Academics

Academic Program
BCGS Courses 2008-2009
BCGS Courses 2007-2008
Freie Universität Subject Areas
Sample FU Courses (English)

Academic Program

During their first semester (fall or spring) students enroll in the following:

German Language Practicum, 6 points
Taken during the orientation period prior to the start of the German semester, this mandatory six-week course functions as an introduction to German academic culture and preparation for successful study in the German university system. The course is offered at different levels, and special attention is paid to practical vocabulary for both academic and daily living applications.

After successful completion of the language practicum, students must take a German language examination. As a result of this diagnostic examination, some students may be required to enroll in an FU German course for foreign students and to reduce the number of non-language courses they can take that term.

Selected topics in German studies, 3 points
The Academic Director determines the topic of this course every year, based on his or her own academic interests and background. The course takes advantage of Berlin and its resources to inform the coursework. Past topics have covered history, art history, literature, theater, and cinema. During the spring term, a course on German-American relations is offered by the Resident Administrative Director.

Supervised study in the German university system, minimum of 6 points
Direct enrollment into at least two courses in the German university system. Based on the results of a placement exam taken at the end of the practicum, BCGS staff assist students in finding appropriate courses for their language level and academic interests.

For a second semester in Berlin, students continuing from the fall enroll in the following:

Supervised study in the German university system, minimum of 12 points
Direct enrollment into at least four courses in the German university system.

Please note:

*Your course schedule is subject to the approval of the BCGS Academic Director.

*The University reserves the right to withdraw or modify the courses of instruction or to change the instructors as may become necessary.

BCGS Courses 2008-2009

Language Practicum (required of all incoming fall and spring students)

x = fall course; y = spring course

German I3335x or I3335y. The German language practicum (intermediate level). 6 points
Prerequisites: German V1201 and V1202 or W1220 or the equivalent. Placement may also be determined by testing.

Equivalent to a thorough review of V1202 plus W3001 with both concentrating on Berlin. Required of all students enrolled in the BCGS who have completed two years of college German or the equivalent.

This six-week intensive language course (20 hours of instruction per week plus participation in cultural program) prepares students to function beyond the basic level in a German-speaking environment. Emphasis on grammar, composition, stylistics, phonetics, and the use of academic and practical everyday language. Satisfactory completion is required as a condition of enrollment in courses at the Freie Universität Berlin.

German I3405x or I3405y. The German language practicum (intermediate advanced level). 6 points. Prerequisites: German V1202/W1220 and W3001 or W3002 or the equivalent. Placement may also be determined by testing.

This Berlin-based intermediate-advanced language course is equivalent to W3001 and W3002 in tandem and is required of all students enrolled in the BCGS who have completed at least five semesters of college German or the equivalent.

This six-week intensive language course (20 hours of instruction per week plus participation in the cultural program) emphasizes applications of correct grammar and strengthens everyday and academic communication skills, including writing styles, vocabulary building, and phonetics. Themes and topics emphasize living in Berlin and functioning in the academic environment. Satisfactory completion is required as a condition of enrollment in courses at the Freie Universität Berlin.

German I4335x or I4335y. The German language practicum (advanced level). 6 points
Prerequisites: German W3001 or W3002 and at least one additional 3000-level literary or cultural content course. Placement may also be determined by testing.

Required of all non-native speakers enrolled in the BCGS who have completed three or more years of college German or the equivalent. This six-week intensive language course (20 hours of instruction per week plus participation in the cultural program) is tailored to individual levels of advanced proficiency. Goals include advanced command of grammar, composition and stylistics, and near-native communication skills. Emphasis on academic German prepares the advanced language student for successful transition to the university life in Berlin. Satisfactory completion is required as a condition of enrollment in courses at the Freie Universität Berlin.

Fall 2008 Semester Courses

German Studies I3993x. Selected topics in German studies: Berlin in the Age of Revolution, 1750-1848. 3 points. Instructor: W. Breckman.

Taught by the Academic Director, this course is required of all students enrolled in their first, or only, semester in the BCGS.

The eighteenth century witnessed Prussia’s rise to the most powerful of the German states and one of the great powers of Europe.As the importance of the Prussian Kingdom grew, so too did its capital city, Berlin.From an isolated garrison town and residence of the austere Prussian rulers, Berlin was transformed into a major European capital, and the city emerged as a center of art, architecture, and intellectual life.The city’s rise brought not only a measure of glamour, but also new dynamism and new tensions as Berlin became an intersection for the great cultural currents that were traversing the European continent. This course will explore Berlin’s cultural and intellectual history from the period of the Enlightenment through to the Revolution of 1848.We will investigate the culture of the Berlin Enlightenment; the rise of Berlin Romanticism after 1800; the Prussian government’s efforts to respond to the French Revolution and Napoleon’s defeat of Prussia by undertaking reforms, including the transformation of the Prussian educational system and the founding of the Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität (now the Humboldt University); the attempt to restore monarchical authority and social stability in the wake of Napoleon’s defeat; the establishment and expansion of important cultural institutions in the 1820s; and, finally, the development of new forms of radicalism in the 1830s and 1840s, which presaged the outbreak of revolution in 1848.Throughout the course, Berlin will be treated as both a unique center in and of itself and as a microcosm of the broader intellectual and cultural history of Germany and Europe. We will take full advantage of our presence in Berlin to visit sites of direct relevance to the course, including museums, buildings, and archives.

German Studies I3991x. Supervised study in the German university system. 3-15 points

All courses taken at the Freie Universität Berlin or any other German university fall under these course numbers although the subject area varies depending on which department the course is offered. The FU Berlin offers a wide array of courses from which program students may choose as long as the prerequisites are met. Point values per course vary but each course is generally worth 3 points. Depending on the semester of study, students are recommended to take two to five different courses at the FU. All German university course titles, point values, and grades are translated into U.S. terms by the BCGS. For subject areas and current course offerings, please visit the FU Course Catalog.

Spring 2009 Semester Courses

German I3994y or I3600y is required of all students enrolled in their first, or only, semester in the BCGS.

German Studies I3600y. U.S. perceptions of Germany and the Germans from Bismarck to Hitler. 3 points. Instructor: C. Müller.

This course explores the role of national stereotypes in German-American relations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the session's first part, readings introduce basic sociocultural and economic history of Germany and German-American relations during these time periods. The second part closely examines the ways stereotypes may have helped to shape and justify American policies toward Germany.

German Studies I3994y. Selected Topics in German Studies: Berlin Culture from Empire to Republic, 1870-1933. 3 points. Instructor: W. Breckman.

With the unification of Germany in 1871, Berlin went from being the capital of Prussia to capital of the German Empire.With the defeat of Germany in 1918, the city once again underwent a political change, from imperial center to the capital of the Weimar Republic.This course will explore Berlin’s cultural and intellectual history during this turbulent period.The first part of the course will investigate the transformation of Berlin into an imperial city and the impact of that transformation on the architecture and culture of the city.We will look at the nature of ‘bourgeois’ culture; the ideological tensions of the period before 1914, especially the rise of socialism and right-wing nationalism; cultural manifestations of German colonialism, such as the development of anthropological museums; and the emergence of the Berlin artistic avant-garde from Secessionism to Expressionism.The second part of the course will move through the socio-cultural effects of World War One to Berlin in the Weimar Republic.As the center of ‘Weimar Culture’, Berlin became a vital site of modernist experimentation in the arts.Popular entertainments such as cabaret flourished, and Berlin became famous (and infamous) as a city of transgressive lifestyles and personal freedoms.At the same time, Berlin became a crucial locus in the escalating political conflict of those years.The course will draw heavily on textual material, but we will also use music, film, and the visual arts to chart the history of Berlin culture and intellectual life from the creation of the German Empire to the fall of the Weimar Republic. We will take full advantage of our presence in Berlin to visit sites of relevance to the course, including museums, buildings, and archives.

German Studies I3991y. Supervised study in the German university system. 3-15 points

BCGS Courses 2007-2008

Language Practicum (required of all incoming fall and spring students)

x = fall course; y = spring course

Fall 2007 Semester Courses

German Studies I3993x. Selected topics in German studies: The Occupation and Reconstruction of West and East Germany, 1945-1955. 3 points. Instructor: V. Berghahn.

Taught by the Academic Director, this course is required of all students enrolled in their first, or only, semester in the BCGS.

This seminar will give students a comprehensive overview of the development of the two Germanies in the decade after the defeat of the Third Reich. It will be based on relevant monographic literature but also on key Allied and German documents. The idea is to enable students to work with printed primary documents, to immerse them in specialized literature and to prepare, apart from a critical review of a book of their choice, a longer research paper. They will also be expected to make a presentation on one of the seminar topics.

German Studies I3991x. Supervised study in the German university system. 3-15 points

Spring 2008 Semester Courses

German I3994y or I3600y is required of all students enrolled in their first, or only, semester in the BCGS.

German Studies I3600y. U.S. perceptions of Germany and the Germans from Bismarck to Hitler. 3 points. Instructor: C. Müller.

German Studies I3994y. Selected Topics in German Studies: Modern Germany, 1900-2000. 3 points. Instructor: V. Berghahn

This course, consisting of two lectures per week, offers a comprehensive survey of Germany 's development in the 20th century. In addition to political events and military campaigns, the course will also examine in considerable detail German society, its structures, relations between men and women, trends in both high and popular culture, and the ups and downs of the industrial economy in its global setting. Lectures and readings are designed to introduce students to the country's conflicted history and to the controversies it unleashed in international scholarship.

German Studies I3992y. Supervised study in the German university system. 3-15 points

Freie Universität Subject Areas

FU Course Catalog

The Freie Universität Berlin offers courses in the following subject areas.

Anthropology and Archaeology of the Americas
Ancient Near Eastern Studies
Social Anthropology
Arabic Studies
Archaeology
Art History
Biochemistry
Biology
Byzantine Studies
Chemistry
Chinese Studies
Comparative Religions
Computer Science
Dentistry
Dutch Language and Literature
Eastern European Studies
Economics
Educational Science
Egyptology
English Language and Literature
French Studies
General and Comparative Literature
Geography
Geology-Paleontology
Geophysics
German Language and Literature
Greek
Historical and Comparative Indo-European Linguistics
History
Indian Art History
Indian Languages and Literature
Iranian Studies
Islamic Studies
Japanese Studies
Jewish Studies
Latin
Latin American Languages and Literatures
Law
Mathematics
Media and Communication Studies
Meteorology
Mineralogy
Musicology
North American Studies
Pharmacy
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Primary School Education
Psychology
Romance Languages and Literature
Semitic Studies
Slavic Languages and Literature
Sociology
Theater Studies
Theology
Turkic Studies

Sample FU Courses (English)

Freie Universität Berlin Courses

Below are course descriptions for courses that BCGS students have taken at the Freie Universität Berlin and at other local universities. Please note that these courses may not be available every semester. For the most up-to-date course listing at the Freie Universität Berlin, please see the FU Course Catalog.

AFRICAN STUDIES

Introduction to West African Literature
Spring 2004, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Dr. Susanne Gehrmann
This course focuses on the interfaces between speech and writing, oratory and literature respectively, as well as on gender as a method of analysis of texts and their social background. Mainly the Malé-cultural area is looked at, and thus, authors from Mali, Cote D'Ivoire, Senegal and Guinea will be examined.

Introduction to American Jazz History
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Seminar, Johannes Voelz, M.A.
Jazz music counts as one of the key contributions American culture has produced in the 20th century. In this seminar, the musical development from the beginnings in New Orleans to the stylistic pluralism of the 1990s will be covered. Besides these musical aspects, the changing ways jazz has been embedded in American culture will be traced. Issues such as the placement of jazz between highbrow and lowbrow cultures and the entanglement in racial conflicts will figure prominently in the discussions.

Contemporary American Poetry and Poetics
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Dr. Susanne Rohr
In American culture poetry still matters much. In fact, American culture has recently witnessed a significant revival of poetry in a variety of forms and functions. This course explores the diversity of contemporary American verse, covering a range of poetics from mainstream across language poetry and new formalist lyrics to ethnic and oral poems. Since all of these poetic texts in one way or another interrogate modernist poetries and poetics, it is necessary, though, that we take a few steps back and reread canonized modernist poets (including Ezra Pound, Willliam Carlos Williams, T. S. Eliot, Gertrude Stein, H. D., Marianne Moore, e. e. cummings, and Wallace Stevens) as well as those poets who have struggled with this modernist heritage (including 'confessional,' beat, and feminist poets).

ANTHROPOLOGY

Art Worlds, Scenes, and Bohemias
Spring 2004, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Geoff Stahl
This course is designed to historically situate many of the studies of artist-centered social milieus and at the same time consider the usefulness or appropriateness of terms such as art worlds, bohemias, or scenes. In moving from the life and work of Courbet to Warhol, from the Harlem Renaissance to punk, this course is above all concerned with the sociological dimensions of cultural production and will, therefore, take a number of related areas into consideration, including politics, spatial and social relations in the city, the complex figuration and role of the bourgeoisie/straight society/mainstream as "other," as well as the function of gender, race, sexuality, and class as markers of inclusion and/or exclusion.

Cultural Anthropology of Bioethics
Spring 2004, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Michaela Knecht, Stefan Sperlin, M.A.
In the context of biomedical sciences and biotechnology, bioethics underwent an immense expansion within the recent two decades which can be seen in the growing increase of bioethical brain trusts, educational offers, and discourses. Particularly, at the interface of socio-scientific technical research on the one hand and medical and cultural anthropology on the other, a dynamic field of research has emerged which discusses the ethical process in biomedical sciences and "sciences of life" with regard to new models of political regulation, control, and "governmentality." The seminar focuses on the question to what extent the European ethnology can, or should, respectively, contribute to the discussion on the ethics of modern medicine.

ART HISTORY

Representations of Femininity in Western Art
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Thomas Blisniewski
This seminar analyzes how women are portrayed by artists. The spectrum of judgment ranges from saints to hetaera, who are presented as provocative, erotic, domestic, holy, decent, seductive, or virtuous. We will discuss the cultural-historical backgrounds and question the different perceptions of the artists as to their (social) function.

Introduction to the Studies of Art History
Fall 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Introductory Course. Prof. Dr. Werner Busch
Course description not available.

Introduction to the Practice and Theory of Figure Drawing
Spring 2004, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Laboratory Course, Prof. Dr. Ruth Tesmar and Elke Schulze
This course gives an introduction to the techniques and history of "printing graphics" (intaglio printing, relief printing, planographic printing, and screen printing). The printing techniques will be demonstrated and tested.

Dutch Paintings of the 15th and 16th Centuries in the Picture Gallery
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Semina, Karin Gludovatz, M.A.
The aim of this course is to develop descriptive analyses of some works of the early Dutch painting. The rich holdings of the Berlin Picture Gallery are used to practice comparative vision and to compile the terminology which can be used to articulate visual phenomena. By means of this terminology, the complex argumentation of esthetic structures can be made comprehensible as a prerequisite for their being historicized and theorized.

Architectural History 1918–1939
Fall 2005, Freie Universit ä t Berlin , Lecture Course , Prof. Dr. Harold Hammer-Schenk
This course covers the following subjects: modernity before 1918; “conservative modernity” before 1918; Expressionism: Poelzig, Mendelsohn, Behrens; De Klerk's housing estates in Amsterdam; Le Corbusier; Hamburg: old office buidings (Kontorhaeuser); Bauhaus; Mies van der Rohe; Scandinavia; Great Britain; France; Vienna: housing estates; Italy: fascistic modernity; Albert Speer; USA: high-rise buildings.

BIO-CHEMISTRY

Basics of Bio-Chemistry
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Dr. Volker Erdmann / Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Hucho / Prof. Dr. Petra Knaus / Prof. Dr. Gerd Multhaup
In this course, the following subject areas are covered: carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and membranes.

CATHOLIC THEOLOGY

"And he was with the Animals." The Creatures of God in the Holy Scripture
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Prof. Dr. Rainer Kampling
In the ecological debate of the past 20 years also the Jewish-Christian tradition was discovered as alleged originator of nature contempt. Taking the relationship between man and animal as an example, the question will be discussed, whether it is, nevertheless, possible to gain positive impulses from holy scripture and its reception for biblically founded creation ethics.

The Jew Paulus
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Prof. Dr. Karl P. Donfried
Starting from the question which Jewish beliefs the Jew Paulus shared and which had particular influence on his way of thinking, the seminar focuses on the discussion whether and how the role of the Dead Sea (Qumran) affected the Pauline thinking. Should the scripts of the Dead Sea actually give new insight into Paulus's way of thinking, these results would allow to reconsider the relation of justification and good deeds in the Pauline thinking, particularly against the background of the recent oecumenic description of these relations in the "Mutual Statement on the Justification-Doctrine" (1999).

CLASSICS

Plato
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Lecture Course, Dr. Norbert Bloessner
Compared to many other philosophers, Plato did not formulate dogmas, but he wrote dramatic dialogues in which the author himself does not speak out on the problems and solutions discussed by his protagonists. This makes the interpretation of Plato's texts especially difficult. Current interpretations read Plato's dialogues as "dogmas embedded in dialogs" in which certain protagonists (e.g. Socrates) announce the author's dogma in his stead. These presumptions are rarely discussed and even less frequently censoriously scrutinized. They are, however, anything but unproblematic. The course deals with Plato's biography, Plato's school (the academy), and (above all) Plato's scripts (arrangements, chronology, dialog techniques, figure depiction, methods of argumentation, myth, script criticism, Pythagorean in Plato, etc.). It is intended to give an overview of all facts and problems a reader of Plato's works has to be acquainted with.

Greek II
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Language Course, Dr. Norbert Bloessner
The work with "Kantharos" (workbook) will be continued.

Introduction to Greek Meter
Spring 2004, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Laboratory Course, Dr. Thomas Poiss
After a short introduction to the prosodic and conceptual basics of metrics, the measures hexameter (and "elegiac distich"),"iamb trimester," and "trochee tetrameter" will be dealt with. Afterwards the course goes through eolian lyrics, anacreontics, Pindar's choral lyrics and tragedies.

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

Jewish Galuth
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Laboratory Course, Markus Bauer
Subject of this course is the concept of Galuth in the Jewish literature from the end of the 19th century up to the time of banishment by the National Socialist regime. By means of selected texts, it will be analyzed how the biblical thought of exile, which has lasted throughout millennia, was scrutinized and transformed, respectively, in the modern age. The focus hereby lies on the reflection of the Jewish assimilation and autonomy tendencies in literary texts and the coexistent search for new philosophical options. Besides poetical texts, also essays will be examined which discuss the concept itself and the changed political and religious conditions. The aim of the course is to also show Galuth as a variform source of inspiration for different textual intentions.

Kafka's Myths and Fairy Tale Travesties
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Prof. Dr. Winfried Menninghaus
Adaptation of myths, fairy tales, and legends as well as metamorphoses are basic operations of literature. Kafka's narratives and short prose are examined following the tradition of these operations. Beside the famous narrative "Die Verwandlung," mainly Kafka's short adaptations of the "Sirenen" myth, the "Prometheus" myth, and the "Poseidon" myth will be discussed. All of these texts provide "programs," imperatives, and taboos of reading. They are primarily analyzed from a generic-theoretical, stylistic, and rhetorical point of view.

Early Romantic Poetry
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Prof. Dr. Winfried Menninghaus
The seminar deals with the formation of a romantic philosophy of art and poetry in the 1790s. It discusses Fichte's "Grundlage der gesamten Wirtschaftslehre" (1794), Friedrich Schlegel's "ueber das Studium der Griechischen Poesie," the lyceum and "athenaeum" fragments (1798-1799), Schlegel's and Novalis's "Kritik" on Goethe's "Wilhelm Meister," early texts of Schelling and of the romantic "natural science," and possibly some selected literary texts.

Literature of Things (Stifter, Rilke, Ponge, Bellmer, Gertrude Stein)
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Prof. Dr. Gert Mattenklott
Forms, colors, and materials are part of the basic aesthetic imagination. Besides animals and plants, which are other witnesses of the creatural world apart from human beings, things ask for attention. Since the middle of the 19th century, they have become emancipated and have increasingly lived an inorganic life of their own. Since that time, at least, there has been a poetics of things. The seminar asks for their historical and theoretical place.

Headless Images of Gods: Rilke, Nietzsche, and the Modern Poetry
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Dr. Markus Edler
Nietzsche's most effective book "Die Geburt der Tragoedie" does not content itself with the provision of a theory of the Attic tragedy and the celebration of Wagner's work as its rebirth. Included in the field of conflict of the dominating opposition between harmoniousness and ferociousness is also the theory of classical lyrics which, at the same time, imposes the verdict on modern lyrics to be "headless" compared to classical lyrics. Starting from Nietzsche, the seminar deals with different answers to these polemics, given, for example, by Rainer Maria Rilke, Stefan George, or Paul Celan. Hereby, also the attempt will be made to discuss the speech theoretical as well as the political implications, which the withdrawal of the subject from lyrics, following Nietzsche's "Pathos der Distanz," has on modern lyrics in the different works of, for example, Rilke, George, and Celan.

The Character of the "Beautiful Murderer"
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Iris Roebling, M.A.
The villain indispensably belongs to the "dramatis personae" of the romanticism. The seminar focuses on his beauty. Whereas Immanuel Kant, who finds an intensive affinity between the moral good and the beauty, describes "furies, disease, and devastations of war" as "very beautiful" after all, the works of Friedrich Schiller establish the separation of the beauty and the good in Germany. The idea of the "beautiful murderer" arises thereof. During the aesthetic discourse, the place of this character is identified more precisely and its compatibility with the terms of grandeur and grace as well as its relation to the movement of "l'art pour l'art" will be examined. Furthermore, the neighboring literary characters "femme fatale" and "dandy" are dealt with. Moreover, the question is discussed how the combination of "good" and "evil" changes the idea of "beauty" in general. The beautiful murderer, however, is not only a provocation for the aesthetic. It also crosses the discourse of physiognomy which advances to a fashionable science with Lavater's fragments (1775). The new idea of crime in this environment and the character of an individual are also subject of this course.

Methods of Literary Studies and Comparison of Faust-Works
Fall 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Introductory Course, Bernd Blaschke, M.A.
The aim of this introductory course to general and comparative literature is to achieve an overview of the resources (reference books, libraries), terms, methods, and history of the subject. On the one hand, short texts of different literary-theoretical schools of the 20th century will be read: hermeneutics, structuralism, deconstruction, intertextuality, new historicism, and gender studies. On the other hand, some Faust works (by Marlowe and Goethe, Vischer's Faust parody, and a Faust comic strip) will be discussed. The contents of Faust with its countless international adaptations is a classic example for the literary transfer of ideas and texts beyond language borders, and therefore ideal for comparative studies.

Introduction to Narrative Theory
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Introductory Course/Seminar, Stefanie Rentsch
In this seminar, the classical structuralistic narrative theory which is the basis and origin of numerous new approaches to narratology will be discussed. By means of examples from French, English, and German narrative literature, it is practically applied and tested. The next step is to introduce and comparatively analyze newer trends of narrative research. This includes, for example, feminist, pragmatic, or cognitive narratology.

“Literaturwissenschaft,” Criticism, Critique
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Seminar, Prof. Dr. Gert Mattenklott
'Literaturwissenschaft' in terms of 'hard sciences' claims to be the academic preoccupation with literature only in Germany.The three terms used in Europe and America for dealing with literature at universities and in public life differentiate between very diverse traditions in German-speaking, Anglo-Saxon, and Romanic areas. The latter two relativize the bounds between 'Literaturwissenschaft' and literary criticism. This provides an opportunity to get acquainted with the historical prerequisites and the current impact of the different views of academic literary studies and their effect on the literary public to date.

Poetics, Rhetoric, Hermeneutics, and Intermedial Orpheus Poems
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Introductory Course/Seminar, Dr. Bernd Blaschke
On the one hand, this course is the continuation of the introduction to the theory of literature. On the basis of selected short texts, the terms gender theory, rhetoric, esthetics, psychoanalysis, and intermediality will be explained. On the other hand, the presentation of the poetologically profound Orpheus myth in poems, theatre plays, operas, and films will be analyzed.

Falsification, Mystification, and Simulacrum as Literary Practice
Fall 2005, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Bernhard Metz, M.A.
Even though Cervantes' Quijote, which is often deemed to be the first modern European novel, is characterized by this practice, editorial falsification and authorial mystification have considerably increased since the 18th century. At the same time, the number of references to non-existing texts has grown, so that apart from the "falsified" author we are also faced with the "falsified" work. The seminar focuses less on the sociopolitical aspects, such as the avoidance of prosecution and censorship which often result in pseudonyms and heteronyms. Instead, it concentrates on the discussion about the fictional significance of these literary forms of play and production.

Introduction to Comparative Literature
Fall 2005, Freie Universität Berlin, Introductory Course, Prof. Dr. Winfried Menninghaus
The guidline of this course will be the narrative of Narcissus and Echo which has undergone numerous revisions since its canonical portrayal in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Its basic elements—unrequited love, reflection, deception and illusion, resolution and death, narcissism, self-identity and relation to others—have often been seen as allegories for the science of comparative literature. The large number of variations make it possible to bring up a spectrum of literary, historical, psychoanalytic, and also theoretical questions.

Rhetoric I
Fall 2005, Freie Universität Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Dr. Winfried Menninghaus
Since its beginnings in classical antiquity, the science of rhetoric has, like no other science, defined and regulated the field of speaking: it is the theory and practice of speech, soul and emotion, power, magic, social differences, judicial decision making, political advice, seduction and healing, argumentation, and last but not least, of forms and effects in regard to literary speech and writing. The course presents an outline while exploring the evolution and historical development of this science.

Absurdist Literature in the 19th and 20th Centuries
Fall 2005, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Iris Roebeling, M.A.
By means of texts from Friedrich Nietzsche and/or Arthur Schopenhauer as well as from Soeren Kierkegaard, the seminar will firstly follow the discussion on absurdist literature which started in the 19th century. In the 20th century, mainly the two world wars changed the outlines of absurdism. The relevant evidence will be found in literary works of Albert Camus, Samuel Beckett, Eugène Ionesco, Max Frisch, and Thomas Pynchon. Moreover, considering these examples, the seminar will ask for "aesthecis of absurdism" and, thus, follow a suggestion from Theodor W. Adorno's aesthetic theory: Does literary writing about absurdism reflect the Latin meaning of "absurdus," namely "inharmonious?"

CULTURAL STUDIES

Video Seminar--Collective Memory of the GDR
Fall 2004, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Seminar, Prof. Dr. Christina von Braun
In this seminar, student groups produce their own films within the scope of a given subject area. The group itself decides on the specific topic of its film. The groups do the research, write treatments and shoot and edit the films. The subject area of this semester is the active analysis of the memories of contemporary witnesses of the GDR. In this context, the marks of the general policy and the day to day life which have been left in the cultural remembrance will be investigated.

Memory of the GDR - Video Project
Spring 2005, Dr. Bernd Blaschke, Supervised Tutorial, Prof. Dr. Christina von Braun
Course description not available.

Violence and Culture
Spring 2005, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Seminar / Upper-Level Seminar, Dr. Renate Haas
In the world-wide fight for material resources, external and self-destruction have assumed alarming proportions. Subject of this course is to find out how the term 'trauma' from the clinical psychoanalysis can be utilized for scientific cultural approaches without making history pathological. Ethnological, psychoanalytical, and literary studies on violent conflicts will be confronted with literary views and with documentary reports on violence experience to boot.

CULTURAL STUDIES / AMERICAN STUDIES

About Photography in the USA
Fall 2005, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Roswitha Salzberger
This seminar deals with photography in the USA, the country which repeatedly had important impact on this medium. The focus will not only lie on artistic photography. Other trends and approaches such as documentation, reportage, or advertising will also be covered. Starting from the second half of the 19th century, selected photographers and/or photographic associations will be introduced which were trend-setting regarding contents and style and affected the work of generations of domestic and foreign photographers sustainably. By means of a chronological sequence, an overview of the history of photography and the relevant subjects of each period of time in the USA will be given.

CULTURAL STUDIES / COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

Ethics and Aesthetics. Texts from Kierkegaard to Rorty
Fall 2005, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Seminar, Janis Augsburger, M.A.
"Ethics and Aesthetics are one" (according to Wittgenstein). Which are the preconditions leading to this conviction? On the basis of (post-Hegelian) texts dealing with the relation between ethics and aesthetics, this belief can be scrutinized time and again. Among others, Kierkegaard, Wittgenstein, Adorno, and Rorty will be covered.

EAST ASIAN STUDIES / SINOLOGY

Recent Nationalist Movements in the People's Republic of China
Fall 2005, Freie Universität Berlin, Introductory Course, Heike Schmidbauer
The latest anti-Japanese protests in numerous large cities are another sign of a virulent Chinese nationalism spreading across broad levels of the population. A popular explanation for the strengthening of the nationalistic tendencies in post-Maoist China refers to the legitimation crisis of the CPC which makes use of a distinct patriotism in order to maintain its power. The aim of this course is to take a closer look at the background of the current nationalistic discussions, to make out their direction of impact, to examine the different forms of articulation, and to ask for the main actors.

ECONOMICS

Accounting I
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Lecture/Laboratory Course, Dr. Michael Ehret
The course aims at imparting the following abilities and knowledge: understanding of the basics of accounting/balancing; case studies exemplified by financial reporting; preparation of the annual statements; evaluation concepts on the basis of German adequate and orderly accounting.

Economic Integration of Europe
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Lecture/Laboratory Course, Prof. Dr. Horst Tomann
On the basis of the microeconomic approaches of the integration theory, the course deals with the economic concepts for the integration of commodity, capital, and labor markets.

Principles of Economics
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Wolfram Schrettl, Ph.D. / Dr. Juergen Bitzer
This course is an introduction to political economics. Basic terms and approaches will be imparted. Microeconomic as well as macroeconomic subjects will be covered, e.g.: business performance and market form, economy of employment market, markets and welfare, macroeconomic data, growth, economic cycle, and open economics.

Income and Employment Theory
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Lecture Course / Laboratory Course, Prof. Dr. Klaus Jaeger
Subjects of this course are: the classic macroeconomics; the basic model of the effective demand and the public sector; IS-LM analysis; additions to the IS-LM analysis (economic questions, Walras Law, stock and flow sizes problems); crowding out problems; expectations and the Philips Curve; the problem of the aggregate supply function; the aggregate demand function: interdependencies, economic questions; perspectives on theories of inflation.

ECONOMICS / LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

Development Theory and Politics I: Economic Theory of Development and Underdevelopment
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Laboratory Course, Prof. Dr. Manfred Nitsch
Based on the latest textbook literature on the theory of economic growth, classics of the development economy (Rostow, Hirschman, Prebisch) will be introduced and the strategic political implications of this theory will be discussed. As alternatives to the economic mainstream and overlaps to the social sciences regarding their usefulness for the explanation and overcoming of underdevelopment, the "Dependencia" approaches (A. G. Frank, Cardoso/Faletto, Senghaas) and the monetary Keynesianism (Riese, Schelke, Nitsch) will be put into comparison. The question will be continuously discussed whether and how sustainability in the ecological sense expands into the economic models.

Development Theory and Politics II: Micro-Finances
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Laboratory Course, Prof. Dr. Manfred Nitsch
Course description not available.

ENGLISH LITERATURE

Early Modern Women's Writing
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Prof. Dr. Sabine Schuelting
In "A Room of One’s Own," Virginia Woolf asks "why women did not write poetry in the Elizabethan age." In 1929, Woolf was not aware of the fact that early modern women did write poetry, as well as fiction and drama. Little of it was published in anthologies, though, so that it was only with the development of women’s studies and feminist literary theory in the last decades of the 20th century that a tradition of female writers was "unearthed." The seminar aims to acquaint students with a wide selection of early modern women’s writing, which revises more traditional accounts of Renaissance literature. This will include a consideration of the complex relationships between gender and genre as well as issues of canonicity.

ENGLISH LITERATURE / AMERICAN STUDIES

Contemporary American Indian Literature
Fall 2005, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Catrin Gersdorf
This class will survey the contribution of 20th-century American Indian writers to the canon of U.S.-American literature. We will start with a discussion of the so-called “Native American Renaissance” in the 1960s and 70s and then move on to postmodern expressions of American Indian identity in the 1980s and 90s.Selecting representative examples of major literary genres such as the novel, the short story, the (auto)biography, the essay, and poetry, we will discuss the work of N. Scott Momaday, Leslie Marmon Silko, Louise Erdrich, Joy Harjo, Janet Campbell, Sherman Alexie, Gerald Vizenor, and Paula Gunn Allen.

EUROPEAN ANTHROPOLOGY

Is the East Different? Cultural Dimensions of the Transformation Processes in the Newly-formed German States
Spring 2004, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Ina Dietzsch
The seminar covers the cultural transformation processes in the newly formed German States since the German Unification. Hereby, the focus lies on identity constructs, the relation between culture and work, the cultural dimensions of urban and demographic development processes, the structures in the cultural scene as well as the cultural aspects of regional development.

Europeanization of Europe
Spring 2004, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Seminar, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kaschuba
It is not only in the context of the membership negotiations of the EU that the discussion comes up about what connects or separates whom in Europe, namely on the political and institutional as well as on the experience and everyday level. The seminar tries to take stock in between, namely in view of circumstances of life and everyday culture.

FILM STUDIES

Practice of the Film Critic
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Bert Rebhandl
The seminar is based on the latest cinema program. The aim is to work out the outline of film critic by means of films which start during the semester: general criteria, historical contexts, theoretical references. This will be done by analyzing the films, related published texts as well as selected literature.

The Mexican Cinema
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Marc Siegel
Owing to the recent success of films such as Amores Perros (2000) and Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001), the Mexican film has gained great recognition by an international audience. However, the long and prosperous history of Mexican film is mainly unknown outside Latin America. On the basis of a diversity of selected films, which are shown as accompanying film series in the Berlin movie theater Arsenal, the seminar deals with historical, aesthetical and political aspects of Mexican movies. The Comedia Ranchera and Cabaretera musicals and the melodramas of the Cine de Oro or Golden Age of the 1940s and 1950s (Fernando de Fuentes, Emilio Fernández, Luis Bunuel), the "Auteur" films of the 1960s and 1970s (Arturo Ripstein, Jaime Humberto Hermosillo), the new films of the 1980s and 1990s (Maria Novaro, Alfonso Arau), and even the fabulous stars of these movies (Dolores Del Rio, Maria Félix, and Pedro Infante, etc.) will be analyzed.

Cut, Montage, and Splitscreen - Screen Combination as Screen Analysis
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Markus Stauff
In this seminar, classical texts about film montage will be discussed and compared to montage concepts of other areas (fine arts, industrial production, etc.). The main question is, which potential is attributed to the montage regarding the analysis (or critic) of pictures and realities: To what extent is montage per se an analytic principle? Which form of analysis is related to the different methods of montage? Moreover, the respective theses are put into practice through discussions on films, video installations, and print media.

The Face and the Close-Up
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Prof. Dr. Gertrud Koch
The face is one of the central picture motives that have been discussed as the domain of film since the first close-up was made. In the seminar, the historical discussions on the theories of the close-up as well as the development of the film history with regard to the close-up and the face will be analyzed.

Literature of the GDR--The GDR in Literature
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Ursula Kocher, M.A., and Ulrike Muenter
The "East-nostalgia" does not only affect film and television. It has also reached literature. Growing up and every day life in the GDR as well as the different way of life after the fall of Communism are becoming popular topics in poetry and fiction. Especially in this phase, it seems to be inevitable to examine themes, contents, and conditions of GDR literature and to find out how the GDR is presented. The objective of the seminar is to work out an overview of the main phases and works in order to view the image of the GDR which is strengthening in today's literature (and film).

Homer-Reception in Literature and Graphic Arts of the 18th Century
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Ulrike Muenter
Already Lukian described the poet Homer as "painter" in "Eikones." In the 18th century, this metaphor became a fixed phrase. The writers and artists of Goethe's time concentrated on the comparison of poetry and painting and Homer played an important role in this context. Against the background of the lively exploratory discussion regarding the "language of pictures" and the "representativeness of language," the seminar deals with art-theoretical scripts, for example of Goethe, Winckelmann, Herder, and K. Ph. Moritz, in the context of their environment of origin, namely the direct confrontation with the artists and the art of their time.

Thomas Mann's Short Stories
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Introductory Course, Prof. Dr. Bernd Braeutigam
The course mainly discusses those of the 32 narrations of Thomas Mann dealing with "art" and "artists." The choice of "art" as a topic will be debated and the impulses coming from Nietzsche's "Geburt der Tragoedie" and from the later Wagner criticism ("Der Fall Wagner") will be examined.

Jews and "Gypsies" in Novels and Anecdotes of the 19th Century
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Hans Richard Brittnacher
It is no wonder that Walther has been the most popular medieval German poet so far, also and especially for non-specialists, because he is one of the most original and exciting poets of his time. His manifold work is still a challenge for discussion. He deals with the tradition of classic minnesang, continues with it and shows its limits. Besides, he gives his opinion concerning the political situation. And finally, he does not leave out religious topics. Part A of the course examines Walther's songs from different points of view using secondary literature. Part B gives an introduction to the Middle High German and its studies.

Berlin becomes a Metropolis: Berlin Feuilleton and Berlin Flanerie 1895-1933
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Susanne Scharnowski
The seminar deals with the perception of Berlin and its presentation in Berlin feuilletons as well as with different characteristics of the literary metropolis flanerie, especially with the description and estimation of the phenomena modernity and progress.

Short Stories: Farce & Example
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Introductory Course, Prof. Dr. Volker Mertens
Entertainment and instruction are the classic tasks of literature. In farces, which are short stories with a comic point, the entertainment is dominating. Besides day-to-day situations, they often focus on sexuality. Both genres developed in the 13th century. Part A of the course focuses on the analysis of literary and cultural studies. Part B covers reading and acquisition of the Middle High German language.

Poems of the Romantic Age
Fall 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Introductory Course, Prof. Dr. Marlies Janz
This course gives an introduction to the basic methods of literary studies, to the analysis of lyrics, and to the romantic age. Poems of Novalis, Hoelderlin, Brentano, Eichendorff, Heine, and others will be interpreted.

Post-Reunification Literature
Fall 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Introductory Course, Prof. Dr. Claudia Albert
Three texts are often considered to be canonic in German post-reunification literature: Thomas Brussig's "Helden Wie Wir," Ingo Schulze's "Simple Stories," and Jens Sparschuh's "Zimmerspringbrunnen." Taking these texts as starting point, the seminar approaches the categories "Reunification" and GDR literature as well as the narrative strategies of a close to realistic city and protocol literature by means of further examples (Jakob Hein, Wladimir Kaminer, Judith Hermann) and tries to give an overview of the current writing styles.

Great German Novels (II)
Spring 2004, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Dr. Klaus R. Scherpe
Continuation of Great German Novels (I). Among other things the following novels are discussed: Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften (Robert Musil), Das siebte Kreuz (Anna Seghers), Doktor Faustus (Thomas Mann), Tauben im Gras (Wolfgang Koeppen), Das dritte Buch ueber Achim (Uwe Johnson), Die Blechtrommel (Guenter Grass), Malina (Ingeborg Bachmann).

Introduction to Literature: Storm and Stress
Spring 2004, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Introductory Course, Dr. Heidrun Markert
Course description not available.

German Cinema from the 90s until Today: Rebellion
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Seminar, Senta Siewert
A lot has been going on in German cinema in the past years: young rebelling protagonists, driven by sweeping music and staged by video esthetics (either music clips or dogma), contribute to the growing appreciation German film has been gaining beyond its borders. In the seminar, the movies 'Die Fetten Jahre sind vorbei' (Hans Weingaertner 2003), 'Gegen die Wand' (Fatih Akin 2004), 'Goodbye Lenin' (Wolfgang Becker 2003), and 'Lola rennt' are analyzed by using the film phenomenology (Sobchak). New marketing strategies such as soundtrack or website accompanying the film as well as the changes in film promotion will be examined.

GERMAN LITERATURE

The Beginnings of German Literature and an Introduction to the Middle High German Language (Courtly Love Poetry)
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Introductory Course, Dr. Jutta Eming
In this course, basic knowledge about the historical peculiarities of medieval literature, especially of the courtly literature around 1200, will be imparted. In connection with the introduction to the question and methodology of the medieval study of literature, selected texts will be interpreted. Furthermore, the ability to read and translate a Middle High German text will be acquired. Some selected songs of the medieval classical Minnesang (Walther von der Vogelweide, Reinmar, Heinrich von Morungen) will be used to acquire these skills and knowledge. The focus lies on the sociological conditions of the origin of Minnesang, its poetics, and the staging of emotions.

Hans Blumenberg for Literary Scholars
Spring 2005, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Seminar, Dirk Werle
Hans Blumenberg is considered to be one of the most striking German philosophers in the second half of the 20th century. His theory is hidden in historical treatises on ideas and metaphors which are called 'problem thrillers' because they are full of suspense. Blumenberg's work is not only of interest to literary scholars as a source for lucid thoughts on the history of ideas but, above all, because his thinking circulates around some basic literary terms.

The Short Story after 1945
Spring 2005, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Introductory Course, Prof. Dr. Roland Berbig
Texts originating from the GDR and also from the FRG will be covered in this course. The analysis of the short stories includes literary historical questions as well as the subject of possible correspondencies and discrepancies of West and East German texts. Amongst others, texts from Ingeborg Bachmann, Jurek Becker, Heinrich Boell, Max Frisch, Franz Fuehmann, Peter Handke, Uwe Johnson, Sarah Kirsch, Klaus Schlesinger, and Christa Wolf will be read.

Lyric after 1945
Spring 2005, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Introductory Course, Kristin Schulz
To write poems after Ausschwitz is barbaric according to the colportage of Adorno's statement. The seminar investigates to what extent this dictum is questionned by poets. Hereby, 1945 will not be seen as the so-called 'zero hour' but as the initial point of discussion. Continuities, for example in nature lyric, and breaches leading towards the verbalization of a 'new subjectivity' will be found. Furthermore, some poets will be portrayed who are characterized by the differentness of their voices. After having glanced at the postwar period, the focus lies on GDR literature (e. g. the lyric trend in the 60s, the 'Saechsische Dichterschule').

Goethe and Antiquity
Spring 2005, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Prof. Dr. Ernst Osterkamp
His relation to culture, literature, and art of the antiquity belongs to the constants in Goethe's life and work. Since his childhood, he read Latin and Greek literature and since his years of study in Leipzig he dealt with visual arts of the antiquity. Since his Italien journey, he considered art and literature of the antiquity as timeless examples also for the art of the modernity. The seminar analyzes the continuity and change of Goethe's idea of the antiquity on the basis of selected poetic works and his essays on literature and visual arts. A wide range from 'Goetter, Helden und Wieland' (1773) via the Italian journey up to the classical Walpurgis Night in 'Faust II,' which was published posthumously, will be covered.

Self-Reflexive Narration from Enlightenment to Romanticism
Spring 2005, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Oliver Simons, M.A.
In the postmodern theoretical discussion, the self-referentiality of literature has become a buzzword. However, self-reflexive narration is not an invention of the 20th century. The seminar covers novels from Enlightenment to Romanticism in order to retrace the history of self-reflexive narrative forms on the basis of Christoph Martin Wieland, Jean Paul, E.T.A. Hoffmann, etc. Furthermore, the 'poetry of poetry' and the 'thinking of thinking' (Schlegel) will be put into context by means of programmatic scripts of novel theory and hermeneutics. Hereby, the question comes up to what extent this former kinds of self-referentiality are comparable to postmodernism.

The New German Film - The Beginnings
Spring 2005, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Wolfgang Kabatek
Truffaut's polemic expression 'cinéma du papa' was a slogan even before the Oberhausen manifest (1962) by which the end of the old film and the faith in the new film were self-confidently announced. The young producers used this slogan to free themselves from the narrow conditions in the film industry around 1960. In 1965 the first films came out which were produced under different circumstances. In the following year the first films of Schloendorff, Herzog, Kluge, and the Schamoni brothers formed the reputation of the New German Film and they received awards at international festivals. The founding years will be investigated with regard to film esthetics, genre, and narrative techniques.

Fairytales of German Romantics
Spring 2005, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Introductory Course, Dr. Heidrun Markert
The emphatic commitment of romantics to fairytales is not only expressed in theoretical reflections but also in many poetic works referring to a creative dealing with folk poetry, particularly with fairytales. The manifoldness of this artistic reception will be examined by means of selected works of Novalis, W. H. Wackenroder, L. Tieck, W. Hauff, E.T. A. Hoffmann, etc. The essential objective is to identify the fairytale aspects of poetic works and their specific function in the corresponding context.

E.T.A. Hoffmann
Fall 2005, Freie Universität Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Dr. Richard Brittnacher
Hegel's disparaging verdict about “specters-Hoffmann” was still in effect in the Germanic philology of the 20th century. Hoffmann was mainly seen as virtuoso of the eerie dark sides of romanticism. In the past decades, however, the perception of the narrative refinement of this late-romanticist was sharpened. The seminar will not focus on “Der Sandmann” but on some lesser known works of his late period and their predecessors.

GERMAN STUDIES

Germany in Times of National Socialism: Dictatorship and Culture 1933-1945
Fall 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Laboratory Course, Dr. Frank Stucke
The crimes committed by Germans during the National Socialist despotism do undoubtedly stand for the breach of the values of occidental civilization and culture. However, the people who committed these crimes were not only ignorant thugs in uniform but often educated and by no means "uncultured" persons. The seminar analyzes the interaction of barbarism and culture. For this purpose, the ideological structures and institutions of the Nazi dictatorship will be regarded and their cultural form of appearance in architecture, art, literature, film, and in everyday culture will be examined.

"Wende" and Reunification in Literature
Fall 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Susanne Scharnowski
The reunification of the GDR and the FRG was completed 14 years ago and, therefore, reaches more and more the state of elapsed history. At the same time, however, because of growing economical and political problems in the united Germany, a nostalgic trend has appeared in viewing the life in the GDR and increasingly also the day to day life in the Federal Republic before the "Wende." Thus, it is about time to contemplate the literature of the "Wende" and the post-"Wende" time, covering the end of the cold war, the end of the postwar period, the end of the German partition, and the life in the divided Germany from a greater distance. Selected texts and text extracts of West and East German authors (e.g. Monika Maron, Jens Sparschuh, Thorsten Becker, Brigitte Burmeister, Botho Strauss, Kerstin Hensel, Thomas Hettche) will be read.

Cultural Orientation in Berlin: Places, Institutions, History
Fall 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Laboratory Course, Dr. Susanne Scharnowski
This course offers foreign students an insight into the cultural history of Berlin. It allows for a better understanding of the present as well as an improved orientation of the topography and history of the city. On one hand, the history of high culture and its institutions will be viewed and on the other, further aspects will be considered: the history of the industrialization of the 19th century, architecture and urban development, media history, everyday culture, and the history of political and ideological trends and movements. The course covers a long period of time, reaching from the foundation of the Reich in 1871, via the Revolution, the Weimar Republic, National Socialism, the postwar period, the Cold War, and the reunification, up to the presence.

Departure towards Modernity? Literature around 1900 (1880–1914)
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Seminar, Prof. Dr. Susanne Scharnowski
In literary history, the period covered by this seminar is dealt with under very different headings, e. g. 'Fin de Siècle,' 'Décadence,' 'Stylistic Pluralism,' 'From Naturalism to the First World War,' 'Literature of the Turn of the Century,' 'Impressionism, Symbolism and Art Noveau,' 'Literature of the Wilhelmian Era,' etc. On the basis of selected - mainly, but not only literary - texts of German and Austrian writers, a picture of the crisis-ridden and, at the same time, extremely productive period will be composed in this seminar. Hereby, the cultural and social history as well as the fine arts and architecture of that time will also be considered.

Berlin in Literature
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Frank Stucke
By means of selected texts, the most important stages of the city's history from the beginning of the 20th century to this day will be covered. It will be examined how the development of the political and cultural life in Berlin during the Empire, the Weimar Republic, National Socialism, the division of the city, and the period after the German Unification has influenced the literary images of Berlin. Beside the 'classical' prose texts also lyric and drama as well as examples from crime fiction will be considered. Texts from Th. Fontane, G. Hermann, F. Hessel, W. Benjamin, S. Kracauer, A. Doeblin, E. Kaestner, K. Tucholsky, A. Doeblin, B. Brecht, Chr. Wolf, U. Johnson, P. Schneider, F. C. Delius, H. Mueller, Th. Brasch, B. Morshaeuser, P. Biermann, T. Dueckers, etc. will be read.

Ethics, Poetics, and Gender: Critique of Sympathy by Bertolt Brecht
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Anita Runge
Starting from Kaete Hamburger's metatheoretical analysis of the question on the ethical quality of sympathy, the development of the Critique of Sympathy in Bertolt Brecht's work will be traced. Its connection to social theory and gender discourse will also be considered. Amongst others, some early works, the 'Dreigroschenoper' and novel, selected poems, as well as 'Der gute Mensch von Sezuan' will be covered.

Viennese Modernity
Spring 2005, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Introductory Course, Prof. Dr. Lutz Danneberg
By means of some intensive textual analyses, certain texts which are commonly embraced by the term 'Viennese Modernity' will be put into context with regard to contemporary (linguistic) philosophy ('linguistic crisis') and psychology (from experimental psychology up to psychoanalysis), but also regarding the changing perceptions of natural sciences and humanities.

Literature from/in the GDR
Spring 2005, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Dr. Birgit Dahlke
At first, this course deals with the questions 'What can be referred to as GDR literature?' and 'Which different interests can focus present views to this enormously politicized object?' The next step is to investigate the conditions of production and reception of literature within the GDR and their historical changes. Text examples and paradigmatic processes and controversies will be systematically discussed in chronological order. For a first orientation, Wolfgang Emmerich's 'Kleine Literaturgeschichte der DDR' will be used, especially for the included timetable and bibliography.

GERMAN STUDIES / FILM STUDIES

Berlin in Film
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Frank Stucke
Since the beginning of the medium film, Berlin has not only played an important role as production site of cinematography. The city itself has become arena and theme of many films. This makes it easy to follow the most important stages of Berlin's history by means of exemplary films. However, it is not only the city's history the films show. Berlin was always a focal point of the social and political development within Germany. It is a place giving an impression of the most important phases of German history in the 20th century.

GERMANIC LANGUAGES

"Nibelungenlied"
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Introductory Course, Dr. Maria Mueller
The "Nibelungenlied" originates from the 12th century and has been handed down anonymously. On the occasion of the "Nibelungen" festival in 2003, Wolf Lepenies brought up the question whether this bloodthirsty hero-spectacle does not rather appeal to the Americans than to us? What meaning did it have to the contemporaries? The fabulous stories of deceiving Bruenhild as to her bridal courting and wedding night, the assassination of the dragon slayer Siegfried, and the unrelenting revenge of his widow Kriemhild which leads to the fall of the Burgundians, are told in a hero-epic style of singable verses in writing, however from the perspective of courtly novels.

Integrated Course II E - Berlin History between East and West: the Berlin Wall
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Laboratory Course, Dr. Sabine Schmidt
Course description not available.

Integrated Course II F
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Laboratory Course / Language Course, Frank Fischer
Course description not available.

Integrated Course II H - Project Course Film
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Laboratory Course, Dieter Hopf
Subjects of this course are: to analyze feature and documentary films from and about Berlin, to write film critiques, to hold lectures on films, film-makers, production companies, film academies, cinemas, etc., and to conduct the subsequent discussions, to visit production sites, to interview film producers, to produce a brochure on this subject, and to visit the 'Berlinale 2005.'

Simultaneous Interpreting
Spring 2005, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Laboratory Course, Hartmut Angermueller
Course description not available.

HISTORY

Witchcraft Discourses in the Early Modern Europe
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Prof. Dr. Claudia Ulbrich and Prof. Dr. Thomas M. Safley
The focus of this gender-historical upper-level seminar lies on the large witch-hunts of the Early Modern Age. They are examined from a historiographical and discursive-theoretical point of view. Texts about magic and witchcraft from the 16th and 17th centuries will be read considering Lucien Febvres's question: How could it be, that the enlightened people of this era believed in witches and demons? Thus, the seminar mainly deals with the subject as matter of science and mentality. Furthermore, the question will be discussed, how certain images of the female sex came up, were handed down respectively, and who made which use of the treatises about witches and demons.

The Reconstruction of Warsaw and Dresden
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Anna Pappai, M.A.
Warsaw and Dresden are two European cities that suffered a similar fate of annihilation and were destroyed almost to the same degree during the Second World War. However, in the postwar period great effort and a lot of propaganda were invested to reconstruct both cities. The reconstruction of Warsaw and Dresden will be closely examined in this seminar. Important aspects are here the rise from ruins of the "dead cities," the people who still lived in or returned to the cities in 1945, living conditions, plans for the reconstruction and their realization, urbanization processes, new views concerning the cities' functionality as well as the discussion about historical monuments.

The European Revolutions of 1848/49
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Dr. Ina Ulrike Paul
The festivities on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the revolutions of 1848/49 were a big multimedia event--exhibitions in almost all big cities, a large amount of scientific and popular publications, television programs, radio features, special issues of magazines and newspapers, internet pages created by scholars or students, congresses, colloquia, speeches, honorings. Furthermore, it was also an acceptable occasion to emphasize the European dimensions of these revolutions and to reassess the political-cultural and the social "revolutions in the revolution." The ongoing discussion is continued in this upper-level seminar which is mainly concentrating on the revolutions in Germany and Europe.

Emperor Friedrich II
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Michael de Nève, M.A.
Politics and personality of the most exceptional emperor of the Middle Ages, described as "the first modern man on the throne" by Burckhardt and as "the first European" and even "the genius among German emperors" by Nietzsche, is still a mystery today. The seminar clarifies part of it. The legacy of the throne-conflict of the Staufen and Welfen, the legislation in Southern Italy and the empire, the fight with the curia, and the crusade under the anathema will be discussed as well as Friedrich's relation to science and the imperial self-conception between the messianic final empire and the apocalyptic antichrist-polemics on the eve of the interregnum.

European History in the Era of Louis XIV
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Dr. Esther-Beate Koerber
The seminar focuses on the French history in the era of Louis XIV (1650-1715). Other European countries are taken as examples in order to assess the impact of the French model and the way Europe was involved in the politics of Louis XIV of France.

Introduction to Arabic History I
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Laboratory Course, Dr. Klaus Klier
The biography of the prophet is the core of Arabic history. No area of orientalism gets by without going back to the events of this time. The course focuses on:

embedding the early Islamist history into the regional history;
the relation between the Koran and the biography of the prophet;
the development of the communal structures as examples for the later state;
introduction of important references.

Hegemony and Balance--The European Powers at the Turn of the 18th to the 19th Century
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Ina Ulrike Paul
The subject of peacekeeping structures for the European state system has always been existent in the last 500 years. In consequence of the peace treaty of Utrecht (1712), the guiding idea of the English foreign policy gained Europe-wide acceptance in the 18th century, which prevented a single great power from becoming a predominant force on the continent and possibly disturbing the "balance of powers" by means of changing coalitions. This seminar concentrates on the turn of the 18th to the 19th century when the old international classification system "balance" was replaced by the idea of the "European concert" between the French Revolution and the Congress of Vienna.

Propaganda and War in the 20th Century
Fall 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Dr. Dr. Eberhard Demm
Starting from the First World War, the first large media war in history, the role of propaganda in the modern warfare will be analyzed. This will be visually supported by means of caricatures, posters, and photos.

Germany 1945-1990
Fall 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Introductory Course, Dr. Daniel Koerfer
The objective of this course is to trace the most important stages of German history with its collapses and recommencements as well as with the tension between democracy and dictatorship in the second half of the 20th century.

From Korea to Kosovo: Legitimizing War in Western Democracies since World War II
Spring 2004, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Laboratory Course, Daniel Bussenius, M.A.
In the most recent past, the world has seen a fierce debate on the arguments advanced by the American and British governments to legitimize invading Iraq. In principle, Western democracies have to justify their actions in front of their citizens. This seminar wants to put into a historical perspective how Western democracies have legitimized going to war since 1945. Looking at the example of the USA, we want to discuss the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War of 1991 and the humanitarian interventions of the 1990s, i.e. Somalia and the Balkan Wars as well as the failure to intervene in Rwanda. Central questions are: Are the debates on whether to go to war governed by rational arguments, emotional dramatization or even conscious manipulation? Have new patterns of legitimization emerged since the end of the cold war?

Hegemony by Integration? The USA and the Process of European Integration 1945-2004
Spring 2004, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Prof. Dr. Kiran Klaus Patel
Many studies on the history of the European integration since 1945 only or mainly focus on developments within Europe. This class, however, will also look at global constellations, transnational processes, and specifically at the relationship of the EU (and its predecessors) with its most powerful ally, the United States of America. Especially in light of the Iraq crisis of 2002/03, the transatlantic partnership deserves to be studied in a historical perspective. Apart from issues of diplomatic history, we will discuss the economic and cultural dimensions of the American-European relationship.

Organized Folkish Nationalism as Political, Cultural, and Social Movement in Germany 1890-1939
Spring 2004, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Laboratory Course, Bjoern Hofmeister, M.A.
In this course, the theoretical socio-scientific models of collective mobilization and ideological formation of communities are discussed and the development of folkish organizations from the Empire to the Third Reich is shown not only as a political and social but also as a cultural movement. The development of selected folkish and national organizations is examined beyond the end of the Weimar Republic in order to find a more detailed answer to the important question concerning the relation between the philosophical connectivity and the organizational competition with the National Socialist movement.

Art and Propaganda in the "Age of the Extremes"
Fall 2004, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Laboratory Course, Dr. Christian Saehrendt
By means of monuments, works of art, and structural remains in Berlin, the propaganda and political works of National Socialism, communism, and of democratic parties/political movements will be examined. Besides visiting monuments and historical and art museums, emphasis will be placed on street agitation and propaganda literature.

“Antifascism” and “Coping”: Dealing with the NS-Past in the FRG, the GDR, and the Reunited Germany
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Christoph Classen
From a social and cultural historical perspective, the seminar analyzes the public attempt to come to terms with National Socialism in Germany between 1945 and the 1990s. At first, the different theoretical avenues such as 'remembrance/memory,' 'historical policy, policy dealing with the past respectively,' 'master narratives,' etc. will be introduced. As a next step, typical paradigmatic examples for coping with the difficult past in Germany will be elaborated on the basis of selected contemporary controversies as well as analyses of films and literary and historiographical testimonies.

Biography as Genre of the Science of History
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Laboratory Course, Christiane Coester, M.A.
In the scientific world, biography was considered too narrative and, therefore, was abandoned around the middle of the 60s. For some years, the science of history has rediscovered the form of biography and new publications bear expressions like 'creative possibilities' or 'room for maneuver' in their untertitles. This new approach to the life story of a historic figure was provocatively formulated by Jacques Le Goff who let his biography of Saint Louis end with the question: 'À la fin, Saint Louis a-t-il existé?' In this course, newer approaches to biography research will be analyzed and theoretical considerations will be reproduced by means of selected examples. Hereby, also sociological, artistic, and literary analyses as well as examples from fiction will be consulted.

Everyday Life in the Early Middle Ages
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Laboratory Course, Dr. Thomas Ertl
The history of everyday life does not cover big political events or dates, rather the question how people lived their day-to-day lives and experienced their life and history. This perception will also offer the possibility to understand historical acts out of their own logic and to ask in which relation the individual or small collectives stand with respect to the 'structures' which formed them and were formed by them. On the basis of sources from the early Middle Ages translated into German, aspects of the individual and collective coping with life between the 6th and 9th centuries will be discussed.

Politics and Society in the Weimar Republic
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Siegfried Weichlein
This seminar covers the main features of the development of politics, society, economy, and culture in the Weimar Republic. The focus lies on the formative years and the crisis-ridden end of the first German republic, on the party system and the most important political actors, the economic crises and innovations, as well as on the cultural modernity of the twenties. Besides basic historical knowledge, the work technique of historians will be imparted.

Introduction to Modern History. National Socialism: Origins, History, and Remembrance
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Siegfried Weichlein
National Socialism was one of the most formative experiences for the German society in the 20th century. The focus of this seminar lies on its origins and ideological history, its social and racial policies, on economy and armament, on the Second World War and the murder of European Jews as well as on the different ways of coping with it in the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic. The seminar works with selected sources and texts from the history of interpretation and gives a methodic introduction to the studies of contemporary history.

What is Terrorism?
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Seminar, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wippermann
Nowadays 'terrorism' is considered to be the biggest threat to freedom and democracy. Thus, the fight against 'terrorism' is regarded to be the most important challenge. Hereby, the use of radical methods such as pre-emptive wars is deemed to be justified and necessary. But, what is terrorism? Which phenomena were and are nowadays understood as terrorist acts? At first, the seminar deals with the political and historical definition of 'terrorism.' Then, the history of 'terrorism' and the phenomena deemed to be terroristic respectively are covered. And finally, the present discussions about the so-called 'Islamic terrorism' are analyzed in order to prove the applicability of the definition of 'terrorism.'

New Excavations relating to the History of the Bronze Age in Europe
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Haensel
Those new excavations from Greece to Sweden will be introduced in detail which offer specific solutions to current research questions. Excavations from the early second century up to the time around 800 B.C. will be covered. Hereby, the methodological basic questions concerning excavations as well as the Bronze Age research in general will be investigated.

Gravestones and Memorials, Biographies and Obituaries - Aspects of the Memory Cultures in Berlin (1800 - 2000)
Spring 2005, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Annette Vogt
How are the memories of social groups cultivated? Who decides by virtue of which eligibility who is included in the history of a scientific discipline? On the basis of constructions of memory and oblivion by Berlin scientists (1800 - 2000), the work of a historian and the coherence of history of science and other branches of science of history will be examined in this seminar. Hereby, four ways to remember will be focused on: gravestones and memorials, obituaries and biographies.

The Soviet Union as a Multinational State
Spring 2005, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Dr. Joerg Baberowski
The Soviet Union was a multiethnic empire. But it was a multinational state which was nationalized and ethnicised by the Bolsheviks. However, neither the contemporaries of Western countries nor historians were aware of this truth. The objective of this course is to show the events in their imperial dimension and, thus, to impart a new understanding of Soviet history.

New Literature about the Theories of Nationalism and Colonialism
Spring 2005, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Laboratory Course, Prof. Dr. Joerg Baberowski
This course serves as an introduction to the theoretical discussion on nationalism and colonialism. By means of selected essays and books, different important theories and considerations regarding this subject will be presented.

“Berlin – Bagdad”: The German Reich and the Ottoman Empire around 1900
Spring 2005, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Seminar, Prof. Dr. Guenter Schoedl
The 'limits to growth' against which the 'world policy' of Wilhelmian Germany abutted around 1908/09 resulted in a kind of re-continentalization, i. e. a relocation of the global striving for power to, for example, the Ottoman Empire. The corresponding change of programatics and performance, motives and dynamics of German foreign policy are not only examined from a German but also from a Turkish point of view: The Ottoman Empire will not only be viewed as object of German exertion of influence but also as subject of international relations, and, moreover, as an independent factor of the genesis of a big war.

Konrad Adenauer
Fall 2005, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Prof. Dr. Daniel Koerfer
He was without doubt one of the central founding figures of the Federal Republic of Germany, in effect its founding Grandfather. After the fall of the Nazi state and civilization was he "perhaps the most important European of all" (Hans-Peter Schwarz). Up to every trick and tactically adept, hereby fraught with deep skepticism towards people (not in the least his own) and power, long clear in conception and goals, he and his administration laid the course for a stabile Chancellor Democracy. This seminar traces the peculiar career of this "father of foxes" starting from its beginnings in Cologne, by way of the "forced break" during the Third Reich up to the chancellorship in Bonn. In the process will the shadow side of his rule, from the long and painful intrigues regarding successor to his bitter departure from office in 1963 be analyzed.

The German Empire 1871–1918: Authoritarian National State — Social Mobilization — Cultural Modernity
Fall 2005, Freie Universität Berlin, Introductory Course, Dr. Hartwin Spenkuch
The German Empire served as a popular and innovative area of research for modern historians in the 1960s/1970s. But this epoch is still important and exciting: on the one hand, from a methodic-historiographic point of view as a field for new cultural studies, and on the other hand, from a historical point of view as a major epoch of German history in the 20th century. This course gives an overview of the central subject areas, from the personalities of Bismarck and Wilhelm II, to the political system and social groups of the times. Discussions of anti-Semitism, nationalism, gender history and the implementation of cultural modernity will also be crucial.

Reign of Power in the Early Modern Age
Fall 2005, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Claudia Jarzebowski
Through the analysis of power relations, a central approach to the understanding of the Early Modern Age is given. In this seminar, different perspectives on the reign of power will be developed. The legitimation and delegitimation as well as the rights and duties of power are main issues. Furthermore, the seminar focuses on seigniory, marriage and relationship, enforcement of power, resistance, and normative concepts of power and the change of these concepts. The development of historiography is another important subject of this course.

German History in the Time of National Socialism 1933–1945
Fall 2005, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Dr. Heinrich August Winkler
The expression “German catastrophe” (F. Meinecke, 1946) has established itself as describing the period from 1933 to 1945, the time of the Third Reich. Hitler's rise to power brought not only the end of German democracy, with the failure of the transient Weimar Republic, but also the end of the constitutional state in that country. This course covers the governance structures and policy of National Socialism between 1933 and 1945. Special attention will be paid to the social foundations of National Socialism, the attitude of intellectuals, resistance to Hitler, and German policy toward and the genocide of the Jews.

Culture and Society in Germany 1850–1950
Fall 2005, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Dr. Ruediger vom Bruch
This course traces interaction and tension between the cultural and the state nation over one century. It starts with the failed revolution of 1848/49 and ends with the division of Germany into two states after the Second World War. Cultural developments will be included into the general overview of Geman history in this period.

Political Culture of the Soviet Occupational Zone/German Democratic Republic
Fall 2005, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Lecture Course, Dr. Gerd Dietrich
Since the end of the GDR, the attempts to explain this society have accumulated. This course analyzes the political structures of the GDR. Hereby, it does not only adhere to the objective, political and governmental institutions and functions, to the political system of the “SED” dictatorship. It also scrutinizes the subjective dimensions of politics and the interaction of politics and society. For this purpose, the concepts of political culture and political generations will be applied.

HISTORY / CULTURE

Foreign Rule and Self-Assertion. Poland in the 19th and 20th Centuries
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Dr. Gertrud Pickhan
The partitions of Poland at the end of the 18th century and the Second World War were and are still having important impact on the newest and recent history of our neighboring country, an impact which has been essentially forming the Polish identity to date. The loss of statehood and the different foreign rules caused collective traumas which were, however, combined with a strong pursuit of self-assertion. This was not only expressed by several uprisings but also by the strong identification with national history and culture as well as with the Catholic Church, which was the only institution without heteronomy. The lecture course concentrates on the different facets of the Polish struggle for freedom and survival. But also the consequences of this subject area for Poland's role in recent Europe need to be discussed.

Acquisitions and Problems of Individualization in Eastern Europe
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Lecture Course/Laboratory Course, Prof. Dr. Nikolai Genov
After 1989, the anticipated positive individualization did not come true for many Eastern Europeans. Moreover, all Eastern European societies were overtaken by a surge of extreme and destructive individualization - mostly in the form of criminal privatization of government property or general criminality. To what extent have these processes developed in different post-socialist countries? How can the similarities and differences of these countries be explained? Which are the perspectives for the individualization in this region? By means of comparative analyses of Eastern European societies and through reference to the global trend of individualization answers will be found.

JEWISH STUDIES

"Moses Mendelssohn's Jerusalem" and the Jewish Enlightenment
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Dr. Giulio Busi
In this course, the essay "Jerusalem or About Religious Power and Judaism" (Berlin 1783) by Moses Mendelssohn will be read and discussed. This work is a manifesto of Mendelssohn's political thinking and constitutes the first uniform document about a project of enlightening Jewish reform. Besides the thorough evaluation of the literary and philosophical characteristics of the work, the lecture course gives an introduction to the intellectual biography of the thinker of Dessau.

Jewish-German Literature after 1945
Spring 2005, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Prof. Dr. Giulio Busi
The objective of this course is to give an overview on the works of authors of Jewish origin since the end of the Second World War, who chose the German language as means of expression in spite of the Shoah. In particular, the novels of Robert Schindel, Jurek Becker, and Edgar Hilsenrath, as well as texts of female authors such as Barbara Honigmann, Ruth Klueger, and Esther Dischereit will be subject of this seminar.

JEWISH STUDIES / CULTURAL STUDIES

Jewish Cultural History in the Hapsburg Empire
Fall 2005, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Sonat Hart
For some time, the Hapsburg Empire accommodated the largest Jewish community in Europe, second only to Russia . In this seminar, the role of Jews in the multicultural society of Austria-Hungary will be analyzed: the tensions within the Jewish communities caused by Haskalah as well as their interaction with non-Jewish societies in cities like Prague, Budapest, and Vienna . The manifold Jewish history from the court Jew to Jewish revolutionists and from Jewish assimilation to Zionism will be covered.

JEWISH STUDIES / HISTORY

The Jewish Berlin
Fall 2005, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Klaus Herrmann
The seminar considers itself a guidepost for the Jewish Berlin in the past and present. It is divided into a theoretical seminar part and a comprehensive excursion part including visits to synagogues (Neue Synagoge—Centrum Judaicum), cemeteries, Juedisches Museum, archives, etc.

LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

Black Brazilian Theatre
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Prof. Dr. Ligia Chiappini Moraes Leite
O seminário se propõe a discutir a história e os produtos do chamado teatro negro no Brasil, no âmbito mais geral da história do teatro brasileiro do século XX. Partindo da criação do chamado Teatro Experimental do Negro, onde desponta a figura de Abdias do Nascimento, na década de 40, e passando por um teatro negro, escrito, dirigido e representado por brancos, nas décadas de 50 e 60, chegar-se-á ao teatro escrito, produzido e representado por negros, como expressão de movimentos sociais que se fortalecem nos anos 80 e 90 do mesmo século.

Gabriel Garcia Márquez: Cuentos Peregrinos
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Dr. Victor Farías
This course analyzes the thematic and formal differences between the short novels and narrations of García Márquez' work.

Uncertain Past: Memories in Latin America and Spain in the 20th/21st Centuries
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Seminar, Nina Elsemann
For at least two centuries, a worldwide boom of remembrance and dealing with the past has arisen. Examples are the numerous truth commissions and initiatives for 'retrieving historical memory,' the different forms of remembrance, the opening of new memorials and museums, the judicial dealing with experiences of injustice (also on an international level), and the interpretation of the past in many societies. How do different societies deal with the past? Which forms of memory can be practiced, or not practiced respectively? And how do societies agree on a common history? On the basis of the current developments in Spain and Latin America, these questions will be discussed in this seminar.

The Fight Against Corruption in Latin America
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Seminar/Laboratory Course, Dr. Andrés González
In recent years, corruption has become a major threat to political systems in Latin America due to its ability to damage and destabilize national as well as international democratic institutions. Corruption embraces a broad concept with different elements that have been studied by economists, political scientists, and sociologists. Many analysts conclude that the only way to tackle down this problem is an international framework of solutions. However, the results of international efforts against corruption are not very visible yet. This course intends to analyze recent concerns raised by the problem of corruption in international relations, and make an analytical comparison of three case studies (Chile, Argentina, and Ecuador) in order to find out why this phenomenon is still present in the region and what can be done against it.

LAW

Public and Operational Environmental Management
Fall 2005, Freie Universität Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Dr. Philip Kunig / Prof. Dr. Martin Jaenicke / Prof. Dr. Sabine Spelthahn
Course description not available.

LINGUISTICS

Syntactical Analysis
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Sabine Schlueter
At first, the seminar introduces the basics of syntactical descriptions of German focusing on verbosities, phrases, and types of subordinate clauses. Substantial interest is hereby put on basic methods of syntactical analysis. Based on this, concrete text examples will then be syntactically analyzed.

Introduction to Dutch Linguistics
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Introductory Course, Ulrike Vogl, M.A., and Barbara Schluecker
This course gives an overview of the different areas of Dutch linguistics. Basic terms from the areas of phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics are discussed. Emphasis is hereby put on the structure and use of the Dutch language. Furthermore, important devices of Dutch linguistics are presented covering linguistic bibliographies, philological magazines, up to linguistically relevant Web sites.

Introduction to the Studies of Linguistics
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Introductory Course, Dr. Christina Kauschke
This course is an introduction to the manifold area of linguistics. The objectives are to offer an access to the studies of linguistics and to serve as orientation guide. At first, fundamental linguistic and semiotic terms are explained and research methods and part disciplines of linguistics are presented. Afterwards, an overview of the history and main streams of linguistics are given. For this, important approaches to linguistics are absorbed and discussed.

Introduction to Linguistics
Fall 2005, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Introductory Course, Andreas Nolda, M.A.
This course provides an introduction to the subject areas, questions, and methods of linguistics. Emphasis is hereby put on the different levels of grammatical structure—phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics—and on the related subareas— phonetics, graphemics, and pragmatics. By using traditional and modern methods to analyze the German language, fundamental terms and concepts of linguistics as well as their interaction will be explained. These methods imply that we consider cognitive basics of language as well as the typological placement of the German language into the languages of the world.

LITERATURE

Nationalism Debate in the Seven Years' War
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Prof. Dr. Michael Rohrwasser
During the Seven Years' War, a debate about nation and fatherland developed which had also literary consequences. Besides Lessing, there were among others Gleim, Ewald von Kleist, Uz, and Ramler who became productive. The seminar focuses on the literary texts, but also pamphlets, appeals, theoretical texts, and historical documents will be analyzed.

Hitler and the Consequences: Analysis of the Third Reich after 1945 in Literature and Politics
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Ekhard Haack
After 1945, the democratic culture in Germany has developed against the backdrop of the Nazi past. Between the extreme reactions "I won´t hear of it" and "I can't stand to hear it any longer" there is a history of 50 years' repression, digestion, and selective perception of the Nazi time and its consequences. By analyzing programmatic and literary texts, the process of coming to terms with the past will be made visible.

MATHEMATICS

Number Theory
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Lecture/Laboratory Course, Prof. Dr. Volker Schulze
Besides some basic statements of the elementary number theory, the course deals with the theory of algebraic number fields. It will be investigated how the "divisibility theorem," effective in Z, can be transferred to the ring of integers of an algebraic number field. Thereby it can be seen that this is only possible with restriction (e.g. invalidity of the definite prime factor decomposition) and due to new terms (e.g. integers, prime ideals). The focus lies on the theory of Dedekind's rings and the geometry of Minowski's numbers.

Introduction to Complex Analysis
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Lecture/Laboratory Course, Dr. Martin Vaeth
Complex analysis is the science of complex figures and the corresponding (complex) differentiable functions which are also called holomorphic or analytic. Unlike in the real, the (complex) differentiability entails strong and unreckoned conclusions about the global performance of functions. The course covers the following: Complex figures, complex functions, complex differentiability, Wirtinger-calculus, local conform maps, Cauchy's integral theorem and integral formulas, Morera's theorems, Weierstrass and Liouville, fundamental theorem of algebra, winding number, homologous and homotopy paths, and Cauchy's general theorem, "Laurentreihen" and singularities, theorem of the expansion into partial fractions, "Residuen" theorem and application to real integrals, logarithmic residual and argument principle, territorial loyalty ("Gebietstreue"), maximum principle, automorphisms of the unit circle.

Linear Algebra II
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Lecture/Laboratory Course, Prof. Dr. Robert Fittler
Continuation of the lecture course Linear Algebra I. Eigenvalues, Euclidean and Unitarian vector spaces will be covered. Diagonalization and the Jordan canonical form.

Algebra
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Lecture/Laboratory Course, Prof. Dr. Klaus Altmann
In this course, it will be discussed how the algebraic methods are used in geometry. Furthermore, the basic ideas are introduced which make it possible to calculate algebraic problems on the computer, e.g. how can the average of two ideals in a ring be explicitly defined.

Basics of Financial Mathematics
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Dr. Mark de Longueville
This seminar deals with the risk neutral evaluation of financial derivatives. After the introduction to the terminology of the financial world, the discrete and continuous stochastic processes are covered in order to understand the famous Black-Scholes formula.

MUSIC

Richard Wagner: "Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg"
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Upper-Level Seminar, Prof. Dr. Juergen Maehder
Only some important works of the humorous operatic genre were wrtitten in the second half of the 19th century; Richard Wagner's opera "Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg" (Munich 1868), just like Verdi's "Falstaff," are exceptions. In this seminar, the structure of Wagner's work and the historical poetic and compositional background will be examined.

Richard Wagner and the European Opera
Spring 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Lecture Course, Prof. Dr. Juergen Maehder
The importance of the operatic composer Richard Wagner, whose works from "Feen" to "Lohengrin" are subject of the course, is not limited to the completion of the romantic German opera. It also comprises the metamorphosis of different models of the European operatic composition. The integration of Wagner's first artistic period into different models of the German, French, and Italian libretto and operatic traditions is, therefore, the main topic of the course.

Creation, Analysis, and Reception of the Song Cycle “Winterreise” by Franz Schubert
Spring 2005, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Seminar, Dr. Bodo Bischoff
In his year of death (1872), Ludwig van Beethoven created this cycle of 'eerie songs.' Their sources, their origin, and their versions will be the starting point of the investigation. In addition, the position and importance of the poet Wilhelm Mueller in the history of literature as well as the linguistic structure, the imagery, and the emblematics of his texts will be analyzed. With regard to musical analysis, this exceptional work brings up a number of very different questions to be discussed: song form, different shape and function of the 'recapitulation,' relationship between text and music (melo