Course: The Oldest Literature Texts in German Speaking countries

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Course title The Oldest Literature Texts in German Speaking countries
Course code KGER/NNL
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Seminary
Level of course Master
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter
Number of ECTS credits 2
Language of instruction German
Status of course Compulsory
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Schuppener Georg, prof. Dr. phil.
Course content
1. Introduction, periodization, literary language development, development of literature functions and archaic concept of genres 2. Old German literature I - the oldest texts written in German, heroic poetry and enchantments, alliteration 3. Old German literature II - Hildebrandslied 4. Middle Ages - court poetry (minnesang, leich, political lyric poetry) 5. Middle Ages III - court epic (court novel, Niebelungenlied) 6. Middle Ages IV - religious literature, rewriting of Bible texts, legends, mystical texts and sermons 7. Humanism, the Reformation and Renaissance I - humanistic education, printing, Der Ackermann aus Böhmen 8. Humanism, the Reformation and Renaissance II - the Reformation, Martin Luther´s Bible translation, spiritual song and leaflet literature 9. Humanism, the Reformation and Renaissance III - carnival plays, fool´s literature, Schwank 10. Humanism, the Reformation and Renaissance IV - Meistersang, popular reading 11. Baroque I - cultural assumptions, reform of German poetry (Opitz), style creating elements in Baroque literature 12. Baroque II - literature of Protestant cultural area - attention on German language and poetry (language communities), poetry centers (Königsberg, so called Silesian school, North Germany, etc.), drama, Pietism 13. Baroque III - literature of Catholic cultural area - Munich tract school, linguistic exclusivity, spiritual song and conceptual sermons, picaresque novel and its acceptance in German literature 14. Acceptance of older German literature in the 19th and 20th century: heroic songs and court culture in German nationalism, picaresque novel in modern German literature (Uhland, Mann, Brecht, Grass), change of perception of Protestant and Catholic Baroque

Learning activities and teaching methods
unspecified, unspecified, unspecified
Learning outcomes
The aim of this course is to get an overview of the most important works and writers of the oldest German literature from ancient times until the beginning of the 18th century (Baroque) and their subsequent acceptance. The course focuses on the most important works of all periods of older German literature. Gradual change of literature conception and understanding of literature and literary genres will be discussed as well.
Student knows the particularities of older German literature in context of the entire literary and historical changes and basic methodological approaches to using texts. He/she can understand text of different periods and different genres texts in literary, cultural and social context. He/she is also able to read older texts, analyze and interpret them.
Prerequisites
none

Assessment methods and criteria
unspecified
Active participation in seminars, completed tasks. To obtain the credit students have to analyze and interpret selected texts.
Recommended literature
  • Das Nibelungenlied.
  • Historia von D. Johann Fausten.
  • Bahr, Ehrhard. Geschichte der deutschen Literatur. Bd. 1: Vom Mittelalter bis zum Barock. Tübingen, 1987.
  • Brunner, Horst. Geschichte der deutschen Literatur des Mittelalters im Überblick. Stuttgart, 2003.
  • Grimmelshausen, Hans J. Chr. von. Der abenteuerliche Simplicissimus Teutsch.
  • Schmidt, Josef. Renaissance, Humanismus, Reformation. Die deutsche Literatur in Text und Darstellung. Stuttgart, 1991.
  • Szyrocki, Marian. Die deutsche Literatur des Barock. Stuttgart, 2003.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Teaching German Language and Literature for Secondary School (A14) Category: Pedagogy, teacher training and social care 1 Recommended year of study:1, Recommended semester: Winter