Fifty-five years after the end of World War II, we possess the historical detachment and the resources to look back at the Nazi era and evaluate life accounts of both Germans and Jews who grew up during those years. We will study post-war autobiographical texts by Germans and Jews of both the parents' and children's generations in order to understand their attempts to come to terms with their experiences. Questions of memory and agency are often linked to reclaiming or confronting what is German, and what role patriotism and a sense of national identity might play in today's Germany. Authors include: Christa Wolf, Ruth Kluger, Peter Bruckner, Eugen Herman-Friede, Peter Sichrovsky, Chaim Noll, Lea Fleischmann. Films include: Das Schreckliche Madchen, Au revoir les enfants, Europa Europa, Zentropa. Conducted in German. Requirements: two 3-page and one 10-page paper.