Contemporary German Literature
A.Y. 2022/2023
Learning objectives
The course is aimed at students of all the CdS of Humanistic Studies and aims to deepen the skills in the field of German literature, in particular the modern and postmodern, in the historical-political context. This course focuses on the representation, in the German language literature of the period of National Socialism, of the Second World War and of the post-war period, taking into consideration some significant works of the last decades.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding: Guidance on the history, sources, methods and tools of literary studies and on the analytical practices of textual hermeneutics. Knowledge of various significant authors of the German-speaking literature after 1945 and of their works dealing with the representation of the period of National Socialism and the Second World War. Understanding of the theoretical-methodological and historical-cultural problems inherent in the study of contemporary German literature, with particular attention to the narrative genre. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: ability to analyze and interpret the literary text in its historical-cultural context; ability to connect the chosen texts with the literary tradition of the twentieth century; ability to express the acquired skills with methodological rigor.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The course is entitled "Letteratura tedesca contemporanea scritta da donne straniere" and consists of the following three teaching units, which will be covered in sequence:
A: Women writers from the former Soviet Union: Katja Petrowskaja and Sasha Marianna Salzmann
B: Women writers from former Yugoslavia: Melinda Nadj Abonji and Marica Bodrožić
C: A female voice from the former Soviet Republic Georgia: Nino Haratischwili
Students wishing to acquire 6 CFU will stick to the program of units A and B; students wishing to acquire 9 CFU will stick to the full program (units A, B and C).
The course focuses on five novels written by women from the former Soviet Union and former Yugoslavia who immigrated to Germany and acquired the German language for their literary production.
Unit A deals, after a brief introduction to 'Migrant Literature', with the novels "Vielleicht Esther" by Katja Petrowskaja and "Außer sich" by Sasha Marianna Salzmann.
Unit B is devoted to the novels "Tauben fliegen auf" by Melinda Nadj Abonji and "Kirschholz und alte Gefühle" by Marica Bodrožić.
Unit C deals with the novel "Das achte Leben. (Für Brilka)' by Nino Haratischwili.
The course program is valid until September 2024. From the winter session 2024 it will be possible to present only the A.A. 2023-24 program.
A: Women writers from the former Soviet Union: Katja Petrowskaja and Sasha Marianna Salzmann
B: Women writers from former Yugoslavia: Melinda Nadj Abonji and Marica Bodrožić
C: A female voice from the former Soviet Republic Georgia: Nino Haratischwili
Students wishing to acquire 6 CFU will stick to the program of units A and B; students wishing to acquire 9 CFU will stick to the full program (units A, B and C).
The course focuses on five novels written by women from the former Soviet Union and former Yugoslavia who immigrated to Germany and acquired the German language for their literary production.
Unit A deals, after a brief introduction to 'Migrant Literature', with the novels "Vielleicht Esther" by Katja Petrowskaja and "Außer sich" by Sasha Marianna Salzmann.
Unit B is devoted to the novels "Tauben fliegen auf" by Melinda Nadj Abonji and "Kirschholz und alte Gefühle" by Marica Bodrožić.
Unit C deals with the novel "Das achte Leben. (Für Brilka)' by Nino Haratischwili.
The course program is valid until September 2024. From the winter session 2024 it will be possible to present only the A.A. 2023-24 program.
Prerequisites for admission
The course is held entirely in German. The materials and the examination bibliography presuppose solid linguistic skills. Students of Degree Courses other than Languages who do not know German or are beginners will not always be able to rely on Italian translations; therefore, if interested in the course, they will have to contact the teacher in advance to assess any adaptations to the program. Erasmus students or other forms of mobility are admitted as long as they possess solid German language skills.
Teaching methods
The course adopts the following teaching methods: lectures; reading and commenting on excerpts from the works on the program; viewing, listening and commenting on audio and video material found online.
Teaching Resources
The course has the Ariel online platform (https://fhaasltc.ariel.ctu.unimi.it/) to which reference is made for teaching materials that can be downloaded in PDF format. For each teaching unit, specific critical essays on the novels in question will be made available on the site.
Below are the critical and narrative works that are compulsory reading for the various teaching units and the reference editions.
Learning Unit A
Petrowskaja, Katja, „Vielleicht Esther", Suhrkamp, Berlin 2014, ISBN 9783518427620 (paperback edition: Suhrkamp, Berlin 2015, ISBN 9783518465967)
Salzmann, Sasha Marianna, "Außer sich", Suhrkamp, Berlin 2018, ISBN 9783518427620 (paperback edition: Suhrkamp, Berlin 2017, ISBN 9783518469262)
C.M. Buglioni, M. Castellari, A. Goggio, M. Paleari, "Letteratura tedesca. Epoche, ge-neri, intersezioni". Vol. 2: "Dal primo dopoguerra al nuovo millennio". Mondadori, Milano 2019 (chapter 22 "Il nuovo millennio" only), pp. 427-466.
Isterheld, Nora, „Die Russen sind wieder da! Wie russischstämmige AutorInnen den deutschsprachigen Literaturbetrieb erobern", in: „Migration und Gegenwartsliteratur. Der Beitrag von Autorinnen und Autoren osteuropäischer Herkunft zur literarischen Kultur im deutschsprachigen Raum", Fink, Stuttgart 2020, pp. 71-87.
Learning Unit B
Nadj Abonji, Melinda, „Tauben fliegen auf", Jung und Jung, Salzburg 2010, ISBN 9783902497789 (paperback edition: dtv, München 2012, ISBN 9783423140782)
Bodrožić, Marica, „Kirschholz und alte Gefühle", Luchterhand, Darmstadt 2012, ISBN 9783630873954 (paperback edition: btb, Berlin 2014, ISBN 9783442747528)
Kliems, Alfrun, „Exil, Migration und Transnationalität in den Literaturen Ost- und Mitteleuropas", in: Bischoff, Dörte / Komfort-Hein, Susanne (ed.), „Handbuch Literatur & Transnationalität", De Gruyter, Berlin 2019, pp. 443-458.
Rösch, Heidi, "Migrationsliteratur", in: Lütge, Christiane (ed.), „Grundthemen der Literaturwissenschaft: Literaturdidaktik", De Gruyter, Berlin 2019, pp. 338-356.
Learning Unit C
Haratischwili, Nino, „Das achte Leben. (Für Brilka)", Frankfurter Verlagsanstalt, Frankfurt 2014, ISBN 9783627002084 (paperback edition: Ullstein, Berlin 2017, ISBN 9783548289274)
Notes for non-attending students
The program for non-attending students is the same as that for attending students. Naturally, given the greater difficulty of preparing for the course on their own, non-attending students are advised to devote an appropriate amount of time to the study and processing of the contents of the program and to supplement the bibliography with further material available online or in the library.
Below are the critical and narrative works that are compulsory reading for the various teaching units and the reference editions.
Learning Unit A
Petrowskaja, Katja, „Vielleicht Esther", Suhrkamp, Berlin 2014, ISBN 9783518427620 (paperback edition: Suhrkamp, Berlin 2015, ISBN 9783518465967)
Salzmann, Sasha Marianna, "Außer sich", Suhrkamp, Berlin 2018, ISBN 9783518427620 (paperback edition: Suhrkamp, Berlin 2017, ISBN 9783518469262)
C.M. Buglioni, M. Castellari, A. Goggio, M. Paleari, "Letteratura tedesca. Epoche, ge-neri, intersezioni". Vol. 2: "Dal primo dopoguerra al nuovo millennio". Mondadori, Milano 2019 (chapter 22 "Il nuovo millennio" only), pp. 427-466.
Isterheld, Nora, „Die Russen sind wieder da! Wie russischstämmige AutorInnen den deutschsprachigen Literaturbetrieb erobern", in: „Migration und Gegenwartsliteratur. Der Beitrag von Autorinnen und Autoren osteuropäischer Herkunft zur literarischen Kultur im deutschsprachigen Raum", Fink, Stuttgart 2020, pp. 71-87.
Learning Unit B
Nadj Abonji, Melinda, „Tauben fliegen auf", Jung und Jung, Salzburg 2010, ISBN 9783902497789 (paperback edition: dtv, München 2012, ISBN 9783423140782)
Bodrožić, Marica, „Kirschholz und alte Gefühle", Luchterhand, Darmstadt 2012, ISBN 9783630873954 (paperback edition: btb, Berlin 2014, ISBN 9783442747528)
Kliems, Alfrun, „Exil, Migration und Transnationalität in den Literaturen Ost- und Mitteleuropas", in: Bischoff, Dörte / Komfort-Hein, Susanne (ed.), „Handbuch Literatur & Transnationalität", De Gruyter, Berlin 2019, pp. 443-458.
Rösch, Heidi, "Migrationsliteratur", in: Lütge, Christiane (ed.), „Grundthemen der Literaturwissenschaft: Literaturdidaktik", De Gruyter, Berlin 2019, pp. 338-356.
Learning Unit C
Haratischwili, Nino, „Das achte Leben. (Für Brilka)", Frankfurter Verlagsanstalt, Frankfurt 2014, ISBN 9783627002084 (paperback edition: Ullstein, Berlin 2017, ISBN 9783548289274)
Notes for non-attending students
The program for non-attending students is the same as that for attending students. Naturally, given the greater difficulty of preparing for the course on their own, non-attending students are advised to devote an appropriate amount of time to the study and processing of the contents of the program and to supplement the bibliography with further material available online or in the library.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of an individual interview, which includes questions asked by the teacher, interactions between the teacher and the student, and the analysis and commentary of one or more excerpts from the works in the program. The interview has a variable duration depending on the teaching parts on which the student is presented and takes place (at the student's choice) in German or Italian. The interview aims to verify the knowledge of the texts read, the ability to contextualize authors and works, the ability in the exposition, the precision in the use of specific terminology, the capacity for critical and personal reflection on the proposed themes. The final grade is expressed in thirtieths, and the student has the right to refuse it (in this case it will be verbalized as "withdrawn").
International or Erasmus incoming students are invited to contact the teacher promptly. The examination procedures for students with disabilities and / or with DSA must be agreed with the teacher, in agreement with the competent Office.
International or Erasmus incoming students are invited to contact the teacher promptly. The examination procedures for students with disabilities and / or with DSA must be agreed with the teacher, in agreement with the competent Office.
Unita' didattica A
L-LIN/13 - GERMAN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-LIN/13 - GERMAN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-LIN/13 - GERMAN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)
Reception:
Wednesday 15:00-18:00 (For other times: agree via email)
Office Prof. Barbara Berti, Anglistics, 4th floor, Sant'Alessandro and on Microsoft Teams