GERM 3133 - Contemporary German Culture

3 (3-0)

Germany is Europe’s largest and most densely populated country. Since 1989 it has gone through fundamental transformations. Its borders have changed, its geopolitical significance has changed, its population has changed. It has become the motor of the European Union. It has gone from being one of the closest allies of the United States to one of its chief critics. Its new capital Berlin has become the cultural capital of the 21st century. It is a place of daring experiments and reactionary violence. It is a place of fascinating contradictions that present many challenges. This course will offer students an introduction to and overview of this dynamic country on the move. Through introductory lectures and class discussions, we will explore a variety of issues: e.g., the cost of unification, the Nazi legacy, post-communism, immigration, citizenship, the European Union, Old Europe, managing capitalism, and the role of gender and sexual minorities in Germany today. The language of instruction and all class materials are in English.

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