Berlin and the Culture of Democracy (230-0-1)
Instructors
Anna Parkinson
847/467-5173
1880 Campus Drive, Kresge Hall, Rm 3321, Evanston
Office Hours: By appointment
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-410: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
This class aims to introduce students to the history and culture of Berlin from 1900 to the present. Drawing on a wide range of media, from literature through film to music, the class concentrates on a series of transformative moments in German cultural history seen through the prism of Berlin. Students will engage with the varied historical, socio-political, and artistic changes in German culture throughout the twentieth century, including the vibrant and provocative culture of the 1920s and early 1930s, with a focus on changing forms of gender identity (the "New Woman") and sexual subcultures (as in the film Cabaret). Further, students will examine the everyday and extraordinary history of German-Jews in Germany around the caesura of the Jewish genocide executed by the National Socialists. After examining the megalomaniacal plans that the Nazis made for Berlin, the class turns to the devastated city of 1945 and the divided city of the Cold War, where the conflict between "East" and "West" emerges in the "concrete" form of the Berlin Wall. The final weeks concentrate on the events surrounding the collapse of the Wall and the creation of the Berlin Republic. Students will also encounter the changing face of national culture in light of the migration of the so-called Turkish "guest workers" of the post-War years, particularly through the art of later generations of Turkish-German authors and filmmakers in Berlin. In addition to reading major works of 20th-century literature, students will engage with visual media, in particular film, photography, and other visual art, to acquire a sense of the breathtaking scope of change in the urban context peculiar to twentieth century Berlin. When possible, field trips to Berlin-related events in larger Chicago will be an integral part of the syllabus. This course will demonstrate why cosmopolitan Berlin continues to attract attention and remains a magnetic international destination with a biography and personality all its own.
This course is taught in English
Learning Objectives
• Evaluate and discuss twentieth-century German (central European) history, beginning with the years immediately preceding WWI and ending with contemporary Berlin
• Elaborate different approaches to the metropolis of Berlin in the context of cosmopolitanism
• Critically articulate diverse representations of gender and sexuality in the urban context of twentieth century Berlin
• Examine the history of minority communities in Berlin (Jewish and Turkish in particular)
•.Define cultural shifts in the arts of the twentieth century in the context of Berlin
• Articulate and critique changes in the media landscape with the development of modern technologies of mass reproduction via photography, sound recordings, and films associated with Berlin
Teaching Method
Lecture
Evaluation Method
Attendance
Class participation
Discussion section
Exams
Homework
Papers
Peer assessment
Quizzes
Readings
Writing assignments
Class Materials (Required)
* David Clay Large, Berlin. Basic Books. 2007. ISBN: 978-0465026463 $33.00 (new on amazon.com)
* Irmgard Keun, The Artificial Silk Girl. Other Press, 2011. (ISBN: 978-1590514542) $21.00 (new on amazon.com)
Class Attributes
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area
Interdisciplinary Distro-rules apply
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area