The Weimar Republic has been examined and re-examined not only in an effort to account for the failure of democracy and the rise of Hitler in Germany, but also for its remarkable artistic achievements. Using a variety of primary documents, including movies, works of art and literature, as well as more traditional historical sources, and the writings of historians, this course will consider the social, political, and cultural history of the Weimar Republic. At issue in the course will be the relationship between the political and social instability and the cultural blossoming that characterized Germany during the 1920s. We will also consider whether the Weimar Republic in general, and the Weimar culture in particular are better understood as the product of Germany's past or as harbingers of its future. Evaluation will be based upon participation in class discussion, two essays (each approximately five pages), and one 8-page paper due at the end of the semester. Group B