This class focuses on German-speaking authors (Thomas Mann, Bertolt Brecht, Anna Seghers, Stefan Zweig and numerous others) who were forced to leave their country in the wake of Adolf Hitler's appointment as Chancellor in 1933.
While exile literature is often discussed and categorized in terms of its biographical, political, and moral content, a consideration of its impressive aesthetic heterogeneity can open up new interpretations. Examining selected works of prose, poetry, drama, and theoretical writings, we will address the following questions: What exactly is exile and what was the historical background against which the intellectual exodus from Germany and Austria in the 1930s occurred?
Does exile constitute a break from the modernist tradition? What is the impact of the exile's new environment on aesthetic approaches and cultural theory? To what extent do the conditions of exile influence literary production and notions of artistic identity? And can there ever be an end to exile? In addition to lectures and discussions, this course features numerous excursions to important sites of literary and artistic production and of cultural memory.
Period
28-05-2011 - 09-07-2011 (6 weeks)
Target group
Other than a good working knowledge of German, this class does not require any special knowledge of German literature or history. While open to students from various backgrounds, participants should have an interest in history, literature, and politics from the early 1930s until post World War II. Ideal for undergraduate students, this class can also serve as a tool for graduate students to deepen their knowledge of a particular author, period or topic in the field of Exile Studies in general, and/or German exile literature in particular.
Course aim
see course description
Credits
6.0 ECTS creditsGRADING25% Regular attendance and active class participation. This course is run as a seminar, i.e. your participation in class is crucial. Please notify me in advance if you have to miss class. 20% Two response papers of about 2 pages each. 25% One oral presentation of approximately 15 minutes. Intended to kick off the class discussion, the presentations should primarily reflect your very own insights, questions, and arguments. Topics will be distributed in the first week of classes. 30% Final paper of approximately 8-10 pages.
Course fee
EUR 1200. TuitionEUR 250[Convert to USD]Program fee
Course leader
Dr. Johannes Evelein
Freie Universitat Berlin FUBiS
Address: Otto-von-Simson-Str. 26
Postal code: 14195
City: Berlin
Country: Germany
Website: http://www.fubis.org/
E-mail: fubis@fubis.org
Phone: +49 + 30 + 838 73472
Deutsche Exilliteratur
