16908

SoSe 21: Zero hour: German literature 1945-1950

Gregor Wolfgang Hens

Comments

Topic: Where do we pick up after the complete moral, physical and psychological devastation brought on by World War II? How do we compose poetry in the shadow of the Holocaust, a genocide beyond imagination? How do we write poetry in a language that was used by the Nazis to justify an unjust war and the murder of millions? What forms can suffering and trauma take in literary texts? Young German writers asked themselves these questions starting in 1945 and proposed a number of solutions – or produced a number of attempts – that today are known as "Kahlschlagliteratur" (the literature of clear-cutting) or Zero Hour Literature. Program: We will read texts of various genres in translation, consider them in their historical context and literary contexts, and identify some common properties and tendencies. We will also question the validity of the label "Zero Hour", along with its implicit assumption of a complete reset. The focus will be on better-known writers (whose texts are available in English), such as Wolfgang Borchert and the Nobel-prize winning Heinrich Böll. Can I take this course? Yes, if you are interested in the post-war period and enjoy reading and analyzing literary texts. The course has no further prerequisites. Requirements and Grading: In order to earn 5 ECTS-points, you will need to read (carefully and with a dictionary) approximately ten to fifteen pages a week; attend at least 80% of course meetings; actively participate in course and group discussions; prepare a ten minute presentation or book report; and pass a written final examination. close