German Literature and Intermedial Studies
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The course aims at providing a historical and theoretical-methodological introduction to intermedial studies, understood as the union of different artistic languages (literature and figurative arts, ekphrasis, photography, multimedia texts) and as the transformation from one medium to another (e.g. adaptations of literary texts to comics and film), and to present examples of intermedial declinations of German-language literary texts, focusing on the twentieth century and the new millennium. The proposed topics will be addressed both through lectures and seminar discussions, which are intended to stimulate interaction and discussion among the participants.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding: orientation on the theoretical debate on intermedial studies; assimilation of the methods and tools for the analysis of the individual examples proposed (e.g. comics, cinema, photography); acquisition of an appropriate vocabulary for the analysis of specific intermedial forms.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: acquisition of the ability to analyse German literary texts of the last two centuries and their intermedial adaptation; attainment of skills of discussion in German in a seminar context on the topics covered in the course.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: acquisition of the ability to analyse German literary texts of the last two centuries and their intermedial adaptation; attainment of skills of discussion in German in a seminar context on the topics covered in the course.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
Course title: Modern and Contemporary German Literature and its Intermedial Approaches
The course consists of the following parts:
Part A (20 hours, 3 ects):
Theorien und Modelle der Intermedialität
Part B (20 ore, 3 ects):
Comickunst: Goethe und Kafka reloaded
Parte C (20 ore, 3 ects):
Literaturverfilmungen: Klassiker revisited
The course, which is held in German, is intended for students of the Master's Degree in European and Extra-European Languages and Literature and provides 6 or 9 ects; for the 6 ects exam, the student will take part A and one of the other parts (B or C) of his or her choice; for the 9 ects exam, the student will take the complete programme. The course programme is valid until September 2026.
Course presentation
The course aims to provide a historical and theoretical-methodological introduction to intermediality, understood as the union of different artistic languages (literature and figurative arts, ekphrasis, photography, multimedia texts) and the transformation from one medium to another (e.g. adaptations of literary texts into comics ) and to present examples of intermedial declinations of German-language literary texts, focusing on the 20th and 21st century.
The course consists of the following parts:
Part A (20 hours, 3 ects):
Theorien und Modelle der Intermedialität
Part B (20 ore, 3 ects):
Comickunst: Goethe und Kafka reloaded
Parte C (20 ore, 3 ects):
Literaturverfilmungen: Klassiker revisited
The course, which is held in German, is intended for students of the Master's Degree in European and Extra-European Languages and Literature and provides 6 or 9 ects; for the 6 ects exam, the student will take part A and one of the other parts (B or C) of his or her choice; for the 9 ects exam, the student will take the complete programme. The course programme is valid until September 2026.
Course presentation
The course aims to provide a historical and theoretical-methodological introduction to intermediality, understood as the union of different artistic languages (literature and figurative arts, ekphrasis, photography, multimedia texts) and the transformation from one medium to another (e.g. adaptations of literary texts into comics ) and to present examples of intermedial declinations of German-language literary texts, focusing on the 20th and 21st century.
Prerequisites for admission
Lectures, activities in class, learning materials and exams are in German so that students are supposed to have at least a linguistic competence of level B2.
Teaching methods
The course, which is held in German, adopts the following teaching methods: class teaching on theory and history of intermediality in its relation to literature; seminar discussion on intermedial texts, works of visual art, films etc., paper presentations.
Teaching Resources
Bibliographical References:
Unit A:
- Rajewsky, Irina O., Intermedialität, Tübingen und Basel, A. Francke, 2002.
- Werner, Wolf, Intermedialität, in: Metzler Lexikon der Kulturtheorie und Kulturwissenschaften, hrsg. von A. Nünning, Stuttgart, Weimar, 2005, S. 83-85.
- Wirth, Uwe, Intermedialität, in: Handbuch Literaturwissenschaft, hrsg. von Th. Anz, Stuttgart, Weimar, 2007, S. 254-264.
Unit B:
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Die Leiden des jungen Werthers, Frankfurt am Main 1998ff. (Suhrkamp BasisBibliothek, ISBN: 978-3-518-18805-7)
- Franziska Walter, Werther reloaded, Mannheim 2016 (ISBN: 978-3-942795-37-1)
- Franz Kafka, Das Urteil und andere Erzählungen, Frankfurt am Main 2003ff. (Suhrkamp BasisBibliothek, ISBN: 978-3- 518-18836-1)
- Moritz Stetter, Das Urteil nach Franz Kafka, München 2015 (ISBN: 978-3-86873-524-6).
Unit C:
- Theodor Fontane, Effi Briest, Frankfurt am Main 2004ff. (Suhrkamp BasisBibliothek, ISBN: 978-3-518-18847-7)
- Verfilmungen von Effi Briest (1955, 1974 und 2009)
- Heinrich Böll, Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum, München 1976ff. (ISBN: 978-3-423-01150-1)
- Verfilmung Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum (1975)
Non-attending students should read Robert, Jörg, Einführung in die Intermedialität, Darmstadt, WBG, 2014 and contact the lecturer.
Unit A:
- Rajewsky, Irina O., Intermedialität, Tübingen und Basel, A. Francke, 2002.
- Werner, Wolf, Intermedialität, in: Metzler Lexikon der Kulturtheorie und Kulturwissenschaften, hrsg. von A. Nünning, Stuttgart, Weimar, 2005, S. 83-85.
- Wirth, Uwe, Intermedialität, in: Handbuch Literaturwissenschaft, hrsg. von Th. Anz, Stuttgart, Weimar, 2007, S. 254-264.
Unit B:
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Die Leiden des jungen Werthers, Frankfurt am Main 1998ff. (Suhrkamp BasisBibliothek, ISBN: 978-3-518-18805-7)
- Franziska Walter, Werther reloaded, Mannheim 2016 (ISBN: 978-3-942795-37-1)
- Franz Kafka, Das Urteil und andere Erzählungen, Frankfurt am Main 2003ff. (Suhrkamp BasisBibliothek, ISBN: 978-3- 518-18836-1)
- Moritz Stetter, Das Urteil nach Franz Kafka, München 2015 (ISBN: 978-3-86873-524-6).
Unit C:
- Theodor Fontane, Effi Briest, Frankfurt am Main 2004ff. (Suhrkamp BasisBibliothek, ISBN: 978-3-518-18847-7)
- Verfilmungen von Effi Briest (1955, 1974 und 2009)
- Heinrich Böll, Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum, München 1976ff. (ISBN: 978-3-423-01150-1)
- Verfilmung Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum (1975)
Non-attending students should read Robert, Jörg, Einführung in die Intermedialität, Darmstadt, WBG, 2014 and contact the lecturer.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The examination includes a Hausarbeit in German, aimed at assessing the acquisition of the course contents and the ability to analyse literary texts from an intermedial point of view, and an oral test.
Active participation during the lectures will be considered as an integral part of the assessment.
Active participation during the lectures will be considered as an integral part of the assessment.
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)