GER5060 Heimat: Germany's Fall & Rise
This course will use Edgar Reitz' 1984 epic fim "Heimat" to help students understand German socio-historical developments from the end of the First World War to Germany's economic and political dominance of Europe in the 1980's. Reitz' film unfolds in 11 episodes (each approximately 1 1/2 hours long), and tells the interrelated stories of the inhabitants of Schabbach, a German village which serves as a microcosmic symbol for the whole country. Like the rest of Germany, the various inhabitants of the village live through the crisis after WWI, the rise and fall of Nazism, post-war reconstruction and subsequent prosperity. Praised for its emotional intensity, cinematic beauty and attention to detail, the film is an excellent vehicle for learning about the events of 20th century German history and their effect on individual lives. Selected readings in German culture and history, as well as the viewing of some related films, will reinforce and augment student understanding of the cinematic material. The film is in German with English subtitles, the lectures and discussions are in English, and the course can be taken for either German or International Studies credit. Students taking it for German credit are encouraged to sign up for a once a week German discussion class (1 credit GER "Independent Study") in conjunction with this course.