676: Revolution im deutschen Drama und Film, 3 cr.
Prerequisites: German 337 and 2 additional advanced German courses or consent of instructor
Silberman, M 3:30-5:30 pm
This seminar will explore the intersection of art and mass politics in Germany. The fact that the “German revolution” was so late in coming possibly explains the imaginative energy invested in representations of revolution and its failure. Again and again German writers and film makers have been inspired by the strife of historical revolutions to work through anxieties and project utopias in their own times. Thus, we will begin by reading German interpretations of the French Revolution from the nineteenth century (Georg Büchner, Arthur Schnitzler) and twentieth century (Peter Weiss, Heiner Müller), followed by cinematic representations produced during the Weimar Republic (Ernst Lubitsch, Dmitri Buchowetzki, Hans Behrendt). Then we will focus on treatments of the German Revolution of 1918 (a 1920s drama by Brecht and Margarethe von Trotta’s much more recent bio-pic about Rosa Luxemburg). Finally we will consider attempts at addressing revolution in the latter part of the twentieth century, the “student revolution” of the late 1960s and the “velvet revolution” of 1989 (a novelle by Peter Schneider as well as films by Werner Herzog and Harun Farocki).
Seminars are group discussions, so preparation and participation are essential. Each student will in addition be expected to guide the discussion of one seminar session, to present a “Referat” about the final project, and to complete a research paper of 18-20 pages on that project. The course will be conducted in German.
Books to purchase:
- Georg Büchner, Dantons Tod (Klett Verlag, ISBN 3123512002)
- Arthur Schnitzler, Der grüne Kakadu (Reclam Verlag, ISBN 3150083990)
- Peter Weiss, Die Verfolgung und Ermordung Jean Paul Marats (Suhrkamp BasisBibliothek, ISBN 3518188496)
- Heiner Müller, Der Auftrag und andere Revolutionsstücke (Reclam Verlag, ISBN 3150084709)
- Bertolt Brecht, Trommeln in der Nacht (Edition Suhrkamp 490, ISBN 351810490X)
- Peter Schneider, Lenz (Rotbuch Verlag, ISBN 3880220913)
[additional readings will be posted to the course website for downloading and films will be screened outside of the seminar sessions]
