Current Courses

 

SPRING 2023 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS 

 

 

Courses for First-Year Students 

 

GSLL 59. First-Year Seminar: Moscow 1937: Dictatorships and Their Defenders. 

A study of recurrent problems of enormous consequence: 

• the origins and emergence of dictatorships that engage in grievous practices of repression and mass murder,  
• in what ways these regimes are understood, and by whom, as they develop and “mature“ – philosophically, ideologically, historically; 

• and how such regimes tend often to be enveloped in rationalizations that facilitate their continuing existence. 

The Soviet Union, particularly during the 1930s and the blood purges, serves as the axis. However, a main objective is to use this “case study” to branch off into different directions of student inquiry.  

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FY-SEMINAR. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: HS, GL. 

Pike. TR 02:00 PM – 03:15 PM 

 

Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Language Courses 

 

 

BCS 402. Elementary Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian Language II. 

Continuation of the proficiency-based instruction in BCS 401. The course emphasizes speaking, listening, reading, writing in a cultural context. Students enhance their basic vocabulary and grammar and will regularly communicate in the target language about everyday topics.  

Prerequisite, BCS 401; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

Dzumhur. TR 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM 

 

BCS 404. Intermediate Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian Language II. 

Continuation of the proficiency-based instruction started in BCS 403.  

Prerequisite, BCS 403; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

Dzumhur. TR 03:30 PM – 04:45 PM 

 

DTCH 403. Intermediate Dutch. 

This is a continuation of Dutch 402, and builds on the essential elements of the Dutch language, focusing on grammar, reading, writing, and conversational skills.   

It is part 2 of a two-semester sequence designed to get students to level A2/B1 proficiency.   

Completion of DTCH 403 fulfills level 3 of a foreign language. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: GLBL-LANG. 

Prerequisite, DTCH 402; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

Thornton. MWF 02:30 PM – 03:20 PM 

 

 

GERM 101. Elementary German I. 

Develops the four language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing) in a cultural context. In addition to mastering basic vocabulary and grammar, students will communicate in German about everyday topics.  

001: Staff. MW 09:05 AM – 09:55 AM and TR 09:00 AM – 09:50 AM 

002: Staff. MW 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM and TR 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM 

004: Staff. MW 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM and TR 11:05 AM – 11:55 AM 

 

GERM 102. Elementary German II. 

This continuation of GERM 101 emphasizes speaking, listening, reading, writing in a cultural context. Students enhance their basic vocabulary and grammar and will regularly communicate in German about everyday topics.  

GERM 101; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

001: Staff. MW 09:05 AM – 09:55 AM and TR 09:00 AM – 09:50 AM 

002: Staff. MW 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM and TR 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM 

003: Staff. MW 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM and TR 11:05 AM – 11:55 AM 

004: Staff. MW 12:20 PM – 01:10 PM and TR 12:30 PM – 01:20 PM 

006: Staff. MW 01:25 PM – 02:15 PM and TR 01:30 PM – 02:20 PM 

 

GERM 203. Intermediate German I. 

Students acquire necessary materials and opportunities to develop further their language skills in a cultural context. They review and expand upon the basic grammar covered in beginning German. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: GLBL-LANG. 

Prerequisite, GERM 102; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

001: Staff. MWF 12:20 PM – 01:10 PM  

002: Staff. MWF 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM 

003: Staff. MWF 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM 

 

GERM 204. Intermediate German II. 

Emphasizes further development of the four language skills (speaking, reading, writing, listening) within a cultural context. Discussions focus on modern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in literature and film.  

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-AESTH. 

Prerequisite, GERM 203; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

001: Staff. MWF 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM 

002: Staff. MWF 01:25 PM – 02:15 PM 

 

GERM 301. Advanced Applied German: Life, Work, Fun. 

Introduction to present-day German-speaking societies with an emphasis on practical contexts of everyday life (business, media, culture). The course initiates a sustained reflection on class, gender, race, and political economy and prepares students for studying and interning in German-speaking Europe.  

• Improve your discussion and presentation skills in German; 

• Broaden your vocabulary;  
• Review and practice German grammar;  
• Read and interpret an array of texts; 
• Practice writing in different genres. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-GLOBAL or FC-KNOWING, COMMBEYOND. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: CI, NA. 

Prerequisite, GERM 204; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

Staff. MWF 12:20 PM – 01:10 PM  

 

 

GERM 302. Advanced Communication in German: Media, Arts, Culture. 

Emphasis is on advanced communication and writing based on shorter readings from contemporary life and culture in German-speaking societies, emphasizing sustained reflection on family structures, class, gender, race, demography, and the political economy of present-day Germany.   

  The readings provide subject matter for in-class discussion and regular written compositions that explore a variety of practical genres (report, article, essay). 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-GLOBAL, COMMBEYOND. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: SS, CI, NA. 

Prerequisite, GERM 204; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

Nester. TR 09:30 AM – 10:45 AM 

 

 

GERM 305. Business German. 

As a continuation of GERM 304, the course offers a more advanced treatment of the current German economic and business debates and events while further strengthening relevant German language skills.  

Course conducted in German. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-GLOBAL, COMMBEYOND. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: NA. 

Prerequisite, GERM 204; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

GERM 304 recommended but not required. 

Same as: BUSI 305. 

Rockelmann. MW 03:35 PM – 04:50 PM 

 

 

PLSH 402. Elementary Polish II. 

Continuation of the proficiency-based instruction in PLSH 401. Course emphasizes speaking, listening, reading, writing in a cultural context. Students enhance their basic vocabulary and grammar and will regularly communicate in Polish about everyday topics. 

Prerequisite, PLSH 401; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

Majewska. MWF 09:05 AM – 09:55 AM 

 

PLSH 404. Intermediate Polish II. 

Continuation of the proficiency-based instruction begun in elementary Polish. 

Prerequisite, PLSH 403; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

Majewska. MWF 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM 

 

RUSS 102. Basic Russian Communication II. 

Further basics of Russian for everyday conversations. Continues to lay the foundation for development of the four language skills (speaking, writing, listening, and reading) indispensable for communication on everyday topics in a variety of situational contexts. Fosters further interaction through acquisition of essential communicative and conversational strategies used in contemporary standard Russian through culturally relevant materials. 

Prerequisite, RUSS 101; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

001: McGarry. MWF 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM and R 11:05 AM – 11:55 AM 

002: McGarry. MWF 01:25 PM – 02:15 PM and R 01:30 PM – 02:20 PM 

003: Doubleday. MWF 01:25 PM – 02:15 PM and R 01:30 PM – 02:20 PM   

 

 

RUSS 204. Intermediate Russian Communication II. 

Skills for fluent speaking, writing, listening, and reading for intermediate-to-advanced learners. Develops and deepens learners’ mastery of contemporary standard Russian. Stresses communication, individual expression, and fosters cultural sensitivity through systematic expansion of the learners’ ability to conduct conversations in contemporary standard Russian on a wide variety of culturally relevant subjects. 

Prerequisite, RUSS 203; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

001: Magomedova. MWF 01:25 PM – 02:15 PM 

002: McGarry. MWF 02:30 PM – 03:20 PM 

 

 

RUSS 410. Intermediate-to-Advanced Russian Communication, Conversation, and Composition in Context II. 

Hones skills necessary for advanced communication, conversation, and composition. Presents phonetics and grammar in contemporary cultural contexts. Learners expand their practical knowledge of contemporary standard Russian in the context of present-day culture, while developing applied skills pertaining to comprehension, production of, and communication in Russian actively using authentic cultural materials. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-GLOBAL. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: BN. 

Prerequisite, RUSS 409; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

Chernysheva. MWF 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM 

 

 

RUSS 412. Advanced Communication, Conversation, and Composition in Contemporary Standard Russian II. 

Prepares advanced learners of contemporary standard Russian for communication with educated native speakers of the language in the area of their professional competence. Furthers interactive skills for speaking, writing, listening, and reading in a variety of communicative situations pertaining to the learners’ professional expertise. 

Prerequisite, RUSS 411; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

Magomedova. MWF 09:05 AM – 09:55 AM 

 

 

RUSS 516. Advanced Russian Communication, Composition and Grammar in the Professions II. 

A continuation of RUSS 515, RUSS 516 develops and maintains the linguo-cultural skills of advanced-to-professional learners by preparing them for professional study-abroad experiences at Russophone institutions of higher learning. A seminar-style course with rotating instructors, it engages learners in contemplation, research, and discussion of subjects within the instructor’s professional expertise.  

Readings, viewing materials, and discussions in Russian. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: RESEARCH, COMMBEYOND. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: BN, EE- Mentored Research. 

Prerequisites, RUSS 515 or permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

Chernysheva. MWF 03:35 PM – 4:25 PM 

 

 

 

Undergraduate English-Language Seminars & Lectures  

 

GERM 245. Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud. 

An introduction to the writings of three great German writers of the 19th century who have had enormous impact on the lives of people around the world.  

Readings and discussions in English. 

Recitation required. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-VALUES, FC-KNOWING 

Making Connections Gen Ed: PH, NA. 

001: Trop. MW 01:25 PM – 02:15 PM 

603: Staff. F 12:20 PM – 01:10 PM 

604: Staff. F 01:25 PM – 02:15 PM 

 

 

GERM 247. Music, Madness, and Genius: The Pathologies of German Musical Literature. 

What is the relation between music and madness? In this course, we will explore this question by looking at the violent and maddening effects of music in German literature and film. From Hoffmann’s Johannes Kreisler, “Kapellmeister and mad musician par excellence,” to Heine’s cadaverous and deranged Paganini, music and musicians have been associated closely with madness, illness, and death in the German literary imagination. In our investigation of the themes music, madness, and genius in German culture, we will encounter different manifestations of genius and madness, consider some of the scientific background to the association between music and pathology, and see how these works continue to affect our understanding of the link between music, madness, and violence in popular music and culture. 

Readings and class discussions in English.  

Prior knowledge of music is recommended but not required. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-AESTH or FC-PAST. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: LA, NA. 

Nester. TR 12:30 PM – 01:45 PM 

 

 

GERM 265. Hitler in Hollywood: Cinematic Representations of Nazi Germany.  

No other medium has shaped our perception of the Third Reich in as encompassing a fashion as the cinema.  In this course, we will view and analyze films selected from the vast array produced in Germany, the U.S. and several other countries affected by World War II. 

Films with English subtitles; readings and discussions in English. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-PAST or FC-VALUES. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: VP, NA.   

Layne. MWF 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM 

 

 

GERM 282. Different than the Others: Stories of Queer German Liberation, 1864-2021. 

LGBTQ+ liberation reaches back to eighteenth-century Germany, when the case for same-sex relations predated the codification of nineteenth-century laws forbidding non-heteronormative desire by more than 100 years. 

This English-language seminar introduces students to over 150 years of LGBTQ+ repression & liberation in German-speaking Europe, from the prohibition of same-sex acts in 1871 to the present, through the lens of German literature & film. Of concern are the major historical chapters of queer experience in all its permutations: 

• from urnings & urninden to homosexual,  
• from invert to third sex, 
• from gay to lesbian, from transvestite to transgender.   

Our focus is aesthetic techniques used to express queer historical experience both transgressively authentic & socially acceptable. 

Readings and class discussions in English. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-AESTH or FC-POWER. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: LA, GL. 

Langston. TR 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM 

 

 

RUSS 270. Crimes and Punishments: Russian Literature of the 19th Century. 

This course explores the deeply moral questions of good and evil, sin and justice, violence and mercy through reading and discussion of the great works of 19th century Russian literature (Pushkin, Gogol, Lermontov, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Chekhov).  

Readings and lectures in English. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-AESTH or FC-PAST. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: LA, BN. 

Lapushin. TR 03:30 PM – 04:45 PM 

 

 

RUSS 275. Russian Fairy Tale. 

An introduction to the Russian fairy tale with attention to its roots in Russian folklore, its influence on Russian culture, and its connections with American folk and popular culture.  

Lectures and readings in English. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: LA, BN. 

Chernysheva. TR 09:30 AM – 10:45 AM 

 

 

SLAV 277. Songs of Light, Liberty, and Dignity: Ukrainian literature today. 

Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression brought renewed attention to Europe’s largest country, its history and its quest for liberty and democracy. SLAV 277 explores the ways in which Ukrainian national identity has been forged by revolutions, wars, engineered famines as well as thirst for liberty. The literary works of Ukraine’s leading writers will help students form an independent critical opinion on the country’s unique culture, its problems, and aspirations.  

All materials are in English. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-AESTH. 

Shvabrin. TR 09:30 AM – 10:45 AM 

 

 

 

Undergraduate Seminars Taught in the Target Language 

 

GERM 303. German Literature and Culture. 

An overview of German literature, culture, and politics, highlighting works from various periods. Students will engage in discussions about German literature, and will be encouraged to think and re-think the significance of literary production in different media. 

Readings, discussions, and essays in German. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-AESTH or FC-PAST. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: LA, CI, NA. 

Pre- or corequisite, GERM 301 or 302; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

Prica. TR 12:30 PM – 01:45 PM 

 

 

GERM 381. Berlin: Mapping a (Post) Modern Metropolis. 

Almost no other metropolis has experienced such frequent, radical change transforming the face of the city. Although Berlin saw steady growth in its importance, dazzling epochs alternated with darker eras. Nevertheless, the formerly divided city has succeeded in becoming a vibrant metropolis in the heart of Europe. This course attempts to capture the spirit of the city by engaging students with several texts from the 19th and 20th centuries that are representative of Berlin’s literary and cultural history – from Theodore Fontane’s middle-class in Mitte to the Turkish community of Kreuzberg. We will not only read literary texts, but also watch films, listen to music and discuss art and architecture representative of the city. 

All materials and discussions in German. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: LA, NA. 

Prerequisite, GERM 303; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

Layne. MWF 02:30 PM – 03:20 PM 

 

 

RUSS 415. Introduction to Russian Literature. 

Reading and discussion of selected authors in Russian aimed at improving reading skills and preparing the students for higher level work in Russian literature.  

Readings and class discussions in Russian.  

Making Connections Gen Ed: LA, BN. 

Prerequisite, RUSS 410; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

Magomedova. MWF 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM 

 

 

 

Dual-Level Seminars Taught in English 

 

GSLL 465. Literature of Atrocity: The Gulag and the Holocaust in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. 

Historical contexts and connections through artistic representation of the Holocaust and Soviet terror in Eastern Europe and the USSR.  

Taught in English. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: LA, BN, GL. 

Same as: JWST 465, PWAD 465. 

Pike. TR 03:30 PM – 04:45 PM 

 

 

RUSS 486. Exploration of Russian “Women’s Prose” and Svetlana Alexievich (Nobel Prize in Literature 2015). 

In this course, we will explore the long and rich history of “women’s prose” in Russian literature and beyond. 

Taught in English; some readings in Russian for qualified students. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-AESTH or FC-GLOBAL. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: LA, BN. 

Same as: WGST 486, EURO 486. 

Lapushin. TR 12:30 PM – 01:45 PM 

 

 

GERM 508. Old High German (Gothic and Old Saxon). 

This proseminar surveys the linguistic and cultural backgrounds of three of the earliest known Germanic languages. Proceeding from Gothic, we shall focus on developing a basic reading proficiency so that students can avail themselves of the literature in the original, with a dictionary. For each language, we shall examine the history of the people who spoke it, the important texts (with selected readings in the original), and linguistic matters that are relevant to all of the Germanic languages but exemplified by the particular language under consideration. These topics include phonology, morphology, syntax, orthography, dialect variation, language contact, epigraphy, and Germanic alliterative poetry. 

The medium of instruction is English. 

Prerequisites: None. A reading knowledge of German would be helpful, as would be prior study of an older Germanic language (such as Old Norse or Old English). But such backgrounds will not be presupposed. 

Roberge. TR 03:30 PM – 04:45 PM 

 

 

RUSS 562. Structure of Russian. 

NOTE: This course is offered by the Department of Linguistics. 

Examines Russian from the perspective of linguistic analysis. How do sounds, words, and sentences pattern in Russian? How do these compare with patterns in other languages? Also considers the influence of evidence from Russian on the development of linguistic theory. 

Prerequisite, LING 101 or RUSS 102; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. 

Same as: LING 562. 

Pertsova. TR 02:00 PM – 03:15 PM 

 

 

Carolina-Duke Graduate Level Courses 

 

GERM 614. Foundations in German Studies I. 

This course offers a survey of German literature, language and culture from 1000-1700, as well as an introduction to research methods in medieval and early modern German literature. During this period, German literature begins to differentiate itself from other discourses like that of religion, philosophy, rhetoric and history; early aesthetic forms begin to take shape at the interface between orality and textuality. In order to be able to read medieval literature in the original and produce viable scholarly translations, students will be introduced to the Middle High German language, including grammar and semantics.  

Readings in English, German and Middle High German; Discussions in German.  

Permission of the instructor for undergraduates. 

Prica.  T 4:40 PM – 7:10 PM 

UNC Campus 

 

 

GER 711S.01 Mapping Jewish Modernisms. 

This course explores the multiple ways that Jewish literature maps onto different locations around the world—from traveling characters in novels to migrating authors, international publication and translation practices, and holdings in archives and libraries around the world.  We will explore the transnational, cross-cultural, and multilingual dimensions of modern Jewish literature, and will develop a project for a website and exhibit at Duke’s Perkins Library.  We will read Kafka, Schnitzler, Svevo, Morante, Carrington, Woolf, and Toomer, among others.   

Open to grad students and undergrads; assignments appropriate to enrollment level. 

Gellen, Ziolkowski.  TTH 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM 

DUKE Campus 

 

 

GER 790–4.01 Adorno and Philosophy. 

An introduction to Theodor W. Adorno’s philosophical thinking from both analytical and historical perspectives.  Attention will be given to his relation to the philosophical tradition (e.g., Kant, Hegel, Marx), associates of the Institute for Social Research (e.g., Horkheimer, Pollock, Benjamin), psychoanalysis, and against the background of his understanding of “late capitalism”.   

All readings and discussions in English, with the option of texts in German. 

Pickford.  W 3:30 PM – 6:00 PM  

DUKE Campus 

 

 

GER 890S.01 Relationality and the Individual: Self, Other, Environment around 1800 and beyond. 

We will explore theories of self and other as reciprocally emergent through encounter and communication – of forces, ideas, language, affect, sexual fluids, diseases.  The relationship to other(s), variously imagined as an external “environment,” as sexual other, or as an other recognized as similar, creates and challenges the boundaries of identity and impacts theories of collectivities and ethical relations. Readings: literature, philosophy, and science likely including Fichte, Schelling, Goethe, Novalis, Günderrode, Blake, A.v. Humboldt, Stifter, Droste-Hülshoff, Uexküll, Kafka, Michel Serres, Bruno Latour, Donna Haraway, and Jane Bennett.  

No knowledge of German required for non-CDG students. 

Engelstein. M 3:30 PM – 6:00 PM 

DUKE Campus