Contemporary Literature in German
Code: 106332 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| English Studies | OT | 3 |
| English Studies | OT | 4 |
Contact
- Name:
- Jordi Jane Llige
- Email:
- jordi.jane@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
This subject does not require prior knowledge of German language. The works will be read in Catalan or Spanish translation, and will be discussed in these languages. Eventually the originals will be compared with the translations in order to comment on specific aspects.
Objectives and Contextualisation
Learning objectives: the course aims to offer, through six authors, an approach to one of the most brilliant periods of the German expression literature, starting from the repercussions of the First World War and continuing its evolution during the interwar period.
We will comment authors from different German-speaking territories and focus on the diversity of aesthetic and ideological approaches that we find in their literary proposals: Ödön von Horváth, F. Kafka, B. Brecht, A. Seghers, J. Roth and Rilke.
The analysis will include the comparison with the other Western literatures of the same period.
Competences
- English Studies
- Develop arguments applicable to the fields of literature, culture and linguistics and evaluate their academic relevance.
- Identify and analyse the main currents, genres, works and authors in English and comparative literature.
- Produce effective written work or oral presentations adapted to the appropriate register in distinct languages (except English).
- Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse a text or a film under various aspects and synthesise the results of the analysis in an overall interpretation.
- Apply the knowledge and skills acquired to professional and academic activities related to German Literature, History and Culture.
- Assess from literary texts the various cultural contexts from a critical perspective.
- Communicating in the studied language in oral and written form, properly using vocabulary and grammar.
- Demonstrate a sound knowledge about advanced topics related to the study of literature and culture.
- Distinguish principal ideas from secondary ideas and synthesise their contents in German-language literary texts and films.
- Effectively communicating and applying the argumentative and textual processes to formal and scientific texts.
- Have criteria in order to assess the aesthetics of a literary work or film.
- Identify and interpret the symbolic language of a text and a feature film.
- Identify the main genres and the main literary, cultural and historical trends in the German language.
- Make relevant critical assessments based on an understanding of relevant information on topics related to German literature and culture of social, scientific or ethical interest.
- Practise the critical discourse and implement the argumentative processes.
- Recognise the most important aspects of the history of German-speaking countries and other Western literatures and cultures.
- Recognising theories of other human, artistic, and social areas and applying them to German literature and cinema.
- Use the specific expressive resources of the essay genre.
Content
The course is a review of the main trends, authors and works of German literature of the interwar period. The works will be read in Catalan or Spanish translation.
The seminar will be based on the commentary and analysis of the following books (eventually a dossier with copies of short texts will be used)
1- Franz Kafka: In the Penal Colony
2- Joseh Roth: Hotel Savoy
3- Rilke: Poetic anthology
4- Ödön von Horváth: Youth without God
5- Bertolt Brecht: The good person of Sezuan
6- Anna Seghres: The Dead Girl's Class Trip
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Classes of analysis and interpreation of texts in the group | 30 | 1.2 | 2, 7, 4, 10, 14 |
| Elaboration of comments and critical essays. | 15 | 0.6 | 4, 10, 15, 3 |
| Group or individual presentations | 13 | 0.52 | 4 |
| Lectures with the active participation of the student and collective discussion | 30 | 1.2 | 5, 15 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Support tutorials | 15 | 0.6 | 4 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Reading of books and secondary biography | 15 | 0.6 | 7, 14 |
| Use of the Camp Virtual and the Internet | 10 | 0.4 |
The subject will be based on reading, searching for information, commenting and exchanging opinions.
The students will assume different roles in the seminar, which we will distribute throughout the course: present biographical information about an author and the context of creation of a work, the analysis of a text, a secondary source; the comment of a passage, etc.
At the end of a reading a comment exercise will be proposed
The structure of the course will be more of a seminar than a master class.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essays written at home | 70% | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 2, 5, 8, 6, 11, 12, 7, 4, 10, 9, 13, 14, 15, 3 |
| Presentation in class | 30% | 2 | 0.08 | 1, 2, 5, 8, 6, 11, 12, 7, 4, 10, 9, 13, 14, 15, 3 |
CONTINOUS ASSESSMENT
The evaluation of the course will result from the mark obtained in each of the reading comments made in class/done at home (50%); responses to content questionnaires (20%); in class presentations (20%) and class attendance (10%)
On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.
In the event that evaluative activities cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
Students will obtain a Not assessed/Not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items.
Artificial Intelligence
This subject entirely prohibits the use of AI technologies in all of its activities. Any submitted work that contains content generated using AI will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade will be awarded a zero, without the possibility of reassessment. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken
Important note for exchange students (Erasmus, etc.) on exams and other tests Erasmus students who request to bring forward an exam or any other type of assessment activity mustpresent the teacher with an official document from their home university justifying their request.
SINGLE ASSESSMENT
The single assessment will consist of a written test where there will be questions about the six units of the course (50%).
20% ofthe grade will be dedicated to the oral presentation of one of the course topics, chosen by lottery.
30% will be an oral interview about the rest of the readings.
Grade review process
On carrying out each assessment activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.
PLAGIARISM
VERY IMPORTANT: The total and partial plagiarism ofany exercisewill automatically be considered a SUSPENSE (0) of the plagiarized exercise. If the situation is repeated, the entire seminary will be suspended. PLAGIAR is to copy from unidentified sources of a text, be it a single phrase or more, that is posing as its own production (THIS INCLUDES COPYING INTERNET PHRASES OR FRAGMENTS AND ADDING THEM WITHOUT MODIFICATION TO THE TEXT PRESENTED AS OWN) and is a serious offense. It is necessary to learn to respect the intellectual property of others and to always identify the sources that can be made to serve, and it is essential to take responsibility for the originality and authenticity of the text itself.
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will becarried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
Bibliography
Primary Bibliography
a) Franz Kafka: In der Strafkolonie (1919)
A la colònia penitenciària (2020) Girona: Edicions de la ela geminada. Traductora:
Anna Punsoda.
En la colonia penitenciaria(2019) Barcelona: Acantilado. Traductor: Luis Fernando Moreno.
b) Joseph Roth: Hotel Savoy. Ein Bericht (1927)
Hotel Savoy (2023) L'Avenç. Traductora: Heike van Lawick
Hotel Savoy (2023) Ed. Acantilado. Traductor: Feliu Formosa
c) Ödon von Horváth: Ein Kind unserer Zeit (1938)
Joventut sense Déu (2017) Juneda: Fonoll. Traductora: Anna Soler Horta
Juventud sin Dios (2019) Barcelona: Nórdica. Traductora: Isabel Hernández
d) Bertolt Brecht: Der gute Mensch von Sezuan (1943)
La bona persona de Sezuan. (2018) Tarragona: Arola. Traductor: Feliu Formosa.
El alma buena de Sezuan, a: Teatro completo (2006) Madrid: Cátedra. Traductor: Miguel Sáenz.
e) Anna Seghers: Der Ausflug der toten Mädchen (1943/44)
La excursión de las muchachas muertas (2007). Barcelona: Bruguera. Traductora: María Alonso
2.5.2. Secondary Bibliography
Acosta, Luis A. (1997). La literatura alemana a través de sus textos Madrid: Cátedra.
Beutin, Wolfgang (i altres) (1989) Historia de la literatura alemana. Madrid: Cátedra.
Blom, Philipp (2016). La fractura: vida y cultura en occidente, 1918 – 1938. Barcelona: Anagrama
Gallego, Ferran (2001). De Múnich a Auschwitz. Una historia del nazismo, 1919-1945. Barcelona: Plaza Janés.
Gay, Peter (2011) La cultura de Weimar. Barcelona: Paidós
Grunfeld, Frederic V. (1979) Prophets without honour. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Hernández, Mª Isabel; Maldonado, Manuel (2003). Literatura alemana: época y movimientos desde los orígenes hasta nuestros días. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.
Hobsbawm, Eric (2013) Fractured times. Culture and society in the twentieth century.London: Little, Brown
Kolinsky, Eva; van der Will, Willy (1998) Modern German Culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Maldonado, Manuel (2006). El expresionismo y las vanguardias en la literatura alemana. Madrid: Síntesis..
Siguán, Marisa ; Rötzer Hans Gerd (2018). Historia de la literatura alemana. Barcelona: Ariel.
Weitz, Eric D. (2007) La Alemania de Weimar. Presagio y tragedia. Madrid: Taurus
Software
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Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 1 | Catalan/Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan/Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |