Course: German Philology - Literary Lecture

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Course title German Philology - Literary Lecture
Course code KGN/LP20
Organizational form of instruction Lecture
Level of course Master
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 3
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)
  • Voda Eschgfäller Sabine, Mgr. Dr.
Course content
The lecture examines Dada as a literary and artistic movement and its place within the context of European culture in the first half of the twentieth century. Particular attention is paid to the emergence of Dada at the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich, its spread to other European centres, and the specific forms it assumed in the German-speaking countries. The course covers the historical and cultural contexts of the First World War and the interwar period, the principal representatives and centres of Dada, the movement's relationship to modernity, politics, and mass culture, and its connections with other avant-garde movements. It explores Dadaist practices in literature, the visual arts, collage, photomontage, typography, performance, and sound poetry. The lecture also includes the interpretation of selected literary, visual, and performative works and an assessment of Dada's influence on the subsequent development of twentieth-century art and literature. Course materials consist of resources prepared by the lecturer and made available in Moodle, including presentations, handouts, extracts from primary texts, and reproductions of selected works of art. These are supplemented by audiovisual materials, scholarly articles, and chapters from recommended secondary literature.

Learning activities and teaching methods
Monologic Lecture(Interpretation, Training)
  • Homework for Teaching - 12 hours per semester
Learning outcomes
The aim of the lecture is to introduce students to Dada as a major artistic and literary movement of the first half of the twentieth century and to place it within the broader context of European interwar culture. Particular attention is paid to the emergence of Dada in Switzerland, its spread to the German-speaking countries, and its different forms in individual cultural centres. Students gain an overview of the main representatives, poetics, media, and artistic practices of Dada and become familiar with its manifestations in literature, the visual arts, typography, performance, and other forms of artistic communication. The lecture also examines Dada's relationship to the First World War, modernity, politics, mass culture, and other avant-garde movements. The course develops students' ability to interpret selected literary and visual works and to assess the significance of Dada for the subsequent development of twentieth-century art and literature.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to characterise the main features of Dada and its place within the context of European interwar culture, explain the historical, social, and artistic circumstances of its emergence and dissemination, and identify its principal centres, representatives, and works. They will be able to recognise typical poetic and artistic techniques in literary, visual, and performative works, interpret selected texts and artworks in relation to their historical context, and assess the significance of Dada for the subsequent development of twentieth-century art and literature.
Prerequisites
Students prepare for the examination on the basis of the lecture content, the materials available in Moodle, and the assigned primary and secondary texts. The course is completed with an individual oral examination lasting approximately 20 minutes. During the examination, students demonstrate their knowledge of the main topics covered in the course, their ability to place Dada within the broader cultural, historical, and artistic contexts of the interwar period, and their familiarity with selected literary and visual works. Attendance at lectures is not compulsory.

Assessment methods and criteria
Mark, Oral exam

Students prepare for the examination on the basis of the lecture content, the materials available in Moodle, and the assigned primary and secondary texts. The course is completed with an individual oral examination lasting approximately 20 minutes. During the examination, students demonstrate their knowledge of the main topics covered in the course, their ability to place Dada within the cultural, historical, and artistic contexts of the First World War and the interwar period, and their familiarity with selected literary, visual, and performative works. Attendance at lectures is not compulsory.
Recommended literature
  • Mittelmeier, Martin. Dada. Eine Jahrhundertgeschichte. München. 2016.
  • Philipp, Eckhard. Dadaismus. München. 1980.
  • Schäfer, Jörgen. Dada Köln: Max Ernst, Hans Arp, Johannes Theodor Baargeld und ihre literarischen Zeitschriften. Berlin/ Heidelberg. 1993.


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 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: -