German 470:389:01 Prof. Nicola Behrmann Fall 2010 172 College Avenue, Room 302 11:30am-12:50pm Phone: 732-932-7201 172 College Avenue [email protected] Seminar Room Office Hrs.: W/Th 4:15-5:15pm

Life is a Cabaret! Popular Culture and Performance in Weimar Germany (3 credits)

This course is an introduction to German 20th century culture focusing on the “Roaring Twenties”. Drawing from various media, we will explore the dynamics of Weimar Germany through the lens of both entertainment culture and experimental literature, conflating the boundaries between high and low art, aesthetics and politics. Topics to be considered are the role of gender and sexuality, consumerism, body culture, and new modes of mass production. Special emphasis is placed on the tradition of the German Kabarett (social satire, and parody), modern dance and revue shows, and experimental literature. Readings include short texts by Ernst Bloch, Georg Simmel, and Siegfried Kracauer; numerous German Kabarett poems and songs; film adaptations of Brecht’s “Three-Penny- Opera”, Heinrich Mann’s “Professor Unrat”, and Frank Wedekind’s “Pandora’s Box”; popular music (Jazz, Schlager, chansons); and dance (Anita Berber, the Tiller Girls, Josephine Baker).

All readings, discussion, and writing in German.

Course Requirements

Attendance and active participation in class discussions (30%); two essays which you will submit as a draft and a final revised version. Only the final version will be graded (20%, 10 each); one “Klausur” (midterm exam, 20%); one short oral presentation of a Cabaret song (10%); final paper (20%)

Grade distribution

A=90-100%; B+=85-89; B=80-84; C+=75-79; C=70-74; D=65-69; F=64 and below

24-Aug-10, 9:03 PM Required Books, available at the bookstore

Bertolt Brecht, Die Dreigroschenoper. Der Erstdruck 1928: Text und Kommentar, Frankfurt/Main: Suhrkamp BasisBibliothek, 2008 · ISBN-10: 3518188488

Heinrich Mann, Professor Unrat (Der blaue Engel), Reinbek/Hamburg: Rowohlt Verlag, 1994 · ISBN- 10: 3499100355

Frank Wedekind, Lulu. Erdgeist. Die Büchse der Pandora, Leipzig: Reclam, 1995 · ISBN-10: 3150085675

All other readings to be downloaded from SAKAI

Attendance All students must attend regularly and arrive prepared. Those who miss more than two class sessions without a compelling excuse (a doctor’s or college dean’s note, for instance) should expect a one-step reduction in the course grade (i.e. an A becomes a B+, a B+ becomes a B). Three late arrivals count as one absence. Note: It is the responsibility of students who have been absent (for any reason) to find out what they have missed and obtain materials that may have been handed out.

Photocopies Department photocopying fees add up quickly and impressively; we will therefore need to collect from each student 5 cents per page toward the cost of handouts other than the syllabus.

Online course materials Please note that our course will have its own website on https://sakai.rutgers.edu/portal. You can log on using your Net ID and password. If the course does not appear as one of your tabs, please search and add it or contact me and I will grant you access. Some of the reading will be available via Sakai and you are required to print and bring those readings to class on the scheduled days as part of your class participation grade. Please check Sakai frequently for updates, announcements, and resources. You can also communicate with your classmates via Sakai in the Chat Room or pose questions in the Forum. Online materials may also be available through library online reserves. Please go to http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/lib_servs/course_reserves.shtml and log in using your Net ID and password. You can then search by Instructor, Course Number, or Course Name.

Plagiarism* Plagiarism is an extremely serious matter, and can lead to a student’s failing the course and being referred to his or her dean for disciplinary action. When referring to ideas other than your own, always acknowledge your sources clearly and completely, whether you are quoting or paraphrasing. Please see the University’s policies on academic integrity at http://teachx.rutgers.edu/integrity/policy.html, and discuss with your instructor any questions you may have about this and related issues.

Disability Support Services Students who may be requesting accommodations due to disabilities are encouraged to familiarize themselves with procedures and policies regarding disability support services at the following website: http://disabilityservices.rutgers.edu/. It is recommended that students seeking accommodations begin filing paperwork as soon as possible as the documentation review process may take up to 30 business days. Students are encouraged to speak with teachers about these issues at the beginning of the term. All such conversations will be kept strictly confidential.

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Cell Phones Cell phones and all other technological devices (beepers, iPods, MP3players…) must be turned off during class out of respect for the instructor and fellow students.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Week 1 Th 9/2 Einführung

Week 2 M 9/6 LABOR DAY – NO CLASS Th 9/9 Friedrich Nietzsche, Also sprach Zarathustra (Vorrede, 3-6); Peter Jelavich, “Variety Shows and Nietzschean Vitalism”

Week 3 Variété und Avantgarde M 9/13 Futurismus: Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, “Das Variété” (1913); Hugo Ball, “Dadaistisches Manifest” und Auszüge aus Flucht aus der Zeit (1916) Th 9/16 Dada Zürich: Tristan Tzara/ Marcel Janco/ Richard Huelsenbeck, “L’Amiral cherche une maison à louer”; Hans Arp, “Kaspar ist tot”; Emmy Hennings, “Vor der Premiere”

Week 4 M 9/20 Dada Berlin: Kühn, pp. 15-28, John Heartfield, Photomontagen; Hannah Höch, “Das schöne Mädchen”, “Dompteuse” und “Indische Tänzerin” Th 9/23 CABARET SONGS I: Audio Presentation & Discussion

Week 5 Bürger und Tingeltangel M 9/27 Heinrich Mann, Professor Unrat (1905), Kapitel 1-4 W 9/29 7:30pm MOVIE: Joseph v. Sternberg, Der blaue Engel (1930) Th 9/30 Professor Unrat, Kapitel 5-11

Week 6 M 10/4 Professor Unrat, Kapitel 12-17 Metropolenkultur und Kulturindustrie Th 10/7 Georg Simmel, “Die Grossstädte und das Geistesleben” (1903)

Week 7 M 10/11 Siegfried Kracauer, “Das Ornament der Masse” (1927) Th 10/14 MOVIE: “Sinfonie der Grossstadt” (Auszug); Fleig, “Tanzmaschinen – Girls im Revuetheater der Weimarer Republik”

Week 8 “Lulu” M 10/18 Frank Wedekind, Der Erdgeist (1905) W 10/20 7:30pm MOVIE: G.W. Pabst, Die Büchse der Pandora (1928) Th 10/21 Wedekind, Die Büchse der Pandora (1913), Dritter Aufzug

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Week 9 M 10/25 KLAUSUR (MIDTERM) Josephine Baker und Amerika Th 10/28 Friedrich Holländer, “Jonny”; Yvan Goll, “Die Neger erobern Europa” (1926); Nenno, “Weiblichkeit – Primitivität – Metropole: Josephine Baker in Berlin”

Week 10 M 11/1 Walter Mehring/Mischa Spoliansky, “Jazz-Band”, Klabund/F. Holländer, “Rag 1920”, Theodor W. Adorno, “Über Jazz” (1936) Th 11/4 Brandstetter, “Valeska Gert: Filmischer Tanz und Groteske”

Week 11 Experimentelles Theater M 11/8 Bertolt Brecht, Die Dreigroschenoper (1928), Vorspiel und Erster Akt W 11/10 7:30pm MOVIE: G.W. Pabst, Die Dreigroschenoper (1931) Th 11/11 Brecht, Dreigroschenoper, Zweiter und Dritter Akt

Week 12 M 11/15 Bertolt Brecht, Texte zum Epischen Theater Th 11/18 CABARET SONGS II: Audio Presentation & Diskussion

Week 13 M 11/22 Karl Valentin, “Die Erbschaft” (1936) Th 11/25 THANKSGIVING – KEIN UNTERRICHT

Week 14 Zirkus und Variété in der Literatur M 11/29 Robert Walser, “Lustspielabend” (1914) und “Café Chantant” (1928) Th 12/2 Franz Kafka, “Ein Hungerkünstler” (1924)

Week 15 M 12/6 Thomas Mann, “Mario und der Zauberer” (1930) W 12/8 7:30pm MOVIE: Joseph Vilsmaier, The Comedian Harmonists (1997) Th 12/9 Diskussion: Kabarett im Dritten Reich

Week 16 M 12/13 CABARET SONGS III: Audio Presentation & Diskussion

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