Academic Representatives:

Margaretmary Daley, Associate Professor of German
Office: Guilford 303
216-368-2303

Susanne Vees-Gulani, Assistant Professor in Comparative Literature and German.
Office: Guilford 104
216-368-2870

Peter Jianhua Yang, Associate Professor of German, Chinese and Comparative Literature
Office: Guilford 307
216-368-2234

GRMN 101. Elementary German I. 4 Units.
Introductory course emphasizing conversational skills. Students achieve control of the sound system and basic sentence structures of spoken and written German. Students must use the course material offered by the Online Language Learning Center in addition to class meetings.

GRMN 102. Elementary German II. 4 Units.
Continuation of GRMN 101, emphasizing conversational skills. Prereq: GRMN 101 or equivalent.

GRMN 201. Intermediate German I. 4 Units.
Emphasizes both language and culture and is taught in German. Review of grammar and usage of German while studying texts and videotapes which focus on contemporary life in Germany. Prereq: GRMN 102 or equivalent.

GRMN 202. Intermediate German II. 4 Units.
Continuation of GRMN 201; conducted in German. Study of texts and videotapes which focus on contemporary life in Germany. Prereq: GRMN 201 or equivalent.

GRMN 303. German Culture & Civilization. 3 Units.
Examines aspects of contemporary Germany, including political and social systems and cultural life through seminar discussions of texts, films, and other media. Along with oral presentations and essay tests, students must select a research topic of interest to the discipline and write an analytic essay in German on the topic. Prereq: GRMN 202.

GRMN 308. The Munich Experience: Spring Course/Summer Study Advanced Level. 3 Units.
A semester seminar class, conducted in German, which culminates with a three-week immersion learning experience spent living and studying in Munich. Students reside with German families, study German daily in a formal setting, and practice comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. Regular visits to museums, galleries, and cultural events; first-hand observation of history, life, and architecture of a major cultural center; day trips to cultural phenomena and events in the German countryside. Prereq or Coreq: GRMN 202 or equivalent.

GRMN 310. Advanced German Reading and Composition. 3 Units.
An advanced-level skills course focusing on reading and writing for students who have already studied intermediate German. Develops abilities to read authentic, unabridged texts, such as contemporary newspaper and magazine articles; readings increase progressively in length and vary in genre. Also practices composition skills by composing academic prose such as objective summaries, reviews, precis, letters, short creative texts, and analytic written forms such as short essays to produce increasingly sophisticated analytical compositions in German. Includes instruction on use of English- and German-language research tools, German-German dictionaries, and study guides. Taught in German. Prereq: GRMN 202 or equivalent.

GRMN 311. Advanced Conversation. 3 Units.
Students work to improve fluency in spoken German. Topics include contemporary issues; current vocabulary is stressed. Students practice using speech appropriate to various situations. Prereq: GRMN 202 or equivalent.

GRMN 312. German Proficiency Through Drama. 3 Units.
Readings begin with single scenes and progress to full length radio plays and theater plays which gradually increase in linguistic difficulty and complexity of central themes. Introduction to the elements of drama such as dialogue, character and dramatic structure, as well as the genres of tragedy, comedy, and tragicomedy. Focus: effective communication of critical, interpretative, and analytic ideas in discussion and in writing. Prereq: GRMN 202 or equivalent.

GRMN 313. Intro to German Literature. 3 Units.
Introduction to German literature and the cultural issues it addresses. Readings include the main literary and folk genres (short texts or excerpts), gradually increasing in linguistic difficulty and complexity of central themes. They cover the major literary periods from the 18th to the 21st centuries. Focus: effective communication of critical, interpretative, and analytic ideas in discussion and in writing. Prereq: GRMN 202 or equivalent.

GRMN 315. Business German. 3 Units.
This course is taught in German. It is designed to enhance students’ German listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills through a variety of activities. It also aims at developing students’ cross-cultural awareness and communicative competence in the specialized field of German for Business and Economics in an increasingly global workplace. The course will explore German demography and economic geography; the European Union, the Euro, and Germany’s role in this union; German economic systems, industries, banking systems, advertising and sales, transportation and tourism; Germany’s corporate culture, industrial relations, codetermination in German companies, etc. Prereq: GRMN 202 or equivalent.

GRMN 320. Topics in Narrative. 3 Units.
This course examines representative prose works (tales, novellas, short novels, letters, and essays) chosen to present reactions and impressions to social and aesthetic conditions in German-speaking countries and to introduce students to different styles and varieties of German prose. Prereq: One 300-level GRMN course.

GRMN 326. Witches, Weddings, and Wolves. 3 Units.
Intensive study of German Folk Tales as collected and altered by the Brothers Grimm. The Maerchen as both children’s and adult literature. Prereq: One 300-level GRMN course.

GRMN 330. Topics in German Cinema. 3 Units.
Overview of German Cinema from the beginning to the present. Film selection representative of major directors, major periods (such as expressionism or The New German Cinema), particular themes from different historical perspectives, and literature in film. All films are in German. Taught in German. Prereq: One 300-level GRMN course.

GRMN 340. Topics in German Drama. 3 Units.
Overview of German drama from the beginning to the present. Explores German plays by applying different disciplinary approaches such as historical, cultural, and literary analyses. All plays are in German. Taught in German. Prereq: One 300-level GRMN course.

GRMN 350. Topics in German Lyric. 3 Units.
This course presents a detailed study of German lyric through the frequent writing of critical papers and literary analysis of the formal elements of poetry: rhyme schemes, diction, meter, figures of speech. The poems selected cover a variety of styles, a range of historical periods, and a sampling of authors. Readings and discussions in German. Prereq: One 300-level GRMN course.

GRMN 360. Topics in Major German Authors. 3 Units.
Concentrates on a specific author or small group of authors within an aesthetic or historical context, for example: Goethe, Heine, Bachmann, Junges Deutschland, or die Gruppe 47. Examines the breadth of themes and styles and may include literary, philosophical, biographical, and other kinds of texts. Readings and discussions in German. Prereq: One 300-level GRMN course.

GRMN 365. German Literature in Translation. 3 Units.
Goethe defined “World Literature” (Weltliteratur) as “Intellectual Trade Relations” (geistiger Handelsverkehr). This course gives students the opportunity to study German literary works in translation and thus to trade intellectual relations with a literary culture previously unknown to them. Counts toward the German major only as a related course. No knowledge of German required. Offered as GRMN 365 and WLIT 365.

GRMN 367. German Classicism/Romanticism. 3 Units.
Selected works of Goethe, Schiller, Hoelderlin, von Kleist, and others. Prereq: One 300-level GRMN course.

GRMN 370. Topics in Literary Periods. 3 Units.
Overview of German literary periods from the beginning to the present. Explores German literary works in all three major genres from the historical, social, and literary perspectives. All works are in German. Taught in German. Prereq: One 300-level GRMN course.

GRMN 380. Topics in Advanced German Culture Studies. 3 Units.
Exploration of the culture of the arts, political culture, and the cultural self-expression of the German-speaking countries from their beginnings to the present. Focus: The cultural changes within certain historical periods. Examination of particular aspects such as culture as mass deception in fascist Germany and the GDR, the reflection of contemporary culture in literature and cinema, problems of cultural identity and multiculturalism, and the role of postmodern culture industry and the critical discourse today. Taught in German. Prereq: One 300-level GRMN course.

GRMN 395. Special Topics in German Literature. 3 Units.
For majors and advanced students upon presentation of a written plan of investigation. Consent of department required. Prereq: One 300-level GRMN course.

GRMN 396. Senior Capstone – German. 3 Units.
The Senior Capstone in German in an independent study project chosen in consultation with a capstone advisor. The capstone project should reflect both the student’s interest within German and/or German studies and the courses he or she has taken to fulfill the major. The project requires independent research using and approved bibliography and plan of action. In addition to written research, the student will also present the capstone project in a public forum that agreed upon by the project advisor and the students. Prereq: Senior status required. Major in German required.

GRMN 397. Honors Thesis I. 3 Units.
Intensive study of a literary, linguistic, or cultural topic with a faculty member, leading to the writing of a research paper in German. Limited to senior majors. Permit required. Prereq: One 300-level GRMN course.

GRMN 398. Honors Thesis II. 3 Units.
Continuation of GRMN 397. Limited to senior majors. Permit required. Prereq: GRMN 397.

GRMN 399. Independent Study in German. 1 – 3 Unit.
For majors and advanced students under special circumstances. Permit required.