Fall Courses

German I3335x. The German language practicum (intermediate level). 6 pts. The staff.
Prerequisite: German V1201 and V1202 or W1220 or the equivalent. Placement may also be determined by testing.
Equivalent to a thorough review of V1202 plus W3001 with both concentrating on Berlin. Required of all students enrolled in the BCGS who have completed two years of college German or the equivalent.
This six-week intensive language course (20 hours of instruction per week plus participation in cultural program) prepares students to function beyond the basic level in a German-speaking environment. Emphasis on grammar, composition, stylistics, phonetics, and the use of academic and practical everyday language. Satisfactory completion is required as a condition of enrollment in courses at the Freie Universität Berlin.

German I3405x. The German language practicum (intermediate advanced level). 6 pts. The staff.
Prerequisite: German V1202/W1220 and W3001 or W3002 or the equivalent. Placement may also be determined by testing.
This Berlin-based intermediate-advanced language course is equivalent to W3001 and W3002 in tandem and is required of all students enrolled in the BCGS who have completed at least five semesters of college German or the equivalent. This six-week intensive language course (20 hours of instruction per week plus participation in the cultural program) emphasizes applications of correct grammar and strengthens everyday and academic communication skills, including writing styles, vocabulary building, and phonetics. Themes and topics emphasize living in Berlin and functioning in the academic environment. Satisfactory completion is required as a condition of enrollment in courses at the Freie Universität Berlin.

German I4335x. The German language practicum (advanced level). 6 pts. The staff.
Prerequisite: German W3001 or W3002 and at least one additional 3000-level literary or cultural content course. Placement may also be determined by testing.
Required of all non-native speakers enrolled in the BCGS who have completed three or more years of college German or the equivalent. This six-week intensive language course (20 hours of instruction per week plus participation in the cultural program) is tailored to individual levels of advanced proficiency. Goals include advanced command of grammar, composition and stylistics, and near-native communication skills. Emphasis on academic German prepares the advanced language student for successful transition to the university life in Berlin. Satisfactory completion is required as a condition of enrollment in courses at the Freie Universität Berlin.

German Studies I3993x. Selected topics in German studies. 3 pts.
Required of all students enrolled in their first, or only, semester in the BCGS. Taught by the Academic Director of the Berlin Consortium for German Studies, the topic of this course varies each year with the academic expertise of the Academic Director. Past topics have included culture, politics, history, literature, theater, cinema, and German-American relations.

Fall 2001

Urban spaces. 3 pts. Professor Rochelle Tobias.
This course will examine the representation of urban spaces, in particular Berlin, as it is represented in early twentieth-century literature. In the period between 1870 and 1920, Berlin’s population grew from a mere 400,000 to roughly 4 million. Georg Simmel’s response to this growth was in some respects typical for the period. In his essay, "Die Großstadt und das Geistesleben," Simmel claims that the increased tempo of city life numbs the individual and impoverishes his experience. In this course we will question the validity of Simmel’s claim. We will examine works concerning the urban landscape, dating from 1903 to 1936, which range in genre from the lyric poem to the epic novel or film. Of particular interest to the course will be the freedom city life affords and the kinds of intimacy it enables.

There will be a several excursions to places related to the course, including a guided tour of courtyards in Berlin, a visit to the Kurt Tucholsky-Gedenkstätte at Schloß Rheinsberg, which is also the setting for his work, "Rheinsberg: Ein Bilderbuch für Verliebte," and a tour of the Berlin-Museum focusing on the period from 1871 to 1914.

German Studies I3991x. Supervised study in the German university system. 3–15 pts.
All courses taken at the Freie Universität Berlin or any other German university fall under these course numbers although the subject area varies depending on which department the course is offered.
      The FU Berlin offers a wide array of courses from which program students may choose as long as the prerequisites are met. Point values per course vary but each course is generally worth 3 points. Depending on the semester of study, students are recommended to take two to five different courses at the FU.
      All German university course titles, point values, and grades are translated into U.S. terms by the BCGS.

FU Berlin Courses