Study Abroad | Berlin
Fall 2023: Academics

Course Code: FU-BEST 12 (Art History/Architecture 305)

Instruction Language: English

This course provides an overview of the development of public and private architecture in Berlin during the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Following an introduction to architectural terms and an examination of the urban development and architectural history of the Modern era, the Neo-Classical period will be surveyed with special reference to the works of Schinkel. This will be followed by sessions on the architecture of the German Reich after 1871, which was characterized by both modern and conservative tendencies, and the manifold activities during the time of the Weimar Republic in the 1920s. The architecture of the Nazi period will be examined, followed by the developments in the “divided city” East and West Berlin after the Second World War. The course concludes with a detailed review of the city’s contemporary and future architectural profiles, including an analysis of the conflicts concerning the re-design of "Berlin Mitte", Potsdamer Platz, and the government quarter and other more recent developments, i.e. the housing problem and concepts for a more sustainable architecture in a growing city. We will critically examine architectural examples in Berlin by architects like Aldo Rossi, Norman Foster, Frank O. Gehry, Daniel Libeskind, David Chipperfield and many others. As a complement to the lectures, formal field-trips to historically significant buildings and sites constitute an integral component of the course and will give students the possibility of discovering the city in a unique way. The course aims at offering a deeper understanding of the interdependence between Berlin’s architecture and the city’s social and political structures. It considers Berlin as a mode for the development of a modern European capital.

Course Code: FU-BEST 4 (Art History/Art 301)

Instruction Language: English

This course surveys the visual arts in Central Europe from the rise of modernism around 1900 to the present after postmodernism, with a strong focus on German art. It aims to study the individual works closely and interpret them critically by analysing their formal structure, style and technique, iconography etc.; consider the concerns of the artists who created them; and place the works within their wider historical, philosophical, political, social and cultural backgrounds as well as within the international development of the visual arts in Western Europe and – in the second half of the 20th century – the US. A consideration of the theoretical context is of particular importance for the understanding of 20th-century art and its role in society. Thus the course will also introduce students to major philosophical ideas of the period and will focus on various links to the visual art works including reflections on the methods which art historians have found appropriate in studying the objects and ideas which constitute their discipline. Berlin houses some of the most splendid art collections in the world, such as the Neue Nationalgalerie, the Hamburger Bahnhof (with the Friedrich Christian Flick Collection), the Kupferstichkabinett (Graphic Arts), the Brücke-Museum, and the Berlinische Galerie, not to mention the collections of ancient art. In addition, a vibrant scene of art galleries provides new perspectives on contemporary art that has not yet been established in the museums. An essential approach of the course will be to work not only with slides and text sources in class but also with the originals during excursions to different museums. Thus the specific material qualities of the art works discussed in class will be experienced in front of the originals. This can serve as an eye-opener for understanding the reasoning and the artistic procedure of the artists in their respective period.

Course Code: FU-BEST 19 (Art History/Cultural Studies 315)

Instruction Language: English

This course provides an introduction to art and politics in the context of dictatorship, focused on the examples of Hitler’s Germany, Stalin’s USSR, Mussolini’s Italy, and Franco’s Spain. In the first part of the semester, students will gain an understanding of art in a democratic society by analyzing the art and architecture of the Weimar Republic in Germany. Official art and architecture in Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union will then be examined, focusing on the works of Albert Speer, Giuseppe Terragni, Arno Breker, and Leni Riefenstahl. Modernist and Jewish artists were persecuted, forced into emigration or deported to concentration camps. Under the Nazi regime in Germany, the exhibition "Degenerate Art" tried to propagate the fascist idea of what art should not be like. Nazi Art Looting and the difficult and long way to Art Restitution will be examined, focusing on the case of the Dutch art dealer und collector Jacques Goudstikker and the “art collector” Hermann Göring. Art also served as a medium to commemorate the Holocaust: the memorials at Buchenwald concentration camp or the Holocaust memorial in Berlin are prominent examples. In the course of the semester, students will get an overview of important European art and architecture movements of the early 20th century. In addition, the course aims at providing a deeper understanding of art under totalitarian conditions. As a complement to the lectures, formal field-trips to historically significant sites and museums constitute an integral component of the course.

Course Code: FU-BEST 33 (Business/Environmental Studies 315)

Instruction Language: English

This course provides an introduction to recent developments in Germany and the EU with regard to a green and sustainable economy. It offers theoretical as well as practical insights based on conceptual discussions, case studies, a field-trip, and group work to develop a green business case. The acute awareness of environmental challenges has permeated German and European society, politics, and business for decades. The relationship between business and environmental issues has, however, changed drastically over the years and has continuously been impacted by the interaction between the German and European Union political levels. Historically, business’ environmental impact has been viewed more negatively as “market failure”. This view is increasingly becoming more differentiated. Nowadays, positive environmental impacts, which might be achievable through sustainable entrepreneurship and sustainable core business activities, are increasingly being acknowledged. This course begins by exploring key concepts for a green and sustainable economy in the German and European policy contexts and then looks at the development that has taken place both at the political level and in the economy in recent time. We then focus on the micro-level, i.e., the businesses themselves: What are the motivating forces behind entrepreneurs’ and businesses’ decision to make a strategic commitment to environmental sustainability? What are the roles and strategies of different types of companies? Why and how do incumbents and start-ups engage in environmental protection in different ways? We will also look at the strong connection between politics and business in the European context and the inclination of many sustainable entrepreneurs to engage in policy making in a manner that also turns them into “institutional” entrepreneurs, acting at a meso-level. Finally, in this more theoretical part of the course, we will look at how sustainable entrepreneurs may encounter market and regulatory barriers related to environmental externalities, path dependencies, and lobbying activities by incumbent companies. We will also look at (partial) solutions to such barriers provided by e.g. incubators, business competitions, universities, investors, and public funding programmes. In the more practical part of the course, we will engage with good practice examples hearing directly from the entrepreneurs themselves (guest speakers) and by going on a field-trip. As Berlin has a special reputation for hosting a vibrant start-up scene, we will visit the Green Garage on the Euref campus in Schöneberg, where we will learn more about the acceleration and incubation processes of the EU initiative “Climate KIC”, and meet the start-ups based there. The students will also be encouraged to creatively develop their own business ideas and plan the initial steps using the Sustainable Business Canvas. Their business concept/model will then be presented and discussed in the group, providing tips for future improvement and possible realisation of the ideas. The goal of the course is to provide students with a theoretical foundation in the development of green and sustainable solutions within the economic context of Germany and Europe and to develop an understanding of how sustainable entrepreneurship is unfolding creative potential and opportunities for environmental improvements using core business activities. The course also aims at equipping students with more practical tools and processes for developing their own business ideas for the green economy.

Course Code: FU-BEST 22 (Communications/Politics 320)

Instruction Language: English

This course introduces its participants to mass media systems and structures in Germany and Europe and provides them with the analytical tools and background knowledge to assess the ways in which the mass media and politics interact and thus shape each other. We will start with an overview of the different structures of mass media (public/ private) in Germany and selected European countries, including how they have historically developed and particularly which political ideas have shaped the frameworks in which media institutions and individuals operate. At the same time, we will take a critical look at how the media in turn have shaped and are still shaping the ways in which the political process works and presents itself to the public. Historical and current case-studies will help us analyse the manifold points of interaction between media and politics. At the end of the course, students will also have the opportunity to compare European and American media politics and to ask whether there may be trends and influences across the Atlantic (one or both ways) that are shaping today’s politics and mass media on both sides.

Course Code: FU-BEST 20 (Cultural Studies/Communications 304)

Instruction Language: English

With the divide between mass culture and high art disappearing, popular culture has become a prolific field of study. In this seminar, we will consider the many facets and dimensions of pop culture, including its cultural history and the possibilities hidden within what is often assumed to be nothing more than entertainment. Some of the topics we will address are popular culture’s reflection of discourse, its capability of criticizing or affirming the status quo, and the various modes of ideology within. We will cover all relevant pop culture representations: film, television, comic books, fiction, music, paintings etc. and will discuss their significance within the historical frame of reference as well as their international social impact. Secondary texts will introduce a range of theoretical perspectives through which pop culture may be explored, analyzed, questioned, and understood. We will discuss the function of pop culture in the public sphere, its representations in texts, images, and music.

Course Code: FU-BEST 24 (Economics/Politics 305)

Instruction Language: English

The European Communities were conceived as a union of democratic nations shaping the world’s economic and social model. Is the permanent enlargement process that made the EU big paying off? In a changing global economy, what is Europe’s comparative advantage? “One market – one money” was what Europeans believed in. In a crisis not coming to an end the common currency is seen more and more as liability. Is an ill-designed Euro going to blow up the Eurozone? With Russia as major energy partner Europe’s energy independence is high on the agenda. Is the energy hunger of China, Brazil, etc. a threat to the EU? We will discuss the cost of global warming and climate challenge Europe is expected to bear. Lastly, a “look in the crystal ball” is supposed to give an idea of the EU in the world 30 years from now: still vibrant, or ageing and decaying?

Course Code: FU-BEST 30 (Political Sciences/Environmental Studies 318)

Instruction Language: English

Today, the EU is seen as a world leader in alternative energy efforts, notably Germany’s Energiewende to replace coal and nuclear with wind and solar for electricity. The EU is also unifying member-state gas, electrical and transport systems, liberalizing energy markets, and requiring more renewables. This is aided by the new European Energy Union (EEU), formed in response to the Ukraine crisis and Europe’s dependence on Russian gas. In Energizing Europe, we critically examine the difficulties facing these energy transitions. We begin by looking at Europe’s previous energy transitions, each the product of larger, industrial revolutions. Informed by this history, we then critically examine Germany’s Energiewende (EW) and EU energy policy. This includes the EW’s: (i) roots in German society, (ii) goals, (iii) technical, and economic challenges of building and paying for its massive wind and solar, and to reengineer the grid. In addition: (iv) German and the EU’s continued dependence on oil to fuel cars and trucks; (iii) German and EU natural gas policies – including their heavy dependence on Russian imports; (iv) Germany’s continued high use of coal; (v) and its rejection of nuclear power, albeit a zero-carbon energy source. Throughout, we compare the German and EU energy reality to US policy. The course should be of interest to students of either social or natural sciences.

Course Code: FU-BEST 18 (Political Science/Environmental Studies 318)

Instruction Language: English

New description available This course provides an introduction to the EU and its policy on environmental protection and natural resources. After a brief recap of the basics of policy-making in the EU, students will learn about the guiding principles and developments within the EU’s environmental policy. Subsequently, the course will cover the major environmental challenges we are facing currently. In the first part of the course (sessions 1-6), we will discuss the functioning of the European Union to be able to better understand the factors influencing European environmental policy and politics. We will also look at the European reaction to climate change and discuss the effectiveness of the main solutions to this global problem: the development of renewable sources of energy and the different ways of pricing carbon. We will also devote a special session to the EU’s role in climate negotiations. The second part of the course (sessions 7-12) will be devoted to different forms of pollution, such as air, noise, water and soil pollution, as well as humanity’s impact on biodiversity loss. In this part of the course, we will also discuss the main prerequisites for making the European transport sector more sustainable and European cities greener and smarter. The last session will be devoted to discussing the challenges and the opportunities for the future of environmental policy.

Course Code: FU-BEST 28 (Cinema/Music 384)

Instruction Language: English

Film is often understood as a primarily visual art form, with the development of novel visual technologies, such as 3D, being heavily advertised and well known to mainstream international audiences. In this course, we will uncover an equally important, yet often overlooked, component of film: music. Over the course of the semester we will examine how music has contributed to the success and evolution of films throughout the history of the film industry in North America and Europe. We will begin with a discussion of the stylistic origins of film music in the Western (and specifically Germanic) classical music tradition, with particular focus on the influence of Richard Wagner. This will be followed by an investigation into the intertwining histories of film and sound-recording technology during their infancy, in which we will examine groundbreaking techniques and works developed in Germany, France, and the United States. Our second task will be to situate the role of film music in some of the most vital movement and moments in film history. For example, we will consider Prokofiev’s music in Soviet Russian war epics, as well as the naturalistic “folk” music present in neo-realist Italian films. In our third unit, we expand our investigation beyond film drama to survey how music and sound are used to construct genre. Each week will focus on one genre—for example, action/adventure, horror, musicals—with detailed discussions of representative works in these genres from a variety of time periods and locations. For instance, during our week on musicals we will consider how the early history of the genre was situated in Hollywood, but quickly sparked an international genre including creative re-workings of the genre such as Les parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) and the truly global production, Dance in the Dark. Our semester will end with an exploration of films that were inspired largely by music (rather than music composed to fit film). This unit will include a week on music documentaries and the construction of realism, as well as avant-garde explorations of the intersections of film and music. As is the case for all of the arts, Berlin is an ideal location in which to study music and film. Thus, we will explore this cultural landscape with specific encounters that will complement our conversations and readings. For example, we will visit a theater that hosts a weekly showing of a “silent movie” alongside a live organist.

Course Code: German 101

Instruction Language: German

This course is designed for the beginner student with no prior knowledge of German. It aims to develop your communicative competences in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The textbook Begegnungen A1 and additional material, which is primarily dealing with cultural and historical aspects of German(y), will help you develop your individual language skills. One of the foci of the course is placed on Berlin and its surroundings. Therefore, you will work with authentic material in class and on course-related excursions. By the end of this course, you will be able to deal with various everyday situations in a German-speaking environment and to conduct simple conversations. You will have developed reading strategies that allow you to gather specific information from factual texts, newspaper and magazine articles, and short literary texts. In addition, you will learn to write and revise short texts and, by doing so, assemble metalinguistic knowledge. Finally, you will be able to understand discussions on familiar topics.

Course Code: German 102

Instruction Language: German

This course is designed for beginners with some prior knowledge of German. With the help of the textbooks Begegnungen A1 and A2 as well as additional material, which primarily deals with cultural and historical aspects of German(y), you will expand your competences in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The course will familiarize you with the daily life and culture of German-speaking countries and enable you to talk about practical issues such as traveling, living, shopping, health, traditions, holidays and the workplace. You will be able to select the main information from simple factual texts. You will get to know more complex sentence structures and be able to express yourself in the present and one past tense.

Course Code: German 201

Instruction Language: German

This course is designed to strengthen and expand your communicative competences in listening, speaking, reading and writing, and to deepen your understanding of German-speaking cultures in the context of Berlin. With the help of the textbook Begegnungen A2 and additional material, which is primarily dealing with cultural and historical aspects of German(y), you will develop your individual language skills. One of the foci of the course is placed on Berlin and its surroundings. Therefore, you will increasingly work with authentic material in class and on course-related excursions. By the end of the course, you will be able to interact in most everyday situations in a German-speaking environment and to conduct simple conversations about familiar topics. You will be familiarized with the German university system, the arts, the media, and current social trends. You will be able to talk about the past and the future, to draw comparisons, to describe persons and things in detail, and to talk about your studies and your plans and wishes. You will have developed reading strategies that will allow you to understand newspaper and magazine articles as well as short literary texts. Through text production, you will also expand on the basics of independent text revision, employing a larger vocabulary and thus enlarging your metalinguistic knowledge. You will be able to understand the main information contained in standard language oral texts.

Course Code: German 202

Instruction Language: German

This course aims to systematically improve your writing and reading competences. It focuses on your acquisition of complex linguistic structures and your consistent self-correction. It will help you further develop effective reading and listening strategies by using texts and listening examples that extend beyond everyday communication. In-class discussions will be based on the weekly reading of literary and non-literary texts that will motivate you to exchange information, ideas, and opinions. In addition, these texts will provide important cultural and historical background information. Grammar revision is just one of the foci of this course; yet, you will expand and deepen your knowledge of German grammar through specific exercises.

Course Code: German 302

Instruction Language: German

This course is designed to optimize your writing and speaking competences, to enlarge your vocabulary, to increase your usage of complex grammatical structures and to make you consistently and successfully employ self-correcting strategies. You will analyze and discuss cultural, political, and historical aspects of German-speaking countries and compare them to your own cultural background. You will be able to coherently talk about a broad range of subjects and to argue for your point of view. You will be able to mostly understand authentic texts and to follow native speakers in normal conversations.

Course Code: German 401

Instruction Language: German

This course aims to deepen your competence in speaking and writing and to expand your vocabulary on a higher language level, with a focus on improving your communicative skills for increasingly academic discussions. The course material will help you acquire relevant and contemporary knowledge about the culture, politics, and history of Germany and other German speaking countries. Furthermore, you will develop effective reading and listening strategies with regard to various literary genres and media. In-class discussions will be based on literary and non-literary texts, enabling you to exchange information, ideas, and opinions on an academic level. You will give a presentation and lead the ensuing discussion in class. Special attention will be given to your paper.

Course Code: German 402

Instruction Language: German

This course will enable you to approximate your competence in speaking and writing German as well as your vocabulary to the native-speaker level. This includes understanding connotations and idioms as well as using stylistically and situationally appropriate forms of communication. Special attention will be given to the improvement of your communicative skills in academic contexts. You will be able to understand lectures and presentations and to participate in academic discussions. Sophisticated authentic texts will help you gain relevant information about the culture, politics, and history of Germany and other German-speaking countries. At the end of this course, you will have acquired effective reading and listening strategies concerning various literary genres and media and will work with larger excerpts of German literature. In-class discussions will be based on literary and non-literary texts, enabling you to exchange information, ideas, and opinions on an academic level. Your final project includes an academic paper, a presentation, and the direction of the ensuing discussion in class.

Course Code: German 101E

Instruction Language: German

This course is designed for the beginner student who has no prior knowledge of German and does not major/minor in German. It will enable you to get familiarized with the German language and to deal with everyday situations during your stay in Berlin. You will develop basic communicative competences in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Your foremost goal is to be able to navigate through your daily activities in a German-speaking environment, such as ordering food in a restaurant, shopping at the grocery store/supermarket, getting around in the city, and conducting simple conversations about yourself (your studies, your hobbies, and fields of interest). The textbook Studio d A1 and additional material, which is primarily dealing with everyday situations, will help you develop your individual language skills. One of the foci of the course is placed on Berlin and its surroundings. Therefore, you will work with authentic material in class and on course-related excursions.

Course Code: FU-BEST 31 (German Studies/Political Sciences 337)

Instruction Language: German

En-route to the answer of who and what a “typical German” is, we will theorize the origins of self-imposed and foreign stereotypes and identities. By the end of the course, students will have learned of Germany’s development and dominant societal themes since the late 19th century and should be able to critically discuss foreign and self-identities, theorize about stereotype origins and compare and contrast existing identities in Germany with historical and political German clichés. (German language prerequesite)

Course Code: FU-BEST 15 (German Studies/ Art History 325)

Instruction Language: German

Please note the language prerequisites for participation carefully (Intermediate 3 and above)! Dieser Kurs bietet einen Überblick über die Bildende Kunst in Deutschland vom Beginn der Moderne um 1800 bis zur Gegenwart. Er betrachtet Kunst und ihre Entstehung nicht nur aus einer rein kunsthistorischen Perspektive, sondern sieht sie als eine Reflexionsebene für (Gruppen-)Identität. Immer wieder wurde nämlich an verschiedenen Zeitpunkten im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert die Bildung einer deutschen Nation und die problematische Vorstellung einer nationalen deutschen Identität auf das Engste mit der Frage nach einem „deutschen Stil“ und einer besonderen („deutschen“) Kunstform verknüpft. Im Laufe des Semesters werden wir ausgewählte Beispiele deutscher Kunst, mit dem Fokus auf berühmte nationale Ikonen, genauer analysieren und sie dabei in ihre übergreifenden historischen, philosophischen, politischen, gesellschaftlichen und kulturellen Zusammenhänge einordnen. Welches Anliegen verfolgten die Künstler und wie vermochten sie es umzusetzen? Dabei werden wir uns besonders auf die konkreten Bedingungen konzentrieren, unter denen in Deutschland Kunst produziert und rezipiert wurde; dazu gehört natürlich auch die Berücksichtigung der vielfältigen internationalen Einflüsse, sei es nun im Sinne einer Adaption, einer Abgrenzung oder einer Neuformulierung. Wir werden uns zunutze machen, dass Berlin einige der faszinierendsten Kunstsammlungen der Welt beherbergt, wie z.B. die Gemäldegalerie, die Alte and die Neue Nationalgalerie, den Hamburger Bahnhof, das Kupferstichkabinett (Graphiken), das Brücke-Museum und die Berlinische Galerie. Hinzu kommt eine lebendige Szene von Kunstgalerien, die uns neue Blickwinkel auf Gegenwartskunst ermöglicht, welche noch nicht in Museen etabliert ist. Schließlich betrachten wir auch Beispiele „alternativer“ Kunst und von „Street Art“, um ein Gefühl für Trends zu bekommen, die danach streben, sich einen Namen als Kunst von morgen zu machen – oder die genau dies ablehnen und sich als „Gegen-Kunst“ zu Deutschlands künstlerischem „Mainstream“ verstehen. An geeigneten Stellen werden wir Vergleiche zu internationalen Entwicklungen von Bildender Kunst in Westeuropa und (in der zweiten Semesterhälfte) in den USA ziehen. Am Ende des Kurses sollen die Teilnehmer/innen über die Methoden und die Terminologie verfügen, Kunstwerke auf ihren formalen Aufbau, ihren Stil und die verwendete Technik sowie ihre Bildsprache hin zu untersuchen. Sie können sie im weiteren politischen und kulturellen Umfeld ihrer Zeit verorten und die Bedingungen ihrer Produktion und Rezeption bewerten. Die Studierenden erwerben Spezialwissen über deutsche Kunst aus den letzten beiden Jahrhunderten und über ihre doppelte Relevanz als Spiegel, aber auch als Gestalter deutscher Identität innerhalb der deutschen Gesellschaft.

Course Code: FU-BEST 7 (History/Cultural Studies 335)

Instruction Language: English

Berlin is a quintessentially modern city. It was invented as a capital when Germany was unified in 1871 in order to minimize regional rivalries, then reinvented in 1990 to effect the reunification of East and West. This course will explore representations and topographies of Berlin between the first German unification and the second, focusing on the major events and conflicts that have left their mark on this urban landscape: the rise of the modern metropolis, economic depression and social unrest, the two World Wars, Nazism and the Holocaust, and the Cold War and its aftermath — in short, the most disruptive and defining events of the twentieth century. Of central concern will be the conflicting identities, informing the events that have shaped Berlin’s — and the world’s — history: East and West, communist and capitalist, German and Jew, avant-garde and reactionary: these opposing terms have performed a mad dance over the past 140 years, sometimes settling in temporary alliances, sometimes in violent opposition, and always leaving their traces in literature, memory, and urban geography. Berlin is a palimpsest of the discarded ideologies of the twentieth century, both political and aesthetic; it is also one of the premier stages of Europe’s transnational future. Reading its literature and traversing its spaces provides an object lesson in the history of modernism, modernity, and globalization. Part of the course will involve developing strategies for reading and walking through this multi-layered and contradictory landscape. Thus, in addition to discussing the regular reading assignments, we will devote some time to discussing the complex relations between history, text, and memory. Schedule permitting, we will watch relevant films and organize field trips inside and outside of regular class times.

Course Code: FU-BEST 25 (History/Cultural Studies/Literature/Jewish Studies 310)

Instruction Language: English

With the beginning of the Enlightenment in the 18th century, the Jews of Central Europe were faced with the ambiguities of modernity. Whereas equality was one of the main demands of the time, it was granted to the Jewish minorities in Central Europe only after long struggles. And even this political achievement did not last long. Yet since the late 18th century and its emancipation movement, one of the most influential and versatile cultural legacies in Central Europe was created by German speaking Jews. The philosopher Moses Mendelssohn and the salonière Rahel Levin Varnhagen, among many other Jews, not only influenced European high culture of their time. They also founded a unique German-Jewish tradition that many artists and intellectuals draw upon to this day. Jewish writers such as Franz Kafka and Joseph Roth have added to the aesthetics of German literature to become a part of a modern world literature, while Zionism became a veritable alternative after 1900. Many Jews remained in Germany, however. They stuck to the German language and canon – even after Hitler‘s rise. And even after many of them were murdered in the concentration and extermination camps and on German streets during the Shoah, it was Jewish intellectuals such as Hannah Arendt, Theodor W. Adorno, and poets like Paul Celan who began the greater part of working through what had happened to the once glorified „German-Jewish symbiosis“. This work goes on today, while Jewish writing in Central Europe has yet again diversified greatly and new voices make themselves heard. However, none of them can go on writing without relating, one way or another, critically or nostalgically, to that great and tragic German Jewish legacy of the past. This course will introduce and discuss canonic texts by European-Jewish authors from Moses Mendelssohn to Paul Celan. It thus gives an extensive overview of German-Jewish culture since the late 18th century. Every class session starts off with a contextualization of the historic circumstances in which each text was created. In this part, the wider picture of German-Jewish culture and history will be developed, whereas in the second section of each class session, reading assignments will be discussed in greater detail. Here, the class will concentrate on one or two exemplary readings the students will prepare and present. These literary readings constitute the core interest of each session, this course being situated in the field of cultural studies. Poetic and philosophical texts will not be read for their own sake but in order to shed light on everyday life in Central Europe. All readings are available in English, but most of them are originally in German and thus may also be read in German.

Course Code: FU-BEST 8 (History/Political Science 325)

Instruction Language: English

In order to understand European history of the 19th and 20th century, a focus on Germany is indispensable and unavoidable. It took a long time before the German society transformed into a modern, open and democratic society. The “Revolution of Modernity” (Ralf Dahrendorf) was pushed back before World War I and failed 1933 in the Weimar Republic. Freedom and rule of law were brought to Germany by the allied Armies. The main antimodernist ideologies that caused the Shoah and the German war against the “Jewish Enemy” (Jeffrey Herf) were: antisemitism, racism and nationalism. In the first part of the 20th century Germany attempted to destroy civilization under a blanket of propaganda and by violence, both brutal and coldly mechanistic. Today we experience a Germany that presents itself as one partner among equals in the European Union. This new identity follows 40 years of ideological, social, political, and cultural division between two German states – the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Germany now enjoys the political stability, peace and prosperity of a democratic system. The change in German identity and the meaning of identity within the German context offers a fascinating angle from which to approach German history. From this angle, one gains a new understanding of Germany’s contradictions, catastrophes, abysses, and moral bankruptcies before and after the Shoah, and the miraculous reconstruction after enormous casualties and destruction that resulted from the total war between 1939 and 1945. Within these parameters, the course addresses various topics in German and European 20th century history: different political ideas, systems and movements, as well as social and cultural developments. We will compare and contrast the German variety of these phenomena with other European varieties. Two major themes are the struggles between democracy and dictatorship, and capitalism and communism, which played out through the 20th century. The course will connect these essentially ideological struggles to the two World Wars and the ensuing "Cold War", to memories of trauma, to the history of everyday life, pop culture and gender, and to the experience of youth and immigrants in Germany. Through analyses of the interconnections and distinctions between all these aspects, the course will provide participants with a better understanding of German society today.

Course Code: FU-BEST 11 (Business/Marketing 310)

Instruction Language: English

The course examines the issues of intercultural competence, cultural identity and cultural diversity in European business context. Various case studies will be considered from strategic, organizational, and marketing perspectives. The objectives of this course are to enhance the students’ understanding of the high variety of European business cultures and to learn about the corresponding diversity of management and marketing styles. Special attention is paid to the present burning economic issues of the European Union, business ethics and the standards of corporate social responsibility as well as to the challenging aspects of managing diversity and multicultural team development. Ethnically diverse markets will be viewed as rich opportunities which ethnic communities offer. Companies in different parts of Europe will be subject to analysis, including their efforts to work successfully across borders. Students will be involved in a process of self-reflection through learning about the different stages of cultural assimilation in a European business environment.

Course Code: FU-BEST 17 (Law/History 329)

Instruction Language: English

What is Europe? Who gets to decide that? For what purposes? This course is designed for all those who are interested in gaining a closer understanding of how history and law intermingle with European political thought and cultural practices. The course seeks to provide a broad and theoretical overview of European legal traditions from social, political, economic and comparative perspectives. Starting with Roman Law, its coverage ranges from discussing the authority of law in history, literature, economics and religion, through the creation of the European legal frameworks up to the establishment of a human rights tradition. Focus is given to the wider scope of legal developments in history that have shaped the conceptualization of law in present-day Europe and beyond. The course is roughly divided into two parts. The first part encompasses a brief overview of European legal thought from Roman law to the development of the common and civil legal traditions. In the second half of the course, after the Midterm Exam, we will examine the more recent developments of European politics and law. The first session will be dedicated to how social aspects (i.e. geography and religion) influence European legal developments. During the second session we will deal with the fascist tendencies leading to World War Two. This links up with one option for the Independent Project, which entails a closer look into the fascist laws passed in Germany as portrayed in “Places of Remembrance in the Bavarian Quarter: Exclusion and deprivation, expulsion, deportation and murder of Berlin Jews in the years 1933 to 1945” in Berlin-Schöneberg. The last two sessions will be dedicated to European integration and the formation of the European Union mainly as an answer to the two World Wars. The focus here will be on the legal coverage of the Union’s economy and respect for human rights through supranational cooperation.

Course Code: FU-BEST 29 (Music/Cultural Studies 310)

Instruction Language: English

There is hardly any musical style, genre or context which has not been significantly affected by the pervasive digitalization of recent decades. From digital audio workstations to computer-generated music, from laptop performances to fan remixes, from cloud computing to commercial distribution channels – digital technology has profoundly changed the ways in which music is produced, performed, disseminated and consumed. In this course, we will examine the nature of these shifts and sample salient and productive intersections of music and technology. Through specific case studies, we will tackle the following questions: How have digital technologies enabled unprecedented modes of making, using and perceiving music? In what ways has digital mediatization shaped our experiences with musical content and style? And how do we reconcile the long-established connections between music, performance and liveness in an era when the paradigm of reproduction seems to be omnipresent? In the first five sessions we will consider the impact of digital technologies on the production of music. After an introducing outline of basic shifts in music and musicianship caused by digitalization and the computer, we will look at concrete musical examples in order to understand the influence of digital technologies both on the creative process of music making and on the aesthetic reflection on it. The second half of the course will start with exemplary examinations of digital music technologies in music-related genres and domains, such as film, video games or sound art. At the end of the semester we will extend the scope and consider cultural issues that are entailed by digital possibilities of sharing, disseminating and consuming music. In particular, we will discuss the intertwining of digitization and commodification as well as its impact on the experience of music in everyday life.

Course Code: FU-BEST 14 (Philosophy 304)

Instruction Language: English

Philosophy has constituted a central element in the development of modern German culture. In the late eighteenth century, German philosophy participated in the broader European Enlightenment culture, which was in turn connected to the development of modern empirical science. Under the impression of the historical changes brought about by the French Revolution and by the ‘Industrial Revolution’ in Great Britain, a special constellation of German philosophy emerged at the end of the eighteenth century, which has deeply left its mark on subsequent philosophical thinking far beyond Germany. The two Philosophy courses offered by the FU-BEST program address the historical reality of German philosophy in two chronological parts: in the first part, offered during the Fall semester, we follow the emergence and full deployment of German philosophy from its Kantian beginnings to Hegel’s grand but fragile synthesis, trying to understand its richness as well as its limitations. In the second part, offered during the Spring semester, we discuss the later development of German philosophy in the nineteenth century and its historical tragedy in the twentieth century. This will include a discussion of the links between Marx and Marxism, between Nietzsche and the German political/ideological right-wing, between the ‘Vienna circle’ and the scientific revolution of the early twentieth century, as well as between German academic philosophy and Nazism. Post-World War II developments in the field will be studied as pathways out of the destructive turn philosophy in Germany took in the first half of the twentieth century. Both courses will be based upon contemporary attempts at rethinking a global philosophical perspective – by focusing on the tension between the Enlightenment heritage of a universalizing human philosophy and a national culture project, as well as on the tension between classicist rationalism and romantic emotionalism in its construction as a series of philosophical projects. From the perspective of a German version of the dialectics of the Enlightenment, the German philosophers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries will be studied in context – combining the reading of key texts with a reconstruction of their historical contexts and their interaction. Please note: these two Philosophy courses can be taken either together, in a two-semester sequence, or separately and individually.

Course Code: FU-BEST 16

Instruction Language: English

European Politics, and the history and politics of European Integration more specifically, have been characterized by crises. Many contemporary and current observers have highlighted this again and again. During the past two decades, Europe has been shaken by a series of crises at an accelerating pace – from the failed EU constitution and the financial crisis to the migration, Brexit and the COVID crises, and most recently the return of war. Populism has been on the rise and democratic institutions have come under pressure in several member states. Why is Europe so crisis-ridden – and what does this imply for European integration, created to foster democracy, rule of law, peace, and prosperity? Policy-makers and publics have variously responded to these crises. By contrast, we may also ask to what extent have these crises perhaps strengthened European integration, too, even if that feels counter-intuitive at first sight? This course will introduce students to the politics of the European Union (EU), its history, its peculiar institutions and some of its key policies. It will address and explain the – often crisis-ridden – processes of widening and deepening of this unique political entity, drawing on some relevant theorizing. Students will learn how institutions changed and how policies are being made, as well as the role of the different supranational and intergovernmental institutions. Next to the formal institutions, interest representation, lobbying, and the media have shaped processes of policy-making and polity-building, and crisis responses. Special emphasis will be placed on Europe’s most recent crises – the Euro crisis, the migration crisis, Brexit, and the Russian war in Ukraine – and the lingering challenges of the environmental and climate change. The sessions consist of lectures, literature-based discussions, a close reading of sources, in smaller and larger groups. Students will be expected to participate actively, collaborate with other students, and prepare oral presentations. The course also includes a visit to the Europa House near Brandenburg Gate. In addition to a presentation and opportunity to discuss with a speaker from the Commission’s Team Europe, we will visit the exhibition on the European Parliament.

Course Code: FU-BEST 6 (Psychology/History 312)

Instruction Language: English

The course focuses on the classical concept of the totalitarian state developed by Hannah Arendt and others, which takes Hitler and Stalin as the primary models for this uniquely 20th century political system. We will be covering some of the subsequent modifications in the theory of totalitarianism, insights gained from the close examination of historical changes and developments, especially in the former Soviet Empire. Here are some of the questions we will be dealing with: What are the key elements of totalitarianism? What are the fundamental elements of totalitarian rule? What were the official positions and the popular attitudes toward the rulers and such totalitarian atrocities as the Holocaust and the mass imprisonment? What insights into the totalitarian system and mindset can be gained from psychology and psychoanalysis? Under what psychological/social conditions are individuals capable of offering opposition or resistance, as did the German resistance and the “rescuers” of Jews under Nazi domination or dissidents in the Soviet Union? While the manifestations of totalitarianism may now appear to be bygones of merely historical interest, the social psychology of “totalitarian situations” remains acutely important, even in present-day democratic societies. The massacre at My Lai, the obedience experiments carried out by Stanley Milgram, similar events and similar studies, provide evidence of how easily average citizens – and by no means only the “authoritarian personalities” as described by Theodor W. Adorno and Erich Fromm – have the potential of behaving inhumanely in specific situations, when unthinking submission, even to the most questionable orders, seems to be the easiest way to deal with the stress and insecurity of the moment. What follows are the class schedule and the reading assignments for the eleven class sessions. Please be sure to have worked through the readings carefully prior to each session. All the texts identified below are included in the photocopied Reader. In addition to the Reader, there are two pocket books to be read and analysed in a research paper, namely Arthur Koestler’s, Darkness at Noon, London: Vintage 2005 (first published in 1940), and Aldous Huxley’s, Brave New World, New York: HarperCollins 1998 (first published in 1932).

Course Code: FU-BEST 21 (Sociology 305)

Instruction Language: English

Sociology as new science, concerned with the impact of the industrial revolution on traditional forms of communal life, beliefs, and authorities, emerged in late nineteenth-century Europe. The pioneers of sociology like Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, Georg Simmel, and Leonard Hobhouse, today regarded as classics, managed to establish the young discipline at the universities in France, Germany and Great Britain. The transatlantic exchange of sociological ideas intensified during the 1920s with American scholars (like Talcott Parsons) visiting Europe and especially with the large wave of emigrants (Paul Lazarsfeld, Reinhard Bendix, members of the Frankfurt School, and many others) to the United States. Modern Analytical Sociology was created in the United States in cooperation between European immigrants and Americans and (re-)exported to Europe during the 1950s and 1960s. Today sociology is offered at universities all over the world – with some significant regional specializations. While American sociology is best known for its strong empirical orientation (‘social research’), sociology in Europe has developed further the theoretical traditions of the classics (‘social theory’). Some paradigmatic questions from Weber to Simmel seem still relevant: Why have essential elements of modern societies – from the rise of modern capitalism, to individualism, urban culture, and democracy – occurred first in the West? Alienation from society has been a big theme from Marx to Durkheim and Bourdieu. New topics emerged in the face of new challenges: European Integration, the end of the ‘Iron Curtain’ between Western and Eastern Europe, and the pressures of globalization on the European ‘social model’. And, of course, since Tocqueville’s Democracy in America (1835-1840), sociologists on both sides of the Atlantic have been fascinated to compare Europe and the American Experience. The aim of the course will be to portray prominent European sociologists and apply their ideas to the challenges of our time.

Course Code: FU-BEST 10 (Sociology/Anthropology/Cultural Studies 315)

Instruction Language: English

Within the last years Islam has become the subject of public debates and discourses in the Western World as well as a core research topic within various disciplines in the social sciences. This course will take a closer look at Muslims and Islam in Europe and will try to analyze and discuss the present condition of Muslims living in Europe from a socio-anthropological perspective. In order to do so, Islam will first be introduced from a general perspective; we will also visit a representative mosque in Berlin. The first sessions of the course will provide an overview of theories of cultural difference and secularism. Having this theoretical lens in mind, the following sessions will look at various public discourses regarding Islam and Muslims in Europe. Here issues such as Muslim-state relations, gender, and religious practices of Muslims in Europe will be examined and accompanied by a critical analysis of certain public controversies concerning Islam.

Course Code: FU-BEST 27 (Women and Gender Studies/Cultural Studies 325)

Instruction Language: English

The sex/ gender system, such as many social systems of categorization, serves to group individuals. It represents an act of dividing, i.e. categorizing individuals as male or female; yet it also, paradoxically and simultaneously, connects individuals through shared membership in a category. This course on gender and women’s studies in a transatlantic context focuses on the boundary—that which both divides and unites. We investigate sexed and gendered boundaries between bodies, communities, cultures, classes, races, ethnicities, religions, sexualities, and nations. Our exploration of boundaries is grouped into three units: In the first, we examine the way sex/ gender boundaries are mapped onto the body; this includes the history of sex differences within scientific discourses, transsexual and transgender definitions, and attempts to control women’s health and reproduction. The second unit analyzes conceptualizations of citizenship as practices of drawing boundaries, and we examine how these boundaries can connect individuals in solidarity, as well as separate out others. We look at the gendered ideals of citizenship, the history of women’s rights, women’s movements, and intersectionality between different types of marginalization. The final unit explores the boundary between the public and the private in an investigation of gender (politics), migration and work, including sex work and domestic work. In this course we use statistics, history, political and social sciences, filmic representations, news reports, essays, medical texts, biographies and field trips to conduct our interdisciplinary investigation. Our guiding approach is one of transnational feminism, which seeks to find solidarity between women by understanding and embracing their differences. Ultimately, our analysis of a multiplicity of subject positions and histories reveals the overall instability of the sex/gender system. For example, something that one culture views as inherently masculine may be viewed as inherently feminine in another. Therefore, our transcultural examination helps us understand the socially constructed nature of a system that is often viewed as natural, unchanging, and stable.