film theory? Are these ideas different from “History capital H” or “Theory capital T”? Do film theory and film history always clash? Where do the media named digital, new, or social fit in among these questions?

While we will discuss ideas that are not grounded in any specific geographical region, many of our examples and case studies will be taken from the unique histories of Central and Eastern European cinemas. No prior language skills or specific, regional knowledge is required: all texts and films will be accessible in English translation. Theoretical readings will include Freud, Benjamin, Eisenstein, Vertov, Kracauer, Metz, Jameson, Doane, Silverman, and many others. Texts will be read alongside films and clips from Eisenstein, Lang, Tarkovskii, Fassbinder, Muratova, and more.