GER 307 - East German Culture

Course Units: 1.0

This course offers an overview of life in East German socialism, with a focus on cultural, societal and political themes. Centrally, we consider the ways the both literature and film became essential outlets for cultural expression in the GDR, as well as the constraints placed upon such expression. Moreover, we devote time to examining political and social topics affecting cultural production and consumption in the GDR (known as a quintessential “Leseland” - country of readers). Our materials span the critical to the celebratory, and the sober to the comical, capturing important ‘snapshots’ of this small, short-lived (1949-1990), yet vital country. Prerequisite(s): GER 201 Corequisite(s): GER 201 or permission of instructor. CC: HUL, LCCG, HUM, JCHF, JLIT, JWOL