Course: German Cultural Studies - Seminar

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Course title German Cultural Studies - Seminar
Course code KGN/KS61
Organizational form of instruction Seminar
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 2
Language of instruction German
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Course availability The course is available to visiting students
Lecturer(s)
  • Horňáček Milan, Mgr. Ph.D.
  • Voda Eschgfäller Sabine, Mgr. Dr.
Course content
The course examines selected topics in German, Austrian, and Swiss cultural history from the second half of the twentieth century to the present. Individual topics address the political, social, and artistic transformations of the German-speaking countries after 1945. Areas covered may include post-war society and its interpretative frameworks, authority and education, migration, concepts of homeland, gender roles, bodily and cultural norms, popular culture, contemporary language and literature, memory culture, and political myths. Each class consists of a lecture component and a practical component. The lecture introduces the historical and cultural context of the respective topic. During the practical component, students jointly read, analyse, and discuss a selected literary, journalistic, or scholarly text and may also work with visual or audiovisual materials. Emphasis is placed on comparing cultural developments in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and on developing an informed understanding of contemporary culture in the German-speaking countries. All texts discussed in class, worksheets, presentations, visual and audiovisual materials, and other course resources are made available to students in Moodle.

Learning activities and teaching methods
Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Work with Text (with Book, Textbook), Methods of Written Work
  • Homework for Teaching - 8 hours per semester
Learning outcomes
This course consists of a 45-minute lecture and a 45-minute practice unit. Each lesson introduces one topic from German, Austrian or Swiss cultural history of the second half of the 20th or 21st century. During the practice unit, a literary or scholarly text will be read and discussed together. The aim should be to gain a more concrete approach to contemporary German-speaking culture and its aspects (artistic, political, social). At the end of the course there will be a written exam on the course content. The basis for this are the handouts and discussed texts, which students can find in Moodle.
The seminar aims at introducing students to the problems, issues and methods used in certain disciplines the knowledge of which is essential for the study of the German society and culture.
Prerequisites
The course is intended for students enrolled in German Studies programmes as well as for other interested students at Palacký University. A basic knowledge of the history and culture of the German-speaking countries after 1945 is advantageous but is not a prerequisite for completing the course. The course is taught in German. German language proficiency at approximately B2 level is expected in order to follow the lectures, read literary, journalistic, and scholarly texts, and participate actively in class discussions.

Assessment methods and criteria
Student performance, Analysis of Creative works (Music, Pictorial,Literary), Didactic Test

Attendance (max. 2 unexcused absences); active participation; test at the end of the semester (written)
Recommended literature
  • Brandes, Detlef. (2005). Der Weg zur Vertreibung 1938 - 1945. Pläne und Entscheidungen zum "Transfer" der Deutschen aus der Tschechoslowakei und aus Polen. München.
  • Brandt, Ahasver von. (2007). Werkzeug des Historikers. Eine Einführung in die Historischen Hilfswissenschaften. Stuttgart.
  • Brunn, Gerhard. (2002). Die europäische Einigung. Stuttgart.
  • Burckhardt, Jacob. (1995). Die Kultur der Renaissance in Italien. Essen.
  • Duchhardt, Heinz. (2003). Europa am Vorabend der Moderne 1650-1800. Stuttgart.
  • Elias, Norbert. (1997). Über den Prozess der Zivilisation. 2. Bd.. Frankfurt a.M.
  • Fisch, Jörg. (2002). Europa im Zeitalter von Wachstum und Gleichheit 1850-1914. Stuttgart.
  • Gellner, Ernest. (1991). Nationalismus und Moderne. Berlin.
  • Goetz, Hans Werner. (2000). Proseminar Geschichte: Mittelalter. Stuttgart.
  • Görtemaker, Manfred. (1999). Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. München.
  • Gründer, Horst. (2000). Geschichte der deutschen Kolonien. Paderborn.
  • Hobsbawm, Eric. (1998). Das Zeitalter der Extreme. Weltgeschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts. Stuttgart.
  • Kocka, Jürgen. (2001). Das lange 19. Jahrhundert. Stuttgart.
  • Kolb, Eberhard. (1984). Die Weimarer Republik. München.
  • Müller, Winfried. (2002). Die Aufklärung. München.
  • Padberg, Lutz E. von. (2006). Christianisierung im Mittelalter. Darmstadt.
  • Sellin, Volker. (2005). Einführung in die Geschichtswissenschaft. Göttingen.
  • Siemann, Wolfram. (1995). Vom Staatenbund zum Nationalstaat - Deutschland 1806-1871. München.
  • Sösemann, Bernd (Hrsg.). (2002). Der Nationalsozialismus und die deutsche Gesellschaft. München.
  • Wildt, Michael. (2008). Geschichte des Nationalsozialismus. Göttingen.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): German Philology (2019) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): German Philology (2019) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): German for Translators and Interpreters (2019_24) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): German for Translators and Interpreters (2019) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): German for Translators and Interpreters (2019) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): German Philology (2022) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): German Philology (2019) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -