German Courses

GRMN 1001
Elementary German I

The goal of German 1001 is to develop the four language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing) in a cultural context with a focus on spoken German. The course will enable you to communicate in German about everyday topics, including friends and family, housing, daily routine, leisure…

GRMN 1002
Elementary German II

German 1002 continues to develop the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) in an authentic cultural context. The course will enable you to communicate in German about everyday topics such as education, leisure activities and travel and present information about German-…

GRMN 1110
Accelerated Elementary German

German 1110 develops the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) in an authentic cultural context. The course will enable you to communicate in German about everyday topics, including your family, yourself, your everyday routine, shopping, education and recreational activities…

GRMN 2001
Intermediate German I

German 2001 continues to develop the four language skills in a cultural context. It also reviews and expands upon the basic grammar covered in first-year German classes. By the end of this course you should have: increased your ability to communicate about topics of general interest orally and in…

GRMN 2002
Intermediate German II

German 2002 continues to develop your language skills in a cultural context. It also reviews and expands upon the basic grammar covered in first-year German classes and in German 2001. By the end of this course you should have significantly enhanced your knowledge of cultural issues, increased your…

GRMN 2140
Intermediate German (Honors)

German 2140H continues to develop the four language skills in a cultural context. It also reviews and expands upon the basic grammar covered in first-year German classes. By the end of this course you should have: increased your ability to communicate about topics of general interest orally and in…

GRMN 2300
Introduction to German Culture Studies

This course explores German literature as a window onto central themes and developments in German and Austrian society, culture and history in the 19th and 20th centuries. The focus is on realistic fiction as testimony to the lived experience of daily life, place, social class, gender, national…

GRMN 3010
Language, Culture, and Society I

This introductory cultural studies course acquaints you with central social, cultural and political issues of post-war Germany. Our textbook is designed as a course for foreigners wishing to become German citizens. We are therefore becoming familiar with pertinent aspects of German culture from…

GRMN 3015
Language, Science, and Society I

How do current trends in science and technology in Europe's largest economy compare to those in the United States? How can the Digital Revolution proceed in an equitable and ethical way? How can technology build a more sustainable world? Become a more competent speaker and writer of German…

GRMN 3020
Language: Culture and Society II

This content-based course aims to enhance students’ knowledge of contemporary (Post-wall) German culture and to improve their German language skills though class, small group and partner discussions; working with texts of various genres; essay writing; vocabulary expansion; as well as grammar…

GRMN 3110
Germania

This course explores the history and culture of the Germanic world from the Bronze Age up until Charlemagne. Emphases include Roman-Germanic confrontation, the Nordic mythology of the Vikings and their relationship to early Germanic pagans, the Christianization of the Germanic tribes as well as the…

GRMN 3120
German Courtly Literature

In this course we read, interpret, and work creatively with some of the classic texts in medieval German literature: heroic epic, Arthurian romance, and the poetry of Minnesang. Explores the deep origins of modern notions of heroism and romantic love in an era that was both unimaginably violent and…

GRMN 3280
Contrastive Grammar: German-English

This course provides an overview of the differences between German and English grammar, with a focus on not only the individual study of the core linguistic modules of phonetics/phonology, morphology and syntax, but also the interaction between those modules, especially in bilinguals. Balancing the…

GRMN 3410
War, Sex, Nation-Building, and Empire in 19th Century Germany and Austria

We will look at key texts by German and Austrian writers from about 1800 to 1914, looking at how writers positioned themselves in terms of nationhood and empire. German-speaking writers reacted to the Napoleonic wars and their aftermath, the French 1830 revolution, the uprisings of 1848, and the…

GRMN 3420
The German Romantic Age

This course will introduce students to the literature, art, music and the central social, cultural and political issues of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a period in German literary and cultural history known as the Romantic Age. It is designed to provide an introduction to the important…

GRMN 3500
German for Reading Knowledge

This course is a review of grammar, idioms, and vocabulary, providing practice in translating moderately difficult technical and non-technical German texts into correct English. Satisfies language requirement for graduate students. No prior German needed. Does not apply to the major or minor in…

GRMN 3500
German for Reading Knowledge

Review of grammar, idioms, and vocabulary; practice in translating moderately difficult technical and non-technical German texts into correct English. Does not apply to the major or minor in German or language certificates. Satisfies language requirement for graduate students.

GRMN 3550
Contemporary Issues in German Culture, Society, and Literature

Offered annually as part of our Study Abroad in Freiburg program during the summer semester. This couse consists of selected contemporary topics in the culture, civilization, language, or literature of German-speaking countries. Taught in English.

GRMN 3610
Changing Perspective - How literature can help us see the world through the eyes of the other

Whether it's an Indian orphan in the mid-19th century or a chatty shadow or a nun with a secret in the Bavarian Alps– literature allows us to experience the world from different and therefore often strange perspectives. In real life we are physically constrained; even our empathy has its limits.…

GRMN 3620
The Wild Berlin of Bertolt Brecht

Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) was one of the twentieth-century’s most influential playwrights, known in particular for his theory of the epic theater. His writings have been translated into more than 40 languages and his plays continue to be performed all over the world. In addition to his success on…

GRMN 3625
Postwar Women Writers

In this course, we will read representative texts written by women authors after 1945, as well as view and discuss films by women filmmakers. We will aim to interpret and understand these works in light of their historical context-- the postwar period, the task of Vergangenheitsbewältigung, the…

GRMN 3630
Memory, History, Narrative

How do societies remember? What do societies, groups, and individuals choose to remember and forget, and why? How are memories and family stories passed down through the generations? Taking these broad questions as our guide, this seminar centers more specifically on public acts of remembrance in…

GRMN 3710
The Wall

This course explores the Berlin Wall as a site of history and imagination within the context of postwar politics, culture, and everyday life. We will discuss the events leading to the construction of the physical border, life with the Wall, the fall of the Wall and the persistence of mental “walls…

GRMN 3720
Authorities and Law in Modern German Society and Culture

This course provides a cross-cultural (Germany-US) exploration of current perceptions and interactions of authorities (e.g. police) with the public through an examination of laws and regulations. We take a close look at crime and morality in popular media such as television crime dramas. We also…

GRMN 3770
Heritage German: Language Change and Language Shift

Over the course of the semester, we will concern ourselves with the topic of heritage languages. A heritage language is acquired in the home, but spoken in a community, region, or country where it is not the majority variety. In part, the topic focuses on the social circumstances surrounding a…

GRMN 3820
German Film

The main aim of this course is to introduce undergraduate students to the history of German film. At the same time, we will address the social, political, economic, demographic changes and shifts in Germany of the 20th/21st century. The class will ask questions in relation to these changing…

GRMN 3830
Children's and Youth Literature

The course consists of three parts: an examination of traditional stories, including fairy tales, followed by an analysis of contemporary picture books, and finally a close reading of Michael Ende’s Unendliche Geschichte as a neo‐romantic tale. The readings are in roughly chronological order, but…

GRMN 3840
The Jewish Experience in German Literature and Culture

This course investigates the contributions of Jews and Jewish culture to the German-speaking world. The focus is on how Jewish writers, thinkers, and artists portray their experiences and identities. We will read texts and view films that reflect the responses of Jews (and non-Jews) to…

GRMN 3850
Introduction to Goethe's Life and Works

Taking Goethe's late autobiographical writing Dichtung und Wahrheit as point of departure, this course explores the life and work of Goethe, focusing on dramatic, novelistic, and poetic genres for which he is renowned and considering their aesthetic, historical, and cultural implications. Taught in…

GRMN 3860
The Evolution of Modern Standard German

The goal of this course is the study of the sociohistorical processes and linguistic developments in German, concerning the establishment of the modern standard language. As such, we will study language shift and language change from both a diachronic and synchronic perspective. The standard…

GRMN 3870
The German Fairy Tale Tradition

In German cultural and literary history, fairy tales are much more than nice, little stories for children that feature cute, talking animals and princesses who marry princes and live happily ever after; they are important texts about German cultural history and they may even give us a glimpse into…

GRMN 3990
Directed Study in German

Independent study and research under the direction of individual faculty members. Repeatable for maximum six hours credit.

GRMN 4001
Advanced German Composition and Conversation

In this course, you can expect to refine your command of spoken and written German, developing a more sophisticated range of vocabulary and expressions. A significant part of class time is spent on developing speaking skills. The course investigates three major areas of German culture and society:…

GRMN 4015
Magic, Monsters, and the Occult in German Literature

Germany has a long tradition in magic and the occult sciences, whether through its practitioners or its representation in literature. Some of the more well-known historical figures of German-speaking origin who were involved in one way or another in the occult sciences or occult societies include…

GRMN 4020
Theory and Practice of German Drama

This course familiarizes students with major developments in German-speaking theater. We will read several of the most enduring and well-loved plays in the German language, with special attention to their dramatic aspects as well as the specific cultural and historical contexts in which they were…

GRMN 4210
Enlightenment

An in-depth study of major texts from the German cultural and literary traditions, going from the Enlightenment to twentieth-century critical appraisals of that very same Enlightenment tradition. Authors considered include Kant, Mendelssohn, Goethe, Hoffmann, Rilke, Kafka, Kracauer, Simmel, Brecht…

GRMN 4410
The Holocaust in German Literature and Film

This course focuses on literary and cinematic representations of the Holocaust from postwar to contemporary Germany. The course aims to broaden students’ knowledge of the Holocaust and intends to provide them with a more profound understanding of the complex moral, historical, and aesthetic issues…

GRMN 4500
German for Reading Knowledge

GRMN 4510
Deutsche höfische Epik / German courtly epic

At the center of this course are the two main courtly epics from the classical period of medieval German literature, Wolfram von Eschenbach’s P arzival , an influential version of the Holy Grail legend, and Gottfried von Straßburg’s Tristan und Isolde , one of the iconic stories of forbidden love (…

GRMN 4510
Special Topics in German Studies

GRMN 4510 is a special topics course that offers a unique look at German culture and language. The course changes from year to year. The course will not be offered for Spring 2023, but you can see what a class is like in the course description below. In the beginning, there is always the blank…

GRMN 4520
Senior Seminar: From Prussia with love: romance meets reality in the Kaiserreich

This course explores the literature of the Wilhelmine Empire (1871-1918), with a focus on realistic ﬁction oﬀering a window onto the lived experience of Germans from diﬀerent social classes in a rapidly modernizing Germany. Most of the stories concern young people in romantic relationships, around…

GRMN 4810
Contemporary Issues in German Business and Politics

This discussion-based course emphasizes active participation in classroom discussion of current events topics and related activities. The expectation is that students enrolled in this course are interested in and aware of current events and that they will inform themselves about current events –…

GRMN 6001
Advanced German Conversation and Composition

This course revolves around three major areas of investigation pertaining to German culture and society: 1) Does freedom of choice really exist? Based on the movie Das Leben der Anderen we will discuss how personal relationships are influenced and possibly determined by societal and political…

GRMN 6100
Medieval German Courtly Literature

Representative narrative texts from the classical period of Middle High German literature (c. 1150-1250). Focus on Arthurian romance as both the paradigmatic genre of medieval aristocratic self-representation and the prototype of the modern European novel.

GRMN 6100
Deutsche höfische Epik / German courtly epic

GRMN 6280
Comparative Grammar: The Old Germanic Languages

This course provides a comparative overview of the structural features of the Old Germanic Languages, including: Gothic, Old Norse, Old Saxon, Old English, Old High German, Old Low Franconian, and Old Frisian. The focus will be on both the linguistic differences resultant from language change; and…

LING 6280
Comparative Grammar: The Old Germanic Languages

GRMN 6300
18th-Century Texts and Contexts

Significant works, authors, movements, genres, or topics in 18th-century literature and culture examined within their specific historical context.

GRMN 6350
Classics and Romantics

Interpretation and analysis of works from the late 18th through early 19th centuries considered in their social, cultural, and historical contexts. Studies of individual authors, specific genres, significant topics, or literary constellations.

GRMN 6380
Contrastive Grammar: German-English

Identification and examination of the salient structural similarities and differences between German and English.

GRMN 6400
19th-Century Texts and Contexts

Significant works, authors, movements, genres, or topics in 19th-century literature and culture examined within their specific historical contexts.

GRMN 6450
The Fin-de-Siecle: Its Roots and Aftermath

What cultural, social, and political conditions gave rise to the fin-de-siecle spirit in the 19th and 20th centuries? Placing the phenomenon in a comparative context, this seminar explores the period's vibrant literature, its arts (Jugendstil), and the rise of crucial intellectual movements (…

GRMN 6460
Structure of Modern German

Linguistic and sociolinguistic structure of modern German with relevant linguistic terminology. Emphasis on phonology, morphology, and syntax. Taught in English.

GRMN 6470
German Gothic Literature

Broad overview of the development of Gothic horror literature in Germany from the 18th to the 20th century in its historical and cultural contexts. Study of 18th- and early 19th-century aesthetic theory, which inspired German authors of horror literature.

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See if and when courses are offered in a given semester via our downloadable course schedule.

Spring 2023

Fall 2022

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German Courses

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