This paper is available for the academic year 2024-25.
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GEA3 provides an introduction to German studies for ab initio students. It offers an interdisciplinary foray into central aspects of German culture, including medieval and modern literature, film, linguistics, history and thought. Students are not expected to have any prior knowledge in these areas. The aim of the course is to give students a better sense of what German studies at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ entail and which courses they may want to take at Part IB (their second year) and Part II (the fourth and final year).
GEA3 covers the topics below, plus a module on literary commentary.
HISTORY -ÌýImperial Germany 1871-1918
- Bismarck’s Chancellorship
- The Reign of Wilhelm II
MODERN LITERATURE 1 - Heine (from October 2024)
MODERN LITERATURE 2 - Kafka
- Kafka:ÌýDie Verwandlung
FILM - Akın (from October 2024)
- Akın: Auf der anderen Seite
THOUGHT -ÌýMarx
- Marx and Engels:ÌýDas Kommunistische Manifest
MEDIEVAL LITERATUREÌý(from October 2024)
- Herzog Ernst
LINGUISTICS -ÌýLanguage and Lexicography
- Konrad Duden:ÌýDeutsche Rechtschreibung
Many of the lectures are simultaneously GE1 lectures, but lecturers will make provision for the ab initio students present.
Students should familiarise themselves with the materials for all topics so that they can make informed choices, as they move through the year, about the four topics on which they would like to be supervised. Before coming to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼, students should concentrate on the texts for those modules for which lectures are scheduled in the first term (Michaelmas). In 2024-25, these topics are History, Modern Literature 1 and 2, Film, and Thought.
The Faculty produces some advice on preparation.
Two lectures are devoted to each topic, with an additional session on critical commentary and textual analysis. It is expected that students attend all lectures and that they have supervisions on Modern Literature 2 plus three further topics. Those four supervisions will all take place in the Lent term. There will be two revision supervisions in the Easter term. In most cases, students will be seen by more than one supervisor over the course of their studies for this paper. Supervisions will be arranged centrally, by the course convenors.
The GEA3 Moodle site, with learning resources, can be accessedÌý (for current students with Raven password).
Assessment is by end of year examination, for which candidates answer three questions. The Kafka text is examined by an extract for commentary: this question is compulsory. There are essay questions on the other topics: candidates may choose any two.
Andrew Webber (Michaelmas Term) | |
Sarah Colvin (Lent and Easter Term) |