99032 - GERMAN LITERATURE

Learning outcomes

The course provides students with historical and literary knowledge of 20th and 21st century German literature and teaches them how to critically analyze literary texts. By the end of the course, students will acquire the basic elements (content and methodology) for an analysis of German culture and literature, with particular reference to the relationship between literary texts and history, language and the arts. They will know and be able to use critical methodologies to read and analyze literary texts and will be able to independently elaborate further cultural and literary notions and apply them to a wide range of other literary texts.

Course contents

 

“Erzählung”-“Narration” (“Kurzgeschichte”-“Short Story”) and “Roman”-“Novel” as Genres of the German-language Literature between “klassische Moderne” (“Classic Modernism”) and “Postmoderne” (“Postmodernism”): From the Turn of the 19^th Century to the Present.

 

Readings/Bibliography

 

Primary Texts

 

Texts (Excerpts) by the following authors will be read and interpreted: Hugo von Hofmannstahl, Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka, Ernst Jünger, Günter Grass, Hermann Burger, Ingo Schulze, Daniel Kehlmann, Juli Zeh.

 

Critical Texts

 

Anz, Thomas (ed.): Handbuch Literaturwissenschaft, vol. 1 (“Gegenstände und Grundbegriffe”), vol. 2 (“Methoden und Theorien”), vol. 3 (“Institutionen und Praxisfelder”), Metzler, Stuttgart-Weimar, 2013.

Barner, Wilfried (ed.): Geschichte der deutschen Literatur von 1945 bis zur Gegenwart, Beck, München, 2006².

Baumann, Beate: Sprache, Kultur, polyphone Narration. Entwicklungen im postmigrantischen Deutschland, Frank & Timme, Berlin, 2024.

Calzoni, Raul: La letteratura tedesca del secondo dopoguerra. L’età delle macerie e della ricostruzione (1945-1961), Carocci, Roma, 2013¹.

Calzoni, Raul: La letteratura tedesca contemporanea. L’età della divisione e della riunificazione, Carocci, Roma, 2018¹.

Castellari, Marco/Goggio, Alessandra/Paleari, Moira: Letteratura tedesca. Epoche, generi, intersezioni, Vol. 1: Dal Medioevo al primo Novecento and Vol. 2: Dal primo dopoguerra al nuovo millennio, Le Monnier Università/Mondadori Education, Firenze, 2019.

Di Mauro, Paola/Preliević, Vahidin (eds.): Spuren der Wende in Mittel- und Osteuropa. Geisteswissenschaften und postsowjetische Welten, Königshausen & Neumann, Würzburg, 2025.

Durzak, Manfred: Die deutsche Kurzgeschichte der Gegenwart. Autorenporträts, Werkstattgespräche, Interpretationen, Königshausen & Neumann, Würzburg, 2002³.

Esposito, Gianluca: Literarische Gestaltung historischer Biographien in ausgesuchten Werken der deutschsprachigen Literatur zwischen dem 20. und dem 21. Jahrhundert. Nadolny, Kehlmann, Kracht, Ransmayr, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht unipress – Universitätsverlag Osnabrück, Göttingen, 2025.

Freschi, Marino: Germania 1933-1945: L’emigrazione interna nel Terzo Reich, Aragno, Torino, 2020.

Freschi, Marino: La Letteratura Tedesca, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2008.

Guerra, Gabriele: Ernst Jünger. Una biografia letteraria e politica, Carocci, Roma, 2025.

Juster, Alexandra: Eine kontrafaktische Lektüre von Juli Zehs Roman «Über Menschen»: Gesellschaft, Politik und Ethik, Peter Lang, Bern, 2023.

Kiesel, Helmuth: Geschichte der deutschsprachigen Literatur 1918 bis 1933, vol. X, Beck, München, 2017.

Perrone Capano, Lucia: «Calcolare e pensare sono un’unica cosa». Percorsi tra letteratura e matematica da Novalis a Kehlmann, Carocci, Roma, 2024.

Sprengel, Peter: Geschichte der deutschsprachigen Literatur 1900-1918: Von der Jahrhundertwende bis zum Ende des Ersten Weltkriegs, vol. IX/2, Beck, München, 2004.

 

 

Teaching methods

At the beginning lessons will be teacher-centered and entail lecture sessions and one-way presentations. In a second moment participating students will give talks based on short academic papers (Tesine), written in groups and dealing with topics suggested by the teacher or about relevant topics chosen by the students themselves according to their special interest. Limited use of AI is permitted for specific tasks dealing with these short academic papers, such as finding sources and compiling a bibliography, spelling and grammar check, terminological research, and transcription of oral work, etc.The student will be asked to submit a statement indicating how AI was used. Generative use of AI to actually produce exam work is strictly forbidden. Anyviolation of this rule will be considered a serious breach of academic ethics.

Maximum participation of students is stimulated by invitations to debate and opportunities for discussion.

70% of class attendance is required

As concerns the teaching methods of this course unit, all students must attend the online Modules 1, 2 on Health and Safety[https://www.unibo.it/en/services-and-opportunities/health-and-assistance/health-and-safety/online-course-on-health-and-safety-in-study-and-internship-areas].

 

 

Assessment methods

 

The evaluation purpose is to assess the acquisition of the above mentioned knowledge and skills by the student. An oral exam will evaluate the summarizing ability, and the acquisition of the contents of the readings and themes treated during the course. The first part is to be given in Italian. The second part on the interpretation of the analyzed texts will be given in German.

Students with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) or with disabilities that can affect their ability to attend courses are invited to contact the University service for students with disabilities and SLD at the earliest opportunity – ideally before the start of the course: [https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students] . The University service will suggest possible adjustments to the course work and/or exam, which must then be submitted to the course leader so they can assess their feasibility, in line with the learning objectives of the course. Please note that adjustments to the exam must be requested at least two weeks in advance.

 

Teaching tools

During the lessons a wide variety of textual genres (“Erzählung”-“Narration”, “Kurzgeschichte”-“Short Story”, “Roman”-“Novel”, essays etc.) will be made available by the teacher. The lessons will also be supported by the use of new media technologies (for example audio and video podcasts) and PDF/Powerpoint presentations. All didactic material used during the lessons will be uploaded and made available online on the Virtuale platform as PDF or Mp3 files.

 

 

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Benedetti