16927

SoSe 24: Reading Berlin: Berlin from inside and outside

Susanne Scharnowski

Information for students

Workload and assessment: Students will read between 15 and 20 pages of texts in English per week, some of which date from the 19th and early 20th centuries, and will have to prepare various homework assignments during the semester (oral and written). The final assessment will consist of a written assignment (submission: July 25th, 2024.) close

Additional information / Pre-requisites

Is this the right course for you? You should be interested in the topic of the course as well in working on and improving your reading skills, and you should be prepared to share reading experiences, challenges and strategies in class discussions. close

Comments

Topic: Ever since Berlin became the capital of the first German nation state in 1871, it has attracted the attention of German as well as international writers and has featured prominently in fictional as well as non-fictional texts. Observers and visitors from other parts of Germany and from abroad have described and commented on Berlin as the German capital and its political relevance for the nation as a whole, but also as a place that they saw as quite different and disconnected from the rest of Germany. Opinions on the city have always been divided: At different historical junctures and from varied angles, authors have looked at the city with awe and admiration, or with skepticism and bewilderment, highlighting its liberty, modernity, and vibrancy on the one hand, or its ugliness, authoritarianism, or chaos on the other hand. Program: We will read short literary and journalistic texts by American, English, Swiss, Austrian, Dutch, Russian, and German authors, written between 1870 and 2023 (some originally published in English, some translated into English), describing and commenting on Berlin in imperial Germany, during the Weimar years, in National Socialism, in divided Germany, and since unification. Studying these texts, students will engage with relevant aspects of Berlin history, society, and culture, while reflecting upon the challenges faced with when reading texts from different periods and referring to historical events and figures. Students will have the opportunity to reflect upon reading and practice techniques that enhance reading experiences: in-depth reading; taking notes, highlighting; summarising, paraphrasing, synthesising; using various digital tools and reference sources; detecting connections and contradictions in and between texts; evaluation & appreciation of texts; recognizing a writer’s purpose and attitude. Some of the materials will be available on Blackboard; additionally, students have to purchase the reader (a collection of photocopied texts in printed form) from the copy shop at Königin-Luise-Str. 39, near U-Bahnhof Dahlem Dorf. close