HIEU 3352: Modern German History, M / W 10:00-10:50, Gibson 211

Course Outline

There are few countries that demonstrate the Janus-face of Western modernity more dramatically than Germany. Unprecedented scientific, economic and cultural growth went hand in hand with radical social and political polarization. Democracy was possible, but so were dictatorship, war, and genocide. It was only after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 that the so called German Question found its definite answer. Germany today is a prosperous, peaceful, and diverse country, firmly rooted in the European Union and a staunch ally of the United States. And yet, the shadows of the past linger on. Recent expressions of deep seated fears about Germany's power and ambitions range from debates over the conduct of the national soccer team to invocations of a new German Question in the context of the euro crisis.

This course explores German history from the founding of the German Empire in 1871 to the present. Among the themes that we will study are the repeated radical transformations of Germany’s political structures in the 20th century, the place of dictatorship, war and genocide in German history and memory, as well as the country’s shifting position within Europe and the world. We will also examine some of the major debates in German historiography, such as the idea that the Nazi Third Reich resulted from a flawed pattern of modernization that disconnected economic liberalism from political democracy. Throughout this course, we will pay particular attention to the ruptures and continuities in modern German history, and to the meanings of a traumatic past for the construction of German national identity. Requirements include regular attendance, active participation, two essays, as well as a midterm and final examination.

Required Books (available for purchase at the UVa Bookstore)

• William W. Hagen, German History in Modern Times; ISBN: 0-521-17521-6
• Christopher Browning, Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland; ISBN: 0-06-099506-8
• Anna Funder, Stasiland: Stories From Behind the Berlin Wall; ISBN: 0-06-207732-5
• Paul Hockenos, Joschka Fischer and the Making of the Berlin Republic; ISBN: 0-19-518183-2
• Tuvia Tenenbom, I Sleep in Hitler’s Room; ISBN: 0-9839399-0-X
• Timur Vermes, Look Who’s Back, ISBN: 978-0-85705-293-3
• Hans Magnus Enzensberger, Brussels, the Gentle Monster, ISBN: 978-0-85742-023-7

Assignments and Grading

• 20% Attendance and Participation (lectures and sections)
• 20% Midterm
• 20% Essay #1
• 20% Essay #2 or Oral History Project
• 20% Final Exam

Grade Distribution (Grade/minimum):

A+ 99, A 94, A- 90, B+ 87, B 83, B- 80, C+ 77, C 73, C- 70, D+ 67, D 63, D- 60, F 59.

Attendance and Participation: Attendance in class (lectures and discussions) is mandatory. You are expected to complete the readings before each class meeting and actively engage in the lectures and discussions. You will be allowed one unexcused sick day, after which further unexcused absences will have a negative effect on your grade. Please arrive in class on time.

Exams: The exams will require familiarity with materials from the lectures, readings and discussions, and will consist of a combination of identifications and essay questions. The midterm will take place on, Monday, October 19, 2015, in Gibson 211. The final exam is scheduled for Monday, December 14, 2015, 9:00-12:00, in Gibson 211. Make-up exams will not be administered except in cases of documented illness or severe personal emergency. If you are concerned about being able to take the exams at the scheduled time, please discuss this with me ahead of time. College rules for final exams apply.

Essays: you will write two short essays (five pages) on assigned topics. The first essay is due on Monday, September 28, 2015, at the beginning of class. The second essay is due on Monday, December 7, 2015, at the beginning of class. In lieu of the second essay, you may participate in an oral history project; participation must be declared by Wednesday, November 18, 2015.

Extra Credit: you can improve your final grade by at most 3% through extra credit, i.e. B → B+ or B+ → A-. To receive the maximum extra credit of 3%, you need to hand in six individual assignments negotiated with me (M. Achilles). Examples of acceptable individual extra credit tasks include: attending a lecture on a German historical topic (outside of class), watch and report on a German movie not assigned for this class (Movie Night at the German House), participate in the German Coffee Hour (in case you speak German), come to my office hours and discuss a German historical topic that interests you, submit a short written discussion of German news, etc.

Honor: It is expected that all wording and ideas presented in any written work handed in for this class are your own unless you have explicitly credited your source/s. It is also assumed that any work turned in for this class was composed exclusively for this class. If you have questions about the honor code and related issues, please go to: http://www.virginia.edu/honor/

Please Note: UVa prohibits recording and transmission of classroom lectures and discussions by students unless written permission from the class instructor has been obtained and all students in the class as well as guest speakers have been informed that audio/video recording may occur. Recordings, course materials, and lecture notes may not be exchanged or distributed for commercial purposes, for compensation, or for any other purpose other than study by students enrolled in the class. Public distribution of such materials may constitute copyright infringement in violation of federal or state law, or University policy. Violation of this policy may subject a student to disciplinary action under the University’s Standards of Conduct. More information at: https://policy.itc.virginia.edu/policy/policydisplay?id=PROV-016

The use of laptops or i-pads is restricted to note taking. Permission will be revoked if such devices are used for any other purposes. Please turn off your cell phones. J For more information about this course, please contact Manuela Achilles, ma6cq@virginia.edu.

There are additional UVa-only syllabus items for this course. Click here to view all the public and UVa-only syllabus items. This link is restricted to UVa-members with Netbadge authentication.