| CODE | GRM5116 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Breaking with Traditions and the Beginnings of Mass Culture: German Modernism in Context | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | German | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | German culture of the Modernist period is an especially interesting and fascinating field as well as partly a shocking one. With revolutionary changes in the history of ideas and in politics, but also with the looming advent of the National Socialist ‘Third Reich’, it offers important insights into the development of a Modern society, and into the beginnings of mass culture, its possibilities and dangers, culminating in the mass movement of the Nazi party. The study-unit thus offers a historical approach to the question of mass/popular cultures - from conformity, control and commodification to subversive potentials. Studying the ‘high culture’ of German Modernism, it can be observed how concepts of the radically new are related to the traditions they are breaking from, and how the growing presence of mass media is reflected in cultural productions. Popular culture and literary tradition thus are both present in the works studied: central literary texts (mainly novels) and films of German Modernism, which had a significant resonance within European culture. These examples will be discussed within the context of larger developments in cultural history in Europe. As a background, important philosophical ideas of the period will be studied as radical departures from traditional concepts and as reflections on the Modern situation and the development of mass society and culture: Nietzsche’s critique of man as ‘herd animal’, Marx's and Engels' analysis of capitalist society, the proletarian masses and mass production and Freud's mass psychology. Students will thus put into practice analytical skills pertaining to philosophical and literary texts as well as films, they will broaden their knowledge of historical developments and gain insights into Modern society as it still prevails. Study-unit Aims - The study-unit aims at enhancing students' knowledge of an important period in European history: Modernism, with a focus on German cultural history. It will develop students' insight into the rise of mass cultures in this period, as well as the Modernist urge to break from traditions. - It is also designed to develop students' skills in academic research: critical reading of secondary literature will be encouraged, and students will be guided in the task of finding their own angle on the issues studied. - Presentation and debating skills will be developed within the seminars. Learning Outcomes 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - critically analyse films and literary texts. - reflect on a crucial period in European cultural history. - demonstrate insights into the Modernist period in Germany and the development of mass culture. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - demonstrate academic presentation and debating skills. - demonstrate skills in the critical analysis of literary texts and films as well as secondary literature. - reflect critically on the Modern period: Since we - arguably - still live in this period, a historical understanding of significant developments of this period is designed to encourage students' self-reflection on our current situation, culturally, politically, economically and socially, thus contributing to a critical self awareness. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings Main Texts: - Extracts from: - Friedrich Nietzsche, Thoughts out of Season. - Karl Marx/Friedrich Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party. - Sigmund Freud, Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego. - Heinrich Mann, Man of Straw. Trans by Ernest Boyd. London: Penguin Books, 1984. - Alfred Döblin, Berlin Alexanderplatz: The Story of Franz Biberkopf. Trans by Eugene Jolas. London/New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2004. - Ernst Toller, Hoppla, We're Alive! In: Ernst Toller, Plays One: Transformation, Masses Man, Hoppla, We're Alive!. Ed. and trans by Alan Raphael Pearlman. London: Oberon, 2000. Films: - Robert Wiene, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. - Fritz Lang, Metropolis. - Leni Riefenstahl, Triumph of the Will. Supplementary Reading: - Rob Burns (ed.), German cultural studies: an introduction. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1995. - Katharina von Ankum (ed.), Women in the metropolis: gender and modernity in Weimar culture. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997. - Anton Kaes, Shell shock cinema: Weimar culture and the wounds of war. Princeton, N.J. ; Woodstock : Princeton University Press, 2011. - Stephen Brockman, A Critical History of German Film. New York: Camden House, 2010. - Andreas Huyssen, After the Great Divide: Modernism, Mass Culture, Postmodernism. Bloomington: Indiana University Press , 1987. - Nicholas Saul, Philosophy and German Literature, 1700-1990. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | |||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Kathrin Schoedel |
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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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