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Nature and the City in German Literature, Visual Arts and Film

Module description

German culture to this very day is often seen as heavily determined by an understanding of nature. We will make the effort to understand and systematise this ‘green’ view of German identity by tracing it back to its origins in the 18^th century and then observing its evolution over the 19^th century to the Weimar Republic in the early 20^th century. In order to fully understand different concepts of nature we need to confront them with the opposite concept, that of the city. By dealing with poetry, a novella, fine arts and the cinema you will receive ideas of how to reflect, speak and write about the different fields of cultural studies.

Module aims - intentions of the module

In this module we will be examining, through selected examples from around 1750 to 1933, how the discussion of nature and the city helped the German people to define major positions in their understanding of themselves both as individuals and as a nation. With its texts and material from different areas and epochs the module will introduce you into the wider field of cultural studies, discuss what determines art and show how the development of the cultural sector contributes to a wider understanding of Germany. In lectures and seminars we will introduce you to genre conventions in literature, the fine arts and the cinema, and to the evolution of these genres.

• To introduce you to key aspects of the literary and cultural traditions of Germany and the German-speaking countries 
• To discuss historically specific concepts of nature, the rural landscape and the modern city as presented in literature, the fine arts and film from the 18th century to the early decades of the 20th century 
• To acquaint you with a selection of works by representative authors, painters and film makers 
• To provide you, whatever your previous experience of literature, with a sound foundation on which to base your literary and cultural studies at higher levels

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate familiarity with the set texts/films and with key aspects of their historical, literary, and cultural context, in particular modes representation of nature and the city
• 2. Outline, in written and oral form, standard critical approaches to the texts/films and formulate your own opinion on aspects of the texts/films
• 3. Discuss basic features of narrative technique and genre (as appropriate) with reference to the set texts/films, in written and oral form

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Read and analyse poetry, prose, paintings and films in German, relating them to specified aspects of their cultural, historical and generic context
• 5. Describe and evaluate, under guidance from the course tutor, key critical responses to the texts/films and, to a limited extent, apply standard critical approaches to the material independently
• 6. Compare, summarise, evaluate, and criticise the existence of differing critical responses to the material
• 7. Mount an argument in sound written English using basic textual or other evidence
• 8. Recognise and relate to basic literary-/film-critical terminology and use some of this terminology in written and oral work
• 9. With initial guidance, find your way around the relevant subject areas of the University Library and access and use learning resources specified by the course tutors
• 10. Show ability to give bibliographical information accurately and consistently, following established guidelines

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 11. Undertake structured learning activities with guidance from course tutor and with the help of written guidelines
• 12. Assimilate, select and organise material in order to produce, to a deadline, a written or oral argument
• 13. Explain and discuss personal conclusions with other members of a group
• 14. Demonstrate basic word-processing and IT skills

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

• Organisation of the module; introduction to the concept of nature in 18^th -century poetry from the Enlightenment, Klopstock to Goethe
• Discussion of selected poems by Enlightenment authors, Klopstock, Goethe
• Introduction to working with research literature; brief introduction to narrative prose; the concepts of nature and the city in Gottfried Keller, Romeo and Julia auf dem Dorfe
• Continued discussion of selected poems by Goethe; discussion of rural settings in Keller’s Romeo and Julia auf dem Dorfe
• Introduction to poetic realism in Keller’s Romeo and Julia auf dem Dorfe; brief introduction to German 19^th -century painting
• Discussion of the city in Keller’s Romeo and Julia auf dem Dorfe
• Introduction to the Expressionist painting and the movement Der Blaue Reiter
• Discussion of selections from Der Blaue Reiter
• Introduction to film studies and Brecht’s Kuhle Wampe
• Discussion of Kuhle Wampe
• Essay revision

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Selected poems by Haller, Klopstock and Goethe (ELE)
• Gottfried Keller, Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe (Reclam UB 6172)
• Excerpts from: Wassily Kandinsky / Franz Marc, Der Blaue Reiter. Dokumentarische Neuausgabe , ed. by Klaus Lankheit (Piper, 1984) [ELE]
• Bertolt Brecht / Slátan Dudow, Kuhle Wampe (1932; DVD Absolut Medien GmbH, 2008)  
• A full bibliography of secondary and additional reading will be provided by the course tutor

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2635

Key words search

Klopstock, Goethe, Keller, Der blaue Reiter, Brecht, nature, city, poetry, novella, film, fine arts, Enlightenment, Realism, Expressionism