German Literature 2
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The course aims at analysing and interpreting key texts by authors of German-language literature from the nineteenth century Realism to the early twentieth century Avant-garde movements, with a specific focus on the literary-historical context and the development of the genres. It also draws attention to methods and tools for textual analysis of narrative, poetic and dramatic works, applying them to texts from the studied periods.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding: essential outlines of the history of German-language literature from 1815 to 1925; main texts and authors of the examined periods.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: reading and contextualising the fundamental works of German-language literature from the nineteenth-century Realism to the Avant-garde movements of the early twentieth century. The students are also expected to analyse independently key texts, including versification in the case of poetry, to place authors in the relevant period/current; to explain similarities and differences between texts as well as the peculiarities of the genres they belong to.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: reading and contextualising the fundamental works of German-language literature from the nineteenth-century Realism to the Avant-garde movements of the early twentieth century. The students are also expected to analyse independently key texts, including versification in the case of poetry, to place authors in the relevant period/current; to explain similarities and differences between texts as well as the peculiarities of the genres they belong to.
Lesson period: First 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
First semester
Course syllabus
Title of the course: German Literature from XIX century to the Avant-garde of the early twentieth century
The course, which takes place mainly in Italian, with short historical-literary introductions and reading of texts in German, is aimed at students in the 2nd year of the Bachelor's Degree Course in Lingue e letterature straniere and provides for the compulsory acquisition of 9 ects; for the examination, therefore, the complete course syllabus must be followed (the course syllabus is valid until February 2026).
The lessons consist of three parts and aim to analyse and interpret key texts by authors of German literature of Vormärz and Biedermeier, Poetic Realism, Naturalism, Fin de siècle, Expressionism, Dadaism, with particular attention to the analysis of fundamental texts of the introduced literary currents.
Unit A (20 ore, 3 cfu): L'Ottocento realista fra tradizione e modernità (Moira Paleari, Stefano Apostolo - [email protected])
Unit B (20 ore, 3 cfu): Tradizione e modernità a cavallo fra Ottocento e Novecento (Stefano Apostolo)
Unit C (20 ore, 3 cfu): Modernità e avanguardia: la letteratura nei primi decenni del Novecento (Moira Paleari)
Programme for non-attending students
Non-attending students will add to the syllabus for attending students the full reading (in German or Italian) of the following texts:
Gerhart Hauptmann, Bahnwärter Thiel
Robert Musil, Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß
The course, which takes place mainly in Italian, with short historical-literary introductions and reading of texts in German, is aimed at students in the 2nd year of the Bachelor's Degree Course in Lingue e letterature straniere and provides for the compulsory acquisition of 9 ects; for the examination, therefore, the complete course syllabus must be followed (the course syllabus is valid until February 2026).
The lessons consist of three parts and aim to analyse and interpret key texts by authors of German literature of Vormärz and Biedermeier, Poetic Realism, Naturalism, Fin de siècle, Expressionism, Dadaism, with particular attention to the analysis of fundamental texts of the introduced literary currents.
Unit A (20 ore, 3 cfu): L'Ottocento realista fra tradizione e modernità (Moira Paleari, Stefano Apostolo - [email protected])
Unit B (20 ore, 3 cfu): Tradizione e modernità a cavallo fra Ottocento e Novecento (Stefano Apostolo)
Unit C (20 ore, 3 cfu): Modernità e avanguardia: la letteratura nei primi decenni del Novecento (Moira Paleari)
Programme for non-attending students
Non-attending students will add to the syllabus for attending students the full reading (in German or Italian) of the following texts:
Gerhart Hauptmann, Bahnwärter Thiel
Robert Musil, Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß
Prerequisites for admission
Following skills are required: a solid knowledge of German literature of previous literary currents (from Vormärz and Biedermeier to Expressionism) and the ability to analyse the works dealt with together, both from a formal point of view and in relation to epochs and genres, as well as to critically rework the topics addressed during the course.
Teaching methods
The course adopts the following teaching method: lectures consisting in presentation of the literary currents and textual analysis.
A direct teacher-student debate and the active and critical participation of students in the discussion of the texts and topics dealt with during the lectures are envisaged.
A direct teacher-student debate and the active and critical participation of students in the discussion of the texts and topics dealt with during the lectures are envisaged.
Teaching Resources
Bibliographical References:
- C.M. Buglioni, M. Castellari, A. Goggio, M. Paleari, Letteratura tedesca. Epoche, generi, intersezioni, Firenze, Le Monnier Università-Mondadori Education, 2019 (Chapters 8-13, including online materials, in-depth materials and glossary).
- Reader (2024-2025) and materials about textual analysis (see myariel Letteratura tedesca 2).
- Full edition texts (see below: Teaching Units).
In details:
Parte A
- Reader (2024-2025)
- Georg Büchner, Lenz, Frankfurt am Main 1998ff. (Suhrkamp BasisBibliothek, ISBN: 978-3-518-18804-0)
Parte B
- Reader (2024-2025)
Parte C
- Reader (2024-2025)
- Thomas Mann, Tod in Venedig, Frankfurt am Main 2017ff. (ISBN: 978-3-596-90407-5)
Students also have to read individually the texts of one of the following groups (in German or Italian, any complete edition):
Group A
Theodor Storm, Der Schimmelreiter
Frank Wedekind, Frühlings Erwachen
Thomas Mann, Tonio Kröger
Group B
Adalbert Stifter, Brigitta
Franz Grillparzer, Sappho
Heinrich Mann, Professor Unrat
Group C
Gottfried Keller, Kleider machen Leute
Georg Büchner, Dantons Tod
Franz Kafka, Der Prozeß
- C.M. Buglioni, M. Castellari, A. Goggio, M. Paleari, Letteratura tedesca. Epoche, generi, intersezioni, Firenze, Le Monnier Università-Mondadori Education, 2019 (Chapters 8-13, including online materials, in-depth materials and glossary).
- Reader (2024-2025) and materials about textual analysis (see myariel Letteratura tedesca 2).
- Full edition texts (see below: Teaching Units).
In details:
Parte A
- Reader (2024-2025)
- Georg Büchner, Lenz, Frankfurt am Main 1998ff. (Suhrkamp BasisBibliothek, ISBN: 978-3-518-18804-0)
Parte B
- Reader (2024-2025)
Parte C
- Reader (2024-2025)
- Thomas Mann, Tod in Venedig, Frankfurt am Main 2017ff. (ISBN: 978-3-596-90407-5)
Students also have to read individually the texts of one of the following groups (in German or Italian, any complete edition):
Group A
Theodor Storm, Der Schimmelreiter
Frank Wedekind, Frühlings Erwachen
Thomas Mann, Tonio Kröger
Group B
Adalbert Stifter, Brigitta
Franz Grillparzer, Sappho
Heinrich Mann, Professor Unrat
Group C
Gottfried Keller, Kleider machen Leute
Georg Büchner, Dantons Tod
Franz Kafka, Der Prozeß
Assessment methods and Criteria
The examination, which can be taken either in Italian or German depending on the candidate's choice, consists of an interview on the scheduled topics, aimed at verifying the acquisition of the historical, literary and critical-methodological contents and the ability to analyse a text. During the term there will be an intermediate written test, compulsory for all, with reference to the periods and genres covered; the score of the written test will be averaged with the mark for the oral test. Those who do not pass this written test will take a preliminary one before the oral exam (the mark obtained must be higher than 18/30 and is considered valid only for that exam).
Professor(s)