German Courses

The goal of German 1001 is to develop the four language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing) in a cultural context with a focus on spoken German. The course will enable you to communicate in German about everyday topics, including friends and family, housing, daily routine, leisure…

German 1002 continues to develop the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) in an authentic cultural context. The course will enable you to communicate in German about everyday topics such as education, leisure activities and travel and present information about German-…

German 1110 develops the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) in an authentic cultural context. The course will enable you to communicate in German about everyday topics, including your family, yourself, your everyday routine, shopping, education and recreational…

A combination of Elementary German I and Elementary German II. Not open to native speakers. Not open to students with credit in GRMN 1001, GRMN 1002.

German 2001 continues to develop the four language skills in a cultural context. It also reviews and expands upon the basic grammar covered in first-year German classes. By the end of this course you should have: increased your ability to communicate about topics of general interest orally and…

German 2002 continues to develop your language skills in a cultural context. It also reviews and expands upon the basic grammar covered in first-year German classes and in German 2001. By the end of this course you should have significantly enhanced your knowledge of cultural issues, increased…

Accelerated course with comprehensive grammar review and readings of intermediate texts; composition and conversation. Not open to native speakers.

German 2140H continues to develop the four language skills in a cultural context. It also reviews and expands upon the basic grammar covered in first-year German classes. By the end of this course you should have: increased your ability to communicate about topics of general interest orally and…

Explores the Viking myths and legends from multiple perspectives: comparative world mythology; ancient Germanic origins; medieval literary and historical context; modern reception, revival, and misuse; popular mass culture; and creative reinterpretation. Taught in English.

This course explores German literature as a window onto central themes and developments in German and Austrian society, culture and history in the 19th and 20th centuries. The focus is on realistic fiction as testimony to the lived experience of daily life, place, social class, gender, national…

Traditional German folk tales, fairy tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and German authors in the social and cultural context of the early 19th century. The use and abuse of fairy tales in contemporary culture and popular media, including advertising, film, and TV. Taught in English.
Not open…

Students meet individually via video platform with native German-speaking partners, conversing on topics of mutual interest in both languages and documenting progress with a portfolio of written work. This course is part of the Video Tandem Language Learning Project between UGA and the Leibnitz…

Refines basic command of the language, emphasizing written and oral expression. Materials include historical and autobiographical texts that acquaint students with German history and culture from 1900 to the present. Discussion of social, cultural, and political questions central to the…

Refines basic command of the language, emphasizing written and oral expression. Explores the role of science and technology in German culture and society, with an emphasis on the knowledge and skills needed for success in a German university, lab, or workplace.
Satisfies Core Area IV (World…

Development of language skills, emphasizing compositions, oral reports, discussions. Organized around literature, film, websites, and nonfiction on topics pertaining to contemporary Germany. Topics include political movements and parties; issues of postunification, the GDR and the Nazi past;…

This course explores the history and culture of the Germanic world from the Bronze Age up until Charlemagne. Emphases include Roman-Germanic confrontation, the Nordic mythology of the Vikings and their relationship to early Germanic pagans, the Christianization of the Germanic tribes as well as…

In this course we read, interpret, and work creatively with some of the classic texts in medieval German literature: heroic epic, Arthurian romance, and the poetry of Minnesang. Explores the deep origins of modern notions of heroism and romantic love in an era that was both unimaginably violent…

Multi-media investigation of the period of massive intellectual and religious transition between 1350 and 1600 in the German-speaking lands. Emphasis on the Catholic conciliar movement; the Protestant Reformation and Sectarianism; and the rise and spread of Northern Humanism. Includes close-…

This course provides an overview of the differences between German and English grammar, with a focus on not only the individual study of the core linguistic modules of phonetics/phonology, morphology and syntax, but also the interaction between those modules, especially in bilinguals. Balancing…

Survey of history of German cinema; investigation of particular directors, periods, and styles; relationship between German and other national cinemas. Course includes a required weekly film screening. Taught in English.
 

This follows the same format as the film courses offered…

A historical survey of German poetry or focus on particular poets, periods, or themes. Poems will be explored in their historical and cultural context but also engaged with as living works of art. There will be a performance and creative component. Taught in German.

We will look at key texts by German and Austrian writers from about 1800 to 1914, looking at how writers positioned themselves in terms of nationhood and empire. German-speaking writers reacted to the Napoleonic wars and their aftermath, the French 1830 revolution, the uprisings of 1848, and the…

This course will introduce students to the literature, art, music and the central social, cultural and political issues of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a period in German literary and cultural history known as the Romantic Age. It is designed to provide an introduction to the…

Offered annually as part of our Study Abroad in Freiburg program during the summer semester. This couse consists of selected contemporary topics in the culture, civilization, language, or literature of German-speaking countries. Taught in English.

Course will be taught by the visiting Max Kade Foundation Writer-in-Residence or Filmmaker-in-Residence. Course is focused on a topic of their choice, usually involving their own work, though not exclusively. Taught in German.

Post-war German-speaking literature and ideas. Traces literary themes and topics and analyzes their social, political, and cultural context. Includes aftermath of World War II (philosophical, political, cultural, economic), feminism, new politics of the 60s/70s, terrorism, foreigners/…

Focuses on German playwright Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956), one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century drama. Discussion of Brecht's political and artistic development during his Berlin years, a period of explosive political constellations and artistic controversy. Involves the…

In this course, we will read representative texts written by women authors after 1945, as well as view and discuss films by women filmmakers. We will aim to interpret and understand these works in light of their historical context-- the postwar period, the task of Vergangenheitsbewältigung…

How do societies remember? What do societies, groups, and individuals choose to remember and forget, and why? How are memories and family stories passed down through the generations? Taking these broad questions as our guide, this seminar centers more specifically on public acts of remembrance…

This course explores the Berlin Wall as a site of history and imagination within the context of postwar politics, culture, and everyday life. We will discuss the events leading to the construction of the physical border, life with the Wall, the fall of the Wall and the persistence of mental “…

This course provides a cross-cultural (Germany-US) exploration of current perceptions and interactions of authorities (e.g. police) with the public through an examination of laws and regulations. We take a close look at crime and morality in popular media such as television crime dramas. We also…

Over the course of the semester, we will concern ourselves with the topic of heritage languages. A heritage language is acquired in the home, but spoken in a community, region, or country where it is not the majority variety. In part, the topic focuses on the social circumstances surrounding a…

Explores the synthesis of the verbal and musical arts in German culture from a dual perspective: literary content of musical genres (such as minne- and meistersang, Lutheran hymn, cantata, opera, folk song, lied), and musical structures and themes in certain literary works. Taught in German.…

The main aim of this course is to introduce undergraduate students to the history of German film. At the same time, we will address the social, political, economic, demographic changes and shifts in Germany of the 20th/21st century. The class will ask

questions in relation to these…

The course consists of three parts: an examination of traditional stories, including fairy tales, followed by an analysis of contemporary picture books, and finally a close reading of Michael Ende’s Unendliche Geschichte as a neo‐romantic tale. The readings are in roughly chronological order,…

This course investigates the contributions of Jews and Jewish culture to the German-speaking world. The focus is on how Jewish writers, thinkers, and artists portray their experiences and identities. We will read texts and view films that reflect the responses of Jews (and non-Jews) to…

Taking Goethe's late autobiographical writing Dichtung und Wahrheit as point of departure, this course explores the life and work of Goethe, focusing on dramatic, novelistic, and poetic genres for which he is renowned and considering their aesthetic, historical, and cultural implications. Taught…

The goal of this course is the study of the sociohistorical processes and linguistic developments in German, concerning the establishment of the modern standard language. As such, we will study language shift and language change from both a diachronic and synchronic perspective. The standard…

In German cultural and literary history, fairy tales are much more than nice, little stories for children that feature cute, talking animals and princesses who marry princes and live happily ever after; they are important texts about German cultural history and they may even give us a glimpse…

Traditional folk fairy tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and literary fairy tales by Clemens Brentano, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Ludwig Tieck, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, Michael Ende, and others in social and cultural contexts. Representations of fairy tales in film and TV.…

Independent study and research under the direction of individual faculty members. Repeatable for maximum six hours credit. 

 

In this course, you can expect to refine your command of spoken and written German, developing a more sophisticated range of vocabulary and expressions. A significant part of class time is spent on developing speaking skills. The course investigates three major areas of German culture and…

Germany has a long tradition in magic and the occult sciences, whether through its practitioners or its representation in literature. Some of the more well-known historical figures of German-speaking origin who were involved in one way or another in the occult sciences or occult societies…

This course familiarizes students with major developments in German-speaking theater. We will read several of the most enduring and well-loved plays in the German language, with special attention to their dramatic aspects as well as the specific cultural and historical contexts in which they…

The influence of Islam on Goethe was profound. This course examines various literary responses, such as his "Mahomets Gesang" or the "West-östlicher Divan"; considers how Islamic and Qur'anic thought is reflected elsewhere in his oeuvre; and investigates Muslim responses to Goethe (especially…

Exploration of the language, culture, and autochthonous literature of German-Americans during the peak years of German immigration to the U.S. in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Central themes include bilingualism, cultural contact, and the duality of identity inherent in the immigrant…

The political and literary reception of the French Revolution in Germany. Includes representative literature of German classicism, travelogues and journalistic writings by German Jacobins, and political and sociological essays from 1775 to 1806. Focuses on the relationship between politics and…

This course focuses on literary and cinematic representations of the Holocaust from postwar to contemporary Germany. The course aims to broaden students’ knowledge of the Holocaust and intends to provide them with a more profound understanding of the complex moral, historical, and aesthetic…

Significant works, authors, topics, genres, or movements in 20th- and 21st-century literature examined within their specific historical contexts.
 

Special topics course that offers a unique look at German culture and language. The course changes from year to year. 

Capstone course for German majors, minors, and advanced students. Selected topics in German literature and culture. Required for German majors.

Since time immemorial, literary writers and philosophers have engaged in an intense dialogue and intellectual exchange. How have the discourses of literature, poetry, and philosophy mutually influenced and complemented each other? Figures considered may include Plato, Kleist, Hoelderlin,…

Theoretical and applied German phonology and word structure. Taught in English.
Not open to students with credit in GRMN(LING) 6810
 

Theoretical and applied German phonology and word structure. Taught in English.
Not open to students with credit in GRMN(LING) 6810
 

The golden age of Viennese culture, from the fin-de-siecle literature of the cafes to the rise of expressionism, the influence of psychoanalysis, and the ravages of the war. Figures considered include: Mozart, Schubert, the Strauss dynasty, Schnitzler, Hofmannsthal, Mahler, Freud, Wittengenstein…

Provides an overview of the extra-linguistic factors that affect language use in historical languages; provides an introduction to conducting sociolinguistic inquiry on linguistic varieties for which direct linguistic evidence is limited. Emphasis is placed on quantifiable methods for…

Designed for students interning at a company with a German- speaking working environment. Students apply and deepen their German language skills and cultural knowledge while gaining hands-on work experience in a professional work/business environment.
Students submit a learning agreement…

This discussion-based course emphasizes active participation in classroom discussion of current events topics and related activities. The expectation is that students enrolled in this course are interested in and aware of current events and that they will inform themselves about current events…

Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, and synthesize and interpret data and to present results in writing and other relevant communication formats.
This course belongs to a…

Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, and synthesize and interpret data and to present results in writing and other relevant communication formats.
These courses belong to a…

Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, synthesize, and interpret data and to present results in writing and other relevant communication formats.
These courses belong to a…

Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, and synthesize and interpret data. Students will write or produce a thesis or other professional capstone product, such as a report or…

An introduction to German literary studies. Techniques and methods of interpretation of literary works. Topics include: genres and literary periodization, literary theories, research methods.