DEPARTMENT OF GERMANIC STUDIES Course Number: GER 340C (37680): Roots of Modernity: German Cultural History, 1200-1750 Semester: Spring 2019 Instructor: Peter Hess,
[email protected] Prerequisites: Three credits in upper-division course work in German DESCRIPTION: Beginning with the development of medieval cities and concluding with the beginning of the modern era, this course focuses on the historical, cultural, and literary development of German-speaking Europe. Political, social, religious, economic, and philosophical developments as well as architecture, art, music, and literature of the time period will be examined. History will not be discussed in terms of specific events but rather in terms of large-scale developments and factors that contributed to them; focus will be on cultural history. Most importantly, we will learn to understand how Germany's past helped shape the Germany we know today. We will study a variety of source texts and artifacts that will give you insight into historical developments, cultural production, and everyday life. You will learn to read and interpret various artifacts as specific forms of human thought and expression in their times. You also will be encouraged to reflect upon your own life as a point of comparison: this will help you understand how your own life, just like that of Germans in the past, is determined by the respective historical moment and the norms established by the cultural context. You will be assigned daily readings and should expect to turn in at least one homework assignment per week. Some assignments will require group work (work in groups is generally encouraged).