German and German Studies (Bi-Co)

Department Website:
https://www.haverford.edu/german

The Bryn Mawr Department of German and German Studies is the Bryn Mawr section of the Bi-College German Department and offers a fully coordinated program of courses with the Haverford College Department of German. By drawing upon the expertise of the German faculty at both colleges, the Department has established a broadly conceived German Studies program, incorporating a variety of courses that lay the foundation for a critical understanding of German-speaking cultures in their contemporary global context and their larger political, social, and intellectual history.

The program aims, by means of various methodological approaches to the study of foreign languages and cultures, to foster critical thinking, expository and analytical writing skills, understanding of the diversity of cultures, and the ability to respond creatively to the challenges posed by cultural difference in an increasingly global world.

A thorough knowledge of German is required for our majors and minors. Our language instruction challenges students from the elementary level to become critical consumers of authentic media and skilled in all modes of communication. Cross-disciplinary course offerings reflect both the breadth and depth of our curriculum and support the academic and professional goals of our students. German majors can and are encouraged to take courses and cultivate interests in interdisciplinary areas, such as comparative literature, film, gender and sexuality studies, growth and structure of cities, health studies, history, history of art, music, philosophy, and political science that engage with German thought.

Department Learning Goals

The Bi-College German Department aims, through the study of German language, culture, and literature, to foster:

  • a thorough knowledge of German language
  • critical thinking
  • expository writing skills
  • the mastery of critical theories and methodologies, crucial for the analysis of cultural artifacts and media
  • the ability to respond intellectually and creatively to the challenges posed by cultural difference in an increasingly multicultural and global world
  • interdisciplinary connections that reflect breadth and depth of the study of German

Haverford’s Institutional Learning Goals are available on the President’s website, at http://hav.to/learninggoals.

Curriculum

A thorough knowledge of German is a goal for both major concentrations. The objective of our language instruction is to teach students communicative skills that enable them to function effectively in authentic conditions of language use and to speak and write in idiomatic German. A major component of all German courses is the examination of issues that underline the cosmopolitanism as well as the specificity and complexity of contemporary German culture. German majors can and are encouraged to take courses in interdisciplinary areas, such as comparative literature, film, gender and sexuality studies, growth and structure of cities, history, history of art, music, philosophy, and political science, where they read works of criticism in these areas in the original German. Courses relating to any aspect of German culture, history, and politics given in other departments can count toward requirements for the major or minor.

Major Requirements

The Department of German and German Studies offers a major and a minor. A German major consists of 10 credits. After completing GERM H002 (or its equivalent), the German major normally requires:

  • two intermediate German courses (GERM H101 and GERM H102);

  • seven courses at the 200 and 300 level

  • either one semester of Senior Conference (GERM H399) for majors opting to write a German senior thesis or an additional 300 level seminar in German for double majors writing a senior essay instead of a senior thesis.

Students who place out of 101 and 102 and begin their studies at the 200 level are still required to take 10 credits to fulfill the major requirements. Two of the seven courses at the 200 or 300 level could be non-German credit in the broader area of German Studies with the approval of the department.

The Department of German and German Studies offers writing attentive and writing intensive courses. Majors are required to take two writing attentive courses to help them develop critical writing skills and the ability to analyze literary texts in their historical and cultural contexts.

All German majors must take at least one 200 and one 300 level course in the Bi-Co German Department. For students studying abroad for one semester, up to four courses may count toward the major. For students studying abroad for an entire academic year, up to six courses may count toward the major. Approval from the department is required for awarding credits from abroad.

Senior Thesis Project

A senior thesis project is required for all German majors. There are four options available to German majors and double majors to serve as meaningful capstones to their studies:

  1. A senior thesis (around 40 pages) in German.

  2. A combined thesis (40 + pages) written in English for double majors in a related discipline with a strong German Studies component. A combined thesis has to be approved by the department.

  3. A senior essay (20 pages) for double majors, which grows out of a research paper produced in a 300 level seminar. Students pursing this option will not take the Senior Conference and instead will take an additional 300 level seminar.

  4. A project, which may be either a 15-20-minute film or an exhibition with a portfolio and summary in German. The content of the project and portfolio should be equivalent to a 40-page research paper in German.

Senior Thesis Presentation

At the conclusion of their senior year, all majors are expected to participate in a public presentation of their thesis projects. Minors are invited and encouraged to present on a project they have done in their upper-level German coursework.

Senior Project Learning Goals

In writing the senior thesis, the student should:

  • conceive a theoretically informed and well-designed research project

  • apply the language skills to research and evaluate primary and secondary materials

  • utilize the analytical and methodological skills to produce an innovative and critically astute thesis

  • hone analytical and expository writing skills through all stages of composing the thesis project

Assessment of Senior Thesis

The quality of the thesis is evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

  • originality of topic

  • mastery of analysis (ability to perform a critical analysis of texts or cultural phenomena)

  • familiarity with primary and secondary literature

  • creative application of relevant theoretical discourses

  • clarity of writing

Honors

Any student whose grade point average in the major at the end of their senior year is 3.8 or higher qualifies for departmental honors. Students who have completed a thesis and whose major grade point average at the end of the senior year is 3.6 or higher, but not 3.8, are eligible to be discussed as candidates for departmental honors. A student in this range of eligibility must be sponsored by at least one faculty member with whom she has done coursework, and at least one other faculty member must read some of the student's advanced work and agree on the excellence of the work in order for departmental honors to be awarded. If there is a sharp difference of opinion, additional readers will serve as needed.

Minor Requirements

A minor in German and German Studies consists of six credits. To minor, students are normally required to take:

  • two Intermediate German courses (GERM H101 and GERM H102)

  • four German courses at the 200 and 300 level

If students are placed at the 200 level, they must take additional German courses at and above 200 level to fulfill the 6-credit requirement.

Concentrations and Interdisciplinary Minors

The German department with its cross-disciplinary curriculum is a regular contributor to the Comparative Literature program, Gender and Sexuality Studies, the Cities program, as well as African and Africana Studies.

College Foreign Language Requirement

The College's foreign language requirement may be satisfied by the completion of two courses in German with an average grade of at least 2.0.

Study Abroad

Students majoring in German are encouraged to spend some time in German-speaking countries over the course of their undergraduate studies. Various possibilities include:

  • summer intensive German language programs

  • summer courses at German universities funded by DAAD (German Academic Exchange) scholarships and the Thomas Raeburn White Scholarship

  • select semester and year-long study abroad programs including the Junior Year Abroad in Munich or IES Programs in Berlin and Freiburg.

Affiliated Faculty

Imke Brust
Associate Professor and Chair of German

Michael Burri
Visiting Assistant Professor of German

Faculty at Bryn Mawr

Michael Burri
Visiting Assistant Professor of German

Qinna Shen
Associate Professor and Chair of German

Margaret Strair
Lecturer in German and German Studies

Courses at Haverford

GERM H001  ELEMENTARY GERMAN  (1.0 Credit)

Michael Burri

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)

Meets five hours a week with the individual class instructor, one hour with student drill instructors. Strong emphasis on communicative competence both in spoken and written German in a larger cultural context. This is a year-long course; both semesters (001 and 002) are required for credit.

(Offered: Fall 2024)

GERM H002  ELEMENTARY GERMAN  (1.0 Credit)

Michael Burri

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)

Meets five hours a week with the individual class instructor, one hour with student drill instructors. Strong emphasis on communicative competence both in spoken and written German in a larger cultural context. This is a year-long course; both semesters (001 and 002) are required for credit.

(Offered: Spring 2025)

GERM H101  INTERMEDIATE GERMAN  (1.0 Credit)

Margaret Strair

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)

Meets three hours a week with the individual class instructor, one hour with student drill instructor. Thorough review of grammar, exercises in composition and conversation. Enforcement of correct grammatical patterns and idiomatic use of language. Study of selected literary and cultural texts and films from German-speaking countries. Two semesters.

(Offered: Fall 2024)

GERM H102  INTERMEDIATE GERMAN  (1.0 Credit)

Imke Brust

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)

Meets three hours a week with the individual class instructor, one hour with student drill instructor. Thorough review of grammar, exercises in composition and conversation. Enforcement of correct grammatical patterns and idiomatic use of language. Study of selected literary and cultural texts and films from German-speaking countries. Two semesters.

(Offered: Spring 2025)

GERM H201  ADVANCED TRAINING: LANGUAGE, TEXT, AND CONTEXT  (1.0 Credit)

Imke Brust

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts); B: Analysis of the Social World

This course is intended for students who wish to refine their speaking, writing, and reading skills beyond the Intermediate level. Designed as a comprehensive introduction to modern German culture, we will discuss a variety of literary, political, historical and philosophical texts, including feature films and video materials. Weekly grammar reviews will complement these activities.

(Offered: Fall 2024)

GERM H202  ADVANCED TRAINING: INTRO. TO GERMAN STUDIES  (1.0 Credit)

Margaret Strair

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)

This course is intended for students who wish to refine their speaking, writing, and reading skills beyond the Intermediate level. Designed as a comprehensive introduction to modern German culture, we will discuss a variety of literary, political, historical and philosophical texts, including feature films and video materials. Weekly grammar reviews will complement these activities.

(Offered: Spring 2025)

GERM H210  THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE - IMMIGRATION AND IMAGES OF A CHANGING CITY  (1.0 Credit)

Imke Brust

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)

The course will engage with the history of Philadelphia as an immigrant city and look at the ways in which the different neighborhoods have changed over time. More specifically, it will highlight aspects of Philadelphia’s early German-speaking community, which made up about 45% of the city’s total residents in 1760 and about 33% in 1800 (Minardi). For example, Germantown, Brewerytown, and Olney were at some point primarily German-speaking neighborhoods, which then became primarily African-American, and in the case of Olney, Asian-American. Our analysis would scrutinize how the city demographically and visually transformed by looking at different maps, images, paintings etc. Furthermore, the course would also explore what attracted the various populations to the city at different historic times. In collaboration with HIAS, StoriesthatLive and Puentes de Salud, we would study how European Jews and Latin-Americans found refuge in the city of brotherly love. Initially, the Pennsylvania German Society of Philadelphia was also created in 1764, to help German speaking immigrants in need. Students will create a short film project about a person, who chose to immigrate to and found home in Philadelphia. Moreover, the course would touch on how the different populations perceived each other at different historic moments. For example, German speaking people often took on a mediating role between Native Americans and Anglo-Saxons in the early years of the United States. Our course materials would consist of a mix of biographical, historical, literary and art material. The course, which will be taught in English, is open to both German and non-German speakers. There will be an extra session in German for students taking it for German credit. This class will be taught in Philadelphia as part of the Tri-Co Philly Program Prerequisite(s): Priority in registration will be given to students participating in the Tri-Co Philly Program (https://www.haverford.edu/philly-program). Remaining seats are available to other Tri-Co students, by lottery, if demand exceeds remaining spaces in the course. If you are interested in the program, you must fill out the application, which is due on Friday, October 28 at 11:59 pm. The program includes registering for the program’s core course, Popular Music and Media (GMST 026/FMST 026/LITR 026/ MUSI 005E), and either this course, City of Brotherly Love: Images of a Changing City (GERM H210) OR Contemporary Art and Film (HART B380).Those not participating in the Philly program do not need to complete the application and can simply pre-register for the class

GERM H215  SINN UND WAHNSINN: LITERATUR, KUNST UND MEDIZIN IM 18. UND 19. JAHRHUNDERT  (1.0 Credit)

Margaret Strair

Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts); B: Analysis of the Social World

The seminar is designed to give a broad overview of the various aesthetic trends which have shaped contemporary German-speaking literature. Focusing on representative works--including prose, drama, and poetry--this course will retrace and engage with the historical role of literature in the German speaking world over time, and access the importance of German literature in the current era of globalization and mass communication. Taught in German.

GERM H223  VISUALIZING NATIONS: AFRICA AND EUROPE  (1.0 Credit)

Imke Brust

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts); B: Analysis of the Social World

This course will explore ideas of nation-building in regard to the transnational relations between Europe and Africa. We will discuss African and European experiences of nation-creation to distinguish between exclusionary and inclusionary visions of nation states, and focus in particular on literary texts from Great Britain, Germany, and France in comparison with literary texts from Nigeria, South Africa, and Algeria.

(Offered: Fall 2024)

GERM H305  MODERN GERMAN DRAMA - A MORAL COMPASS?  (1.0 Credit)

Imke Brust

Division: Humanities

In 1784 Friedrich Schiller started a discussion about theater as a moral institution. With this in mind, this course will provide an overview of the historical development of drama within the German-speaking world and also explore foreign influences on German drama. We will read and watch a variety of different plays from Lessing to Jelinek, and engage with different theatrical genres: classical, epic, documentary, absurd, and feminist theater. In addition, we will discuss the function of the institutionalization of theater within the German national imaginary, with a particular focus on gender and race. This course is taught in German.

(Offered: Fall 2024)

GERM H320  IMPOSSIBLE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE HOLOCAUST IN GERMAN DRAMA AND FILM  (1.0 Credit)

Imke Brust

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts); B: Analysis of the Social World

This course will provide a historical overview of the Holocaust, its origins, process, and outcomes, and how it has served as a mental map for the construction of contemporary German national identity. In this context, we will explore such topics as notions of memory, collective guilt, trauma, and mourning. In addition, the course will critically engage issues of portrayal and representation of historical memory within the context of Holocaust commemoration by discussing several different plays and films that can be contextualized within the German Vergangenheitsaufarbeitung (working through the past) and more recently ‘memory contests’. Lastly, this course will also explore the tragedy and remembrance of the Holocaust as a transnational phenomenon in the contemporary world. The course is taught in English with an extra session in German. Cross-listed: German, Comparative Literature

GERM H321  TOPICS GERM LIT: 1919 - 2019  (1.0 Credit)

Imke Brust

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)

Crosslisted: German, Comparative Literature

(Offered: Spring 2025)

GERM H399  SENIOR CONFERENCE  (1.0 Credit)

Imke Brust

Division: Humanities

All of our majors are required to write a senior thesis in German, or—if they are double majors—to produce a thesis in a related discipline that has significant overlap with their work in German. They typically take a 300-level seminar in fall and write a research term paper which often becomes the foundation for their senior project. In the spring semester they take the mandatory senior conference consisting of weekly meetings and discussions of thesis proposals and drafts with their advisor(s). In writing the senior thesis, the student should demonstrate a) the capacity to conceive a theoretically informed and well designed research project b) the language skills to research and evaluate primary and secondary materials and to effectively synthesize these, and c) the analytical and methodological skills to produce an innovative and critically astute thesis.

(Offered: Spring 2025)

Courses at Bryn Mawr

GERM B001  ELEMENTARY GERMAN  (1.0 Credit)

Margaret Strair

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)

Meets five hours a week with the individual class instructor, and one additional hour with a TA. This course is designed for students with no previous knowledge of German and will provide them with ample training across all modes of communication to develop their language competence in speaking, reading, listening, and writing. This course will cover an overview of German grammar and vocabulary that will allow students to talk about themselves and a variety of familiar and everyday topics, hold basic conversations, and describe events in the past while exploring contemporary life in German-speaking countries.

(Offered: Fall 2024)

GERM B002  ELEMENTARY GERMAN  (1.0 Credit)

Margaret Strair

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)

Meets five hours a week with the class instructor, and one additional hour with a TA. This course is designed as a continuation of 001, building on all skills and topics covered in the first semester. Strong emphasis on communicative competence both in spoken and written German in a larger cultural context and expanding learners’ understanding of key aspects of contemporary life in German-speaking countries and selected literary genres. Prerequisite: GERM 001 or its equivalent as decided by the department and/or placement tes

(Offered: Spring 2025)

GERM B101  INTERMEDIATE GERMAN  (1.0 Credit)

Qinna Shen

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)

Meets three hours per week with the course instructor, and one additional hour with a TA. This course is designed to improve students’ reading, speaking, listening, and writing skills through a thorough review of grammar and completion of exercises in composition and conversation. Study of selected literary and cultural texts and films will allow students to explore connections between language and culture and hone their communication skills. By engaging with authentic texts and materials, students will also explore the topography and recent history of contemporary Germany as visualized in the dynamic cityscapes across Germany and German-speaking countries. Prerequisite: Completion of GERM 002 or its equivalent as decided by the department and/or placement test.

(Offered: Fall 2024)

GERM B102  INTERMEDIATE GERMAN  (1.0 Credit)

Qinna Shen

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)

Meets three hours per week with the course instructor, and one additional hour with a TA. This course is the continuation of GERM 101,. We will concentrate on all four language skills--speaking, reading, writing, and listening comprehension and build on the knowledge that gained in the elementary-level courses and then honed in the previous semester. Study of a variety of authentic media and literary texts on course topics prepare students for advanced coursework in German. Prerequisite: GERM 101 or its equivalent as decided by the department and/or placement test.

(Offered: Spring 2025)

GERM B201  ADVANCED TRAINING: LANGUAGE, TEXT, CONTEXT  (1.0 Credit)

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)

Emphasis on the development of conversational, writing and interpretive skills through an introductory study of German political, cultural and intellectual life and history, including public debate, institutional practices, mass media, cross-cultural currents, folklore, fashion and advertising. Taught in German. Course content may vary. Current topic description: This course considers German-language works that focus on women's experiences and recollections of major historical events of the 20th- and 21st centuries, such as the turn of the century, the post-war period, division of Germany and multiculturalism. Selected works include television, film, dramas and short stories such as the Netflix series Charité (2017), Friedrich Dürrenmatt's Der Besuch der alten Dame (1956), Claudia Rusch's collection of short stories Meine freie deutsche Jugend (2005), and works from May Ayim, Yoko Tawada and Emine Özdamar.

GERM B202  INTRODUCTION TO GERMAN STUDIES  (1.0 Credit)

Staff

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)

This is a topics course. Topics may vary.

GERM B217  REPRESENTING DIVERSITY IN GERMAN CINEMA  (1.0 Credit)

Qinna Shen

German society has undergone drastic changes as a result of immigration. Traditional notions of Germanness have been and are still being challenged and subverted. This course uses films and visual media to examine the experiences of various minority groups living in Germany. Students will learn about the history of immigration of different ethnic groups, including Turkish Germans, Afro-Germans, Asian Germans, Arab Germans, German Jews, and ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe. We will explore discourses on migration, racism, xenophobia, integration, and citizenship. We will seek to understand not only the historical and contemporary contexts for these films but also their relevance for reshaping German society. Students will be introduced to modern German cinema from the silent era to the present. They will acquire terminology and methods for reading films as fictional and aesthetic representations of history and politics, and analyze identity construction in the worlds of the real and the reel. This course is taught in English

GERM B223  TOPICS IN GERMAN CULTURAL STUDIES  (1.0 Credit)

Margaret Strair

Division: Humanities

This is a topics course. Course content varies. Taught in English.

(Offered: Fall 2024)

GERM B245  INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO GERMAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE  (1.0 Credit)

Margaret Strair

Division: Humanities

This is a topics course. Taught in German. Course content varies. Previous topics include, Women’s Narratives on Modern Migrancy, Exile, and Diasporas; Nation and Identity in Post-War Austria.

GERM B320  TOPICS IN GERMAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE  (1.0 Credit)

Staff

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)

This is a topics course. Course content varies. Taught in German. Recent topics include: Die Erzählkunst des Krimis; Funny Germans.

GERM B321  ADVANCED TOPICS IN GERMAN CULTURAL STUDIES  (1.0 Credit)

Qinna Shen

Division: Humanities
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)

This is a topics course. Course content varies. Recent topic titles include: Asia and Germany through Film; The Letter, the Spirit, and Beyond: German-Jewish Writers and Jewish Culture in the 18th and 19th Century.

(Offered: Spring 2025)

GERM B400  SENIOR SEMINAR  (1.0 Credit)

Margaret Strair, Qinna Shen

Division: Humanities

Senior Seminar. Students are required to write a long 40-page research paper with an annotated bibliography.

GERM B403  SUPERVISED WORK  (1.0 Credit)

Margaret Strair, Qinna Shen

Division: Humanities

Major Writing Requirement: Writing Intensive

GERM B421  GERMAN FOR READING KNOWLEDGE  (1.0 Credit)

Michael Burri

Division: Humanities

This course is designed to prepare students to read and translate challenging academic texts from German into English. It presents an intensive examination of basic German grammar and syntax, together with strategies that will enable students to read and understand German texts essential for advanced study or learning in disciplines across the arts, social sciences, and humanities. Previous experience in German is an asset, but is not a class prerequisite. This course does not fulfill the Language Requirement

(Offered: Fall 2024)