German Studies

Lisa Sullivan, Chair

Dominique Rampton, Academic Department Coordinator


103 Ciruti Center
413-538-2294
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/academics/find-your-program/german-studies

Overview and Contact Information

The Department of German Studies offers a program that promotes an understanding of the connections between language and its larger cultural contexts worldwide. Our entire curriculum supports the study of the German language within its European and global cultural and historical contexts. We prepare students for diverse career paths in today’s globalized world by fostering linguistic and transcultural competence and by integrating curricular innovation, experiential opportunities, and learning abroad.

Language learning in our program emphasizes at all levels the interrelationship between target language and culture and native language and culture; self and community; curriculum and career. We also consistently explore the global interconnections between German and European cultures. From the beginning, students learn strategies for understanding German speakers in a variety of contexts, on many levels, and in diverse situations. In weekly conversation sessions, German or near-native peer assistants provide opportunities for small-group informal conversations. Students studying German or who have an interest in Germany are encouraged to apply to live in the German Language Living Learning Community, to interact with German faculty, to take part in discussions with guest lecturers, and may also co-host events with the German Club. Furthermore, we encourage our students to seek experiential learning by participating in our exchange with the University of Leipzig, as well as the Berlin School of Economics and Law, and to combine study with internship experience.

The major in German studies integrates learning inside and outside the classroom, the development of language skills with the study of the social, economic, and cultural developments in the German-speaking countries, in the past and present and within a larger transnational context. Students entering the College in Fall 2023 who declare a German Studies major or minor and those from a previous entrance year completing these programs should expect to need some Five College classes to complete the programs. Students entering Fall 2024 or later will not have the option to declare a German Studies major or minor.

Following the credo of Mary Lyon, the department has a proud tradition of connecting its rigorous curricular program with career exploration opportunities for students. German studies majors graduating from Mount Holyoke College have used the analytical, cultural, and linguistic competence they acquired to pursue a wide range of careers in banking, business, education, government, international affairs, journalism, law, medicine, publishing, radio and television broadcasting, and the sciences Our alumnae network provides current students with assistance when searching for internships or employment either in the U.S. or internationally. We also provide students with support as they apply for internship(s) in German-speaking countries in a wide range of fields, as well as study and research and opportunities, including teaching fellowships abroad.

Study and Internships Abroad in German-Speaking Countries

A junior year or semester, as well as summer programs and internships in Germany, is open to both majors and non-majors. To be appropriately prepared for study in Germany, students who wish to participate are required to have studied  German continuously, at least one course taught in German each semester, during their first and second years. Majors spending their junior year in a German-speaking country with a program approved by the department and the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives normally satisfy some of the minimum requirements of their major while abroad. By completing appropriate course work, including written work, students majoring in German may transfer the equivalent of one course per semester at the 300 level and additional credits at the 200 level. Minors spending the junior year in a German-speaking country with a program approved by the department and the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives may bring back the equivalent of one course at the 300 level and one course at the 200 level. Upon their return, students are required to participate in at least one course per semester in the department so that faculty can evaluate them based on work done in the senior year when writing recommendations for graduate school or employment opportunities.

The department has an exchange program with the University of Leipzig. In addition, the department participates in the College’s exchange with the Berlin School of Economics and Law. The department encourages students to apply for DAAD scholarships to help finance study abroad in Germany and DAAD RISE internships (for students in STEM fields). The chair and other faculty will assist each student with selecting an individually appropriate opportunities. See the department’s webpage for more details. Our students frequently spend time abroad, either in their junior year or in the summer. They also take advantage of diverse internship opportunities at German investment banks or brokerage firms, science laboratories, hospitals, newspapers, intercultural agencies, schools, radio and television stations, museums, libraries, archives, and other places of professional interest to them.

Our graduating seniors have consistently been awarded such highly regarded national and international graduate fellowships as DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), Fulbright, PAD (Pädagogischer Austauschdienst), Congress/Bundestag Fellowship for Young Professionals, Bundestag Internship Program (Internationale Parlaments- Praktika Internship Programm), CDS Emigré Parliamentary/Cultural Vistas Internships, and internships with the European Union.

Learning Goals

Department Level

In addition to mastery of the German language (see course specific goals below), a German major or minor who graduates from Mount Holyoke College will have achieved these overarching departmental learning goals: 

1. To acquire the analytical, cultural, and linguistic competence in German and German Studies to understand major debates, trajectories, and directions in German history, culture and society.

2. To express analytical ideas, formulate opinions, and discuss topics with relative ease and precision in German, both written and spoken.

3. To have a working knowledge of decolonial and transnational approaches to German Studies, including an understanding of topics such as identity, citizenship and belonging, memory, globalization, nationalism, imperialism, cosmopolitanism, etc.

4. To develop intellectual breadth through study across different disciplines and modes of inquiry relating to German Studies (i.e. language and cultural studies, history, politics, critical social thought, etc.).

Course Level

Elementary (Completion of Sequence of GRMST-101 and 102, or GRMST-103)

  • Communicate in German on a range of everyday situations. 
  • Produce responses to questions (oral & written) using vocabulary and structures as presented in the lesson plans and texts read. 
  • Understand and produce a variety of text types (personal letters, emails); write (and rewrite) shorter creative essays (Schreibaufgaben) as well as at least 4 progressively longer essays. 
  • Comprehend German grammar requiring some review and more contextualized analysis and discussion on the next level (GRMST-201). 
  • Read and summarize the content of German texts, both orally and in writing, written specifically for German learners, and/or authentic texts written for children or young people in Germany.

Intermediate (GRMST-201)

  • Have a sound understanding of the diversity of contemporary life in the German-speaking world with some in-depth knowledge on specific topics. 
  • Possess global comprehension of authentic materials (including texts, films, videos on YouTube, etc.) and some fine-point knowledge analysis. 
  • Produce spoken and written discourse from description to narration, to formulation of arguments and/or hypotheses, while incorporating an increasing variety of style and complexity. 
  • Improve writing and speaking abilities in German through extensive writing and re-writing of assignments as well as recordings and analysis of oral presentations. 
  • Read at least one (possibly two) longer works written in German.

Advanced Intermediate (Two 200-level classes above GRMST-201)

  • Will know how to work with authentic materials and use acquired knowledge to discuss and understand related issues. 
  • Produce medium-length analytical essays, a final paper (Hausarbeit) similar to those written by students at a German university and narratives based on first-hand experience, fiction, non-fiction, visual texts, and media. 
  • Engage in class discussions, debate, and group interactions in German with relative ease using appropriate vocabulary and produce a basic German university-style Referat. 
  • Analyze visual and printed texts. understand historical perspectives within German cultures that existed prior to the 20th and 21st centuries. 
  • Produce a basic German-style Hausarbeit and acquire a basic knowledge of how to research a topic.

Advanced level (300-level courses)

  • Formulate, develop, present, and document original research questions, their thesis, and arguments made in oral presentations, written abstracts, and group projects in relatively precise German. 
  • Write, with revision(s), an analytical study of at least 12 pages (15-20 pages for the senior seminar) including footnotes and bibliography. 
  • Present analysis of course material, discussion questions, and individual research projects orally (20-minute presentations). 
  • Understand major debates, trajectories, and directions in the field of German studies. Integrate this study with at least one other discipline (e.g., international relations or European studies) and other transnational contexts. 
  • Express analytical ideas, formulate opinions, and discuss topics with relative ease in German.

Faculty

This area of study is administered by the Department of German Studies:

Catherine McNally, Visiting Assistant Professor in German Studies

Requirements for the Major

Students should note that completion of this major will likely require them to travel to other institutions within the Five Colleges.

A minimum of 32 credits:

20 credits beyond GRMST-115 drawn from these or other upper-level courses:20
GRMST-201
Intermediate German
GRMST-205
Decentering Europe: An Introduction to Critical European Studies 1
GRMST-221
German Culture and Histories
GRMST-223
Topics in German Studies 2,3
GRMST-231
Topics in German and European Studies in a Global Context 2
Three additional courses (12 credits), taught in German, at the 300 level including: 312
GRMST-325
Advanced Seminar in Transnational and Transdisciplinary German Studies
Total Credits32
1

GRMST-205 may be replaced by other German or European studies courses at Mount Holyoke or the other Five Colleges with the approval of faculty.

2

GRMST-221 and GRMST-223 courses are taught in German; GRMST-231 courses are taught in English. GRMST-221, GRMST-223, and GRMST-231 may be taken more than once as long as the topic is different.

3

GRMST-223 may be taken for 300-level credit, with approval of the instructor.

Additional Specifications

  • Students entering the College in Fall 2023 who declare a German Studies major or minor and those from a previous entrance year completing these programs should expect to need some Five College classes to complete the programs. Students entering Fall 2024 or later will not have the option to declare a German Studies major or minor.

  • A maximum of 8 credits toward the major may include courses taught in English, such as GRMST-231 or, with permission of the department, other cross-listed topics courses at the 200 or 300 level.

  • As culture is constructed and expressed through language, students are expected to conduct their work in the department and as much work as possible outside the department, in the German language. The major in German studies is intended to provide a focused concentration in the language and culture of the German-speaking countries within transnational European contexts. Students achieve an advanced level of translingual and transcultural competence.

  • Students’ trajectory towards completing the requirements for the German major is based on their level of language proficiency when they enter Mount Holyoke. Individual course selection is to be coordinated with the chair or departmental advisor. 

  • In conjunction with their advisors, students plan an individualized program of study suited to their interests and backgrounds. To ensure breadth of background and context, we strongly encourage students to include at least one pre-twentieth century course and to complement their German Studies major with a second major, minor, Nexus, or Five College certificate. Students may focus on a specific topic, period, or century. Courses focusing on German and/or European culture and taught in other departments or programs may be selected from such fields as anthropology, art, critical social thought, economics, environmental studies, film studies, gender studies, history, history of science, international relations, Jewish studies, music, politics, philosophy, psychology, religious studies, sociology, and theater arts.

The minor in German studies is intended to provide a focused introduction to the language and culture of German-speaking countries within a larger transnational context. Students achieve a basic level of trans-lingual and transcultural competence.

Requirements for the Minor

A minimum of 16 credits:

GRMST-205Decentering Europe: An Introduction to Critical European Studies4
At least one 4-credit course at the 300 level in the Department of German Studies4
Two additional 4-credit courses in German Studies beyond GRMST-102:8
The first must be taught in German beyond the 100 level.
The second may include any of the following: 1
GRMST-201, 221, 223 (4 credits, taught in German) 2
GRMST-230, 231 (4 credits, taught in English)
Or an additional course at the 300-level
Total Credits16
1

Other courses may count toward the minor if approved by the department chair.

2

GRMST-223 may be taken more than once as long as the topics are different.

Additional Specifications

  • Students entering the College in Fall 2023 who declare the German Studies minor and those from a previous entrance year completing these programs should expect to need some Five College classes to complete the programs. Students entering Fall 2024 or later will not have the option to declare a German Studies minor.

Teacher Licensure

Students interested in pursuing licensure in the field of German studies can combine their course work with a minor in education. In some instances, coursework in the major coincides with coursework required for licensure; in other cases, it does not. For more information, please consult your advisor, the chair of the German studies department, information in the catalog on the minor in education and teacher licensure, or the program's website.

Licensure also requires a formal application as well as passing scores on the Massachusetts Test of Educator Licensure (MTEL) in both the literacy component and the subject matter component. Copies of the test objectives for the MTEL are available in the Department of Psychology and Education.

Additional information about the Licensure Program, including application materials, can be found on the Teacher Licensure Program website.

Course Advice

Most courses are conducted in German, except our seminars GRMST-205 and the various GRMST-231 seminars.

GRMST-231 topics satisfy the Humanities distribution requirement. It may also be possible to count these topics toward the German major or minor with permission of the department.

Courses that satisfy the College language requirement only are designated as such. Other courses can satisfy either the language requirement or fulfill a Humanities distribution requirement.

Advice for New Students

First-Year Seminars offered by German Studies faculty and GRMST-231 are writing-intensive courses taught in English. Both courses are open to first-year students.

Placement in German Courses

The Department of German Studies will review the course selection of all entering students, taking into consideration school and AP records together with the results of the placement exam.

All students with prior knowledge of German who plan to elect German in either semester must complete this exam carefully. Final course placement will be based on the following considerations: the student’s specific training in German, the results of the student’s online placement exam, and scheduling possibilities. Students should take the online placement exam prior to registration, if possible.

Students in Groups II–IV, as described below, are required to complete the online placement exam. Students may choose their courses according to the following guidelines, but all students are encouraged to consult with the chair of the department during the summer or upon arrival on campus. Email: kremmler@mtholyoke.edu

  • Group I: Students with no previous training in German, or with the equivalent of one year of study at the secondary school level, should elect GRMST-101 in the fall. GRMST-101 and GRMST-102 constitute a yearlong Elementary German course.
  • Group II: Students who have studied German for more than one year but for fewer than four years, or who feel they need a comprehensive review of grammar, should elect  GRMST-201. Students entering in the spring who have studied German for one or two years may choose GRMST-102 in consultation with the chair.
  • Group III: Students with three or four years of study in German should ordinarily elect GRMST-221. Students with four or more years of German or extensive experience living in a German-speaking country or speaking German should ordinarily elect GRMST-223 based on the results of the placement exam.
  • Group IV: Other students with previous training in German should consult with the department chair (kremmler@mtholyoke.edu) during the summer or in September for individual placement or enroll in GRMST-223.

All students contemplating spending all or part of their junior year in Germany should elect German in the first semester of their first year, since two continuous years of German in college are normally required for junior year programs in Germany.

Course Offerings

Jump to courses:

German Studies Courses

GRMST-101 Elementary German

Fall. Credits: 4

This course introduces speaking, reading, and writing German. Cultural and literary readings together with frequent use of video and other online resources dealing with everyday situations and experiences in the German-speaking countries sensitize students to the cultural context in which the language is used. Weekly conversation sessions with a German language assistant supplement class work.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive
C. McNally
Coreq: GRMST-101L.
Notes: Requires conversation session (50 minutes). Labs will begin the week after classes start.

GRMST-102 Elementary German

Spring. Credits: 4

Continuation of the elementary German course; practice in speaking, reading, and writing German. Cultural and literary readings together with frequent use of online resources dealing with everyday situations and experiences in the German-speaking countries sensitize students to the cultural context in which the language is used. Weekly conversation sessions with a German language assistant supplement class work.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive
C. McNally
Prereq: GRMST-101, or see department for placement. Coreq: GRMST-102L.
Advisory: It is recommended that students have taken GRMST-101, or the equivalent. Incoming students who have not taken German at Mount Holyoke should take the placement exam to determine proper course level.
Notes: Requires conversation session (50 minutes). Labs will begin the week after classes start.

GRMST-201 Intermediate German

Fall. Credits: 4

This course emphasizes further development of contextual reading, writing, and speaking skills in German. Focus on strategies that help students learn vocabulary and use grammatical structures in appropriate ways. Discussion of a variety of texts and genres, as well as exploration of topics such as immigration and social justice. Frequent writing assignments and speaking opportunities.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
C. McNally
Coreq: GRMST-201L.
Advisory: It is recommended that students have taken GRMST-101 and GRMST-102, or GRMST-103, or the equivalent. Incoming students who have not taken German at Mount Holyoke should take the placement exam to determine proper course level.

GRMST-205 Decentering Europe: An Introduction to Critical European Studies

Spring. Credits: 4

Europe embodies crossroads of multiple cultures, memories, migrations, and political demarcati ons. What remains of the ancient and modern regimes? How have global movements, historica l upheavals, and shifting boundaries within and adjacent to European borders, from early empir es to contemporary global networks, affected the transformation of lives? How do ideological pr ojects such as democracy, pluralism and fascism interact within Europe and the global scale? T aking a critical view of conventional paradigms of European nation states and "master" narrativ es, this course studies shifting European cultures and identities through multiple perspectives a cross time and space.

Crosslisted as: HIST-255DE
Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Multicultural Perspectives
Other Attribute(s): Writing-Intensive
C. McNally
Notes: Taught in English.

GRMST-213 The Gender of Yiddish

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

Yiddish and questions of gender have a long history. The language was called "mame-loshn" (mother tongue); it was associated with home and family. Jewish women were the primary intended readers of Yiddish, beginning with religious literature for those who could not read Hebrew and developing into a modern, secular, often moralizing literature. Despite the strong connections between Yiddish and women, women writers have been marginalized and underestimated. This course will explore the gendered history of Yiddish, including through the lens of queer theory. We will also read English translations of literature by modern Yiddish women writers who are being rediscovered today through new translations and scholarly attention.

Crosslisted as: JWST-213, GNDST-210YD
Applies to requirement(s): Humanities
M. Cohen
Notes: Taught in English.

GRMST-221 German Culture and Histories

Topics in German Culture and Histories examine historical, cultural, political and social developments that continue to frame debates surrounding German identity.

GRMST-221CW German Culture and Histories: 'Crafting Witches: Tracing the Historical Persecution of Racialized and Gendered Bodies Through Accusations of Witchcraft'

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

This course focuses on the persecution of people accused of witchcraft, beginning with European pagan religions and the spread of Christianity; the "Burning Times" in early modern Europe, and 17th-century New England. We examine the connections between the persecution of those accused of witchcraft and the oppression of colonized subjects through global perspectives, looking at aspects of persecution that illuminate broad ideas about race and gender that arose concurrently with colonization and capitalism. Course materials include readings and film examining witch persecutions from contemporary feminist and postcolonial perspectives.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
C. McNally
Prereq: GRMST-201.
Notes: Taught in German.

GRMST-221DE German Culture and Histories: 'Decolonial Approaches to German Culture'

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

This course revisits German cultural production (textual and visual representation) through the lens of decolonial practices. We explore how modes of power, transnational exchange, cultural upheaval, and constructions of identity from the mid-18th century to the present are represented in German-speaking realms, both real and imaginary. What role does colonialism play in shaping early and present-day German national identities? How do particular historical movements, events, and narratives create multifaceted constructions of race, gender, and ethnicities? We will address these questions and others through case studies of pivotal moments in German history.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language; Multicultural Perspectives
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
K. Remmler
Advisory: Recommended GRMST-201 or higher. Students who have not taken a German language course at Mount Holyoke are required to take the German Language Placement Exam.
Notes: Taught in German. Can be taken for 300-level credit with permission of instructor.

GRMST-221FT German Culture and Histories: 'Into the Woods: Magic and Mischief in European Folkloric Traditions'

Spring. Credits: 4

This course introduces students to the tradition of the German fairy tale and the development of the short story from the 19th century to the present. We will read and discuss fairy tales written by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Wilhelm Hauff, Ludwig Tieck, Adelbert von Chamisso as well as by contemporary authors such as Elfriede Jelinek, Yoko Tawada, and Kim De L'Horizon who incorporate fairy tales into their writings. We will engage with scholarship on fairy tales' oral and written transmissions, structures, meanings, and functions and analyze cinematic adaptations within the German speaking realm and beyond. Various interpretations of fairy tales will be explored, including their potential for social subversion through reinterpretation and rewriting.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
C. McNally
Prereq: GRMST-201 or equivalent.
Advisory: Upper-level students may take course for 300-level credit with permission of instructor. 300-level credit will require additional weekly meeting with instructor.
Notes: Taught in German.

GRMST-221GN German Culture and Histories: 'The Graphic Novel in Germany: Histories and Identities in Words and Pictures'

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

In this course we will read a selection of German-language graphic novels, including Nora Krug's 2018 Heimat: Ein deutsches Familienalbum, Birgit Weyhe's 2016 Madgermanes and Simon Schwartz's 1983 Drüben!. We focus on themes such as the representation of the Holocaust, reunification and migration and we examine the graphic novel as a unique literary genre that has garnered controversy in recent history. We will analyze the relationships between visual art and texts, as well as gain an understanding of how to read the graphic novel.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive
C. McNally
Coreq: GRMST-221L.
Advisory: GRMST-101, GRMST-102, and GRMST-201 or equivalent.
Notes: Taught in German.

GRMST-223 Topics in German Studies

Topics in German Studies provide students with an intensive study of major themes, issues, and paradigm shifts in German cultural studies.

GRMST-223AR Topics in German Studies: The Art and Science of Revolution in German Cultures from 1789 to the Present'

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

Revolutions are deeply embedded in cultural, economic, political, and environmental structure. Some are violent, some are peaceful; some evolve out of historical processes over long periods of time; and others emerge spontaneously without warning. Still others are material in nature, such as the industrial revolution or the end of the Berlin wall. The seminar explores the causes, forms, and impact of major revolutions in German cultures from the invention of the printing press to the most recent "Wende" that led to unification. Other revolutions include the French Revolution, the German Revolution of 1848, the founding of the Weimar Republic, and the student movement in 1968.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
K. Remmler
Advisory: Previous study of German, normally equivalent to 3 semesters of college German, or 3 or more years of high school German recommended.
Notes: Taught in German. May be taken for 300-level credit with permission of instructor.

GRMST-223FR Topics in German Studies: 'Fascism, Gender and Sexuality: Gender and Far-Right Movements in 20th Century Europe'

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

This course explores the use of gender in historical and contemporary fascist movements, examining the ways in which fascist movements construct images of "masculine" and "feminine" to shape ideology. We will look at the rhetoric of gender equity to enforce regression and oppression systems, and how these rhetorics are used as tools to enforce xenophobic and racist narratives against immigrants to the United States and Europe. This course will incorporate theoretical readings from political and social histories of 20th century Europe, gender and sexuality, as well as media sources like film, journalism and social media.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
C. McNally
Prereq: GRMST-221.
Notes: Taught in German.

GRMST-223MG Topics in German Studies: 'Migration and Belonging in German Cultures'

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

What does it mean to belong? Who gets to decide who belongs? This course will explore ideas on belonging in the German-speaking context from the perspectives of marginalized communities. Through close-readings and analyses of visual images, narratives, and films produced by or about the experiences of migrants, refugees and people of color in Germany from the 18th century to the present, this seminar re-imagines the German literary canon to include those voices that are typically marginalized in cultural discourse.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language; Multicultural Perspectives
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
C. McNally
Prereq: GRMST-201 or equivalent. Coreq: GRMST-223MGL.
Notes: Taught in German.

GRMST-231PM Topics in German and European Studies in a Global Context: 'In Conversation with the Past: The Politics and Problems of Memory'

Fall. Credits: 4

How should the site of a former concentration camp be preserved? Who designs a memorial? How are atrocities remembered in daily life and culture as well as on the political stage? This course will approach the subject of memory as a meeting point between the personal and political, by considering diverse modes of commemoration in Germany and the United States. While exploring how literature, visual media and political policy engage and shape individual and collective memory, our approach will be comparative and interdisciplinary with an emphasis on relevant social and cultural events. While the focus of this course will be on German history of the 20th century, students are encouraged to think comparatively about memory culture and politics on a global scale.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
C. McNally
Notes: Taught in English.

GRMST-295 Independent Study

Fall and Spring. Credits: 1 - 4

The department
Instructor permission required.

GRMST-325 Advanced Seminar in Transnational and Transdisciplinary German Studies

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

What constitutes contemporary German culture within global perspectives? How might we apply critical race theory, critical social theory, ethnic studies, and queer studies, in order to interpret trajectories of German cultures, histories, and memories? Building on interdisciplinary close-readings of German-speaking cultural production ranging from novels to documentary film, students develop a research topic that spans the humanities, sciences, and/or social sciences. Students may build on previous scholarly work in German studies and other disciplines, community-based learning, internships, and/or learning abroad to consider major concepts, issues, or problems in an original manner.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
K. Remmler
Prereq: Open to all students who have completed the equivalent of GRMST-223, have been placed into a 300-level course based on the placement exam, or with permission of the instructor.
Notes: Taught in German. Required seminar for German majors and highly recommended for minors.

GRMST-395 Independent Study

Fall and Spring. Credits: 1 - 8

The department
Instructor permission required.

Topics in German and European Studies in a Global Context 

GRMST-231 Topics in German and European Studies in a Global Context

An introduction to critical analysis of narrative and visual texts, cultural representation and production. Courses are taught in English.

GRMST-231HC Topics in German and European Studies in a Global Context: 'Remembering the Holocaust in Global Perspectives'

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

This seminar explores the impact of different cultural forms of remembering the Holocaust within a global perspective. At the same time that the European Holocaust continues to be remembered, subsequent genocides and related mass violence around the globe are being remembered through multiple forms of memorialization, such as art, film, memorials, and narratives that mirror particular material and virtual forms of remembering the Holocaust. We explore how the interrelationship between Holocaust remembrance and other atrocities drives discussions about subsequent genocides, current antisemitism and racism, and forms of remembering violence.

Crosslisted as: JWST-225HC
Applies to requirement(s): Humanities
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
K. Remmler
Notes: Taught in English. Students interested in developing their German language speaking skills in conjunction with this course are encouraged to enroll in the 2-credit discussion section GRMST-295-02.

GRMST-231HH Topics in German and European Studies in a Global Context: 'The Habsburgs, Hitler, and the Law'

Fall. Credits: 4

This course explores the complex, often comic, and ultimately tragic history of Bohemia, a territory located today in the Czech Republic, but previously a part of the Habsburg Monarchy, then of Czechoslovakia, and then of Hitler's Third Reich. Students will complement historical studies with autobiographical material and contemporary fiction, beginning with the Revolution of 1848, progressing through the achievements and worrisome trends of Emperor Francis Joseph's 68-year reign, and concluding with the world wars. Emphasis on the interplay among Czechs, Germans, Jews, and other pivotal players: the House of Habsburg and its supporters, and the political elites of neighboring countries.

Crosslisted as: HIST-260HH, JWST-225HH
Applies to requirement(s): Humanities
J. King

GRMST-231TR Topics in German and European Studies in A Global Context: 'Translation Theory and Practice in Jewish Literature'

Fall. Credits: 4

This course examines translation as a mode of cultural transmission, creativity, and theoretical inquiry for Jewish literature and thought. Topics include: translation as a means of mediating access to the sacred; women's roles as readers and creators of translations; enduring debates about what may be "lost" in translation; and whether translation into "Global English" helps or hurts the survival of literatures in Yiddish, Ladino, and other minoritized languages. Students put theory into practice by reading translations of Jewish literature critically and comparatively and by producing their own translations.

Crosslisted as: JWST-219, ENGL-217TJ
Applies to requirement(s): Humanities
M. Cohen

GRMST-231YN Topics in German and European Studies In a Global Context: 'Yiddish Nation: Language as Homeland'

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

For roughly 1000 years Ashkenazi Jewish culture has existed in exile. Since these stateless people were living in diaspora, without a sovereign territory, the Yiddish language itself became a symbolic homeland. This course will explore how some Yiddish-speaking Jews embraced their stateless existence not as a historic tragedy but as a revolutionary form of identity called diaspora nationalism. We will explore Yiddish cultural identity through literature, music, film, and politics. We will read works of history and cultural theory and seek points of intersection with other migrant, refugee, stateless, and diasporic cultures.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities
M. Cohen
Notes: All readings will be in English, prior knowledge of Yiddish is not required.