GERM 304 German Literature 1939-Present (Not offered 2006-2007; to be offered 2007-2008)

This course will provide an overview of German-language literature from the Nazi era through the present day. Beginning with the literature of intellectuals in exile, we will then examine the "rubble literature" of the so-called "zero hour" of the immediate postwar era. We will trace the development of literature in the two German states (with a sideways glance toward Austria), focusing on such topics as the memory of fascism and the Holocaust, and the consequences of Germany's division and ultimate reunification. Readings may include texts by Klaus & Erika Mann, Wolfgang Staudte, Wolfgang Borchert, Gruppe 47, Heinrich Böll, Peter Weiss, Ingeborg Bachmann, Peter Schneider, Christoph Hein, Patrick Süßkind, Jurek Becker, Christa Wolf, Bernhard Schlink, and Zafer Senocak. Readings and discussion in German.
Format: seminar. Requirements: active class participation, three short (~4 pp.) papers and one longer (8-10 pp.) paper.
Prerequisites: German 202 or equivalent. No enrollment limit (expected: 8).