19th C German Literature

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

The 19th century is often overshadowed by the outsized attention focused on other periods of German-language cultural production. It is framed by German Enlightenment, Classicism, and the early Romantics which dominated the second half of the 18th century, on the one hand, and, on the other, by the creative outpouring after the turn of the century in Vienna/Habsburg and, later, the Weimar Republic when modernists were at their prime. This graduate-level reading course familiarizes students with major aspects of the fascinating literary production of the nineteenth century. While being cognizant of the overlapping presence of many of the key figures – Goethe published Faust II as late as 1832! – we will concentrate on major literary periods such as late Romanticism, Young Germany, Biedermeier, Realism, Naturalism, and Symbolism. The surprising breadth of literary genres and media – for example, the beginnings of cartoon and graphic narratives – will be showcased as well as the full reach of authors from different areas of the German-speaking world. Students will read short prose, dramas, and poetry and write brief analyses of characteristic aesthetic features of the works. Rather than move strictly chronologically, we will group the readings into the cultural contexts in which they participate, i.e., Swiss, Austrian, and (northern) German. Authors studied will include Eichendorff (Das Schloss Dürande), Hebel (Kalendergeschichten), Hoffmann (Rat Krespel), Heine (Deutschland, ein Wintermärchen), Büchner (Leonce und Lena), Droste-Hülshoff (Die Judenbuche), Raabe (Else von der Tanne), Fontane (Stine), Storm (Immensee, Viola Tricolor), Hauptmann (Rose Bernd), Hebbel (Agnes Bernauer), Nestroy (Lumpazivagabundus), Ebner-Eschenbach (Komtesse Muschi, Komtesse Paula, Die Hand lasst er küssen), Stifter (Granit), von Saar (Die Steinklopfer), Gotthelf (Uli), Keller (Das Fähnlein der sieben Aufrechten), Meyer (Der Schuss von der Kanzel), and a generous selection of poetry. (List of authors and selected texts may change somewhat.) In addition, we will read a small selection of literary/aesthetic essays by authors that will help us establish a context for our discussions. Students will also need to read one longer novel of their choice.