| CODE | GRM2061 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | German History and Culture | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | German | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will introduce students to modern German history and culture and is open both to students of German and of all faculties as well as the general public. The range of topics includes German colonialism, the First World War and the Weimar Republic, National Socialism and the Second World War, the German Democratic Republic and the Cold War. The study-unit will provide an overview of key dates and important social and political developments. A central focus will be on how historical events are remembered and how they are still relevant to contemporary German society. Through a cultural studies approach general connections between memory, identity, and culture will be analysed critically. In this way, the study-unit will also address the role of cultural memory in the construction of cultural identities. In this context, a range of examples, from films to street signs and from poems to architecture, can be explored to shed light on how historical events are represented in contemporary German society. Students will also be encouraged to select their own examples and propose their own case studies. No knowledge of German is required. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit aims to - enhance participants' understanding of modern German history and culture; - improve students’ general ability to understand current events in German politics and society; - introduce students to a number of fundamental concepts from cultural studies; - foster analytical abilities and critical thinking by studying the complex phenomena and sometimes contentious issues connected with the construction of cultural identities. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - demonstrate knowledge about important events and developments in modern German history and their importance for contemporary German society; - understand fundamental concepts of cultural studies relating to memory, identity, and culture. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - apply the notion of “cultural memory” in the context of contemporary social phenomena and discourses in Germany; - critically analyse representations of historical events and periods: - reflect on the role of historical memory in the construction of collective identities; - develop a self-directed case study within the framework of the course syllabus. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Assmann, Jan (2001): Cultural Memory and Early Civilization: Writing, Remembrance, and Political Imagination. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Boyle, Nicolas (2008): German Literature: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. - Fulbrook, Mary (2019): A Concise History of Germany. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - McGregor, Neil: Germany: Memories of a Nation. London: Penguin 2016. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Elisabeth Birk |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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