Oesterreich und Schweiz

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

German-speaking Europe continues to exhibit a fascinating array of diverse national and regional cultures with distinct historical and literary traditions, language variations, religious customs, music, and food. This Level V course explores select aspects of these traditions with an emphasis on tracing the origins and observing their changes in practice, meaning, and reception into the 21st century. Course materials include films, literary texts, historical texts, biographies, visual materials, and journalistic articles, and secondary literature. The course content is closely linked with the acquisition and refinement of genres and language features prevalent in academic settings. The course explores “Tradition und Moderne” along two main axes: HISTORICAL/MYTHICAL/LITERARY FIGURES: Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) of Austria-Hungary Photographs, paintings, monuments, biographies “Sissi”, feature film (1955 – Part I of Trilogy) “Sissi – The Musical” Wilhelm Tell - Swiss national hero F. Schiller, drama, Wilhelm Tell (1804); comic book version Paintings, monuments Heidi – Girl of the Alps Johanna Spyri, novel “Heidi. Lehr- und Wanderjahre” (1880) „Heidi“, feature film (2015) NATURE AND SOCIETY The Vienna Forest (Wiener Wald) and the Prater amusement park v. Horvath, „Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald“ (1931) Ulrike Ottinger, “Prater”, film (2008) The Swiss Alps - legends, myths, and superstitions Tim Krohn, „Der Geist am Berg“ (2011), novella Jonathan Huston, sagas from the principality of Liechtenstein Assessment: Participation/homework 25% Essays 30% Presentation (group and/or individual) 15% Final paper with research component 30%