AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

This course aims to examine literary texts produced in German-speaking countries in their aesthetic value and as powerful instruments to understand the culture of these countries.

By the end of this course you should have:

- Acquired an understanding of German history and culture

- Developed an ability to read and analyse fictional texts

- Developed an ability to understand social, historical and political factors that have influenced the German culture

TEACHING METHODS

36 hours frontal lecture in German, reading texts in German

Lessons in German, readings in German.

Attendance is not obbligatory, but heartily recommended

The course is being held online via Teams and Aulaweb

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Title:

Forms of the Grotesque in Austrian literature from Nestroy to Rabinovici

The lectures focus on the phenomenon of the grotesque throughout Austrian literature from the 19th to the 21st century. The introductory attempt to provide a concise definition for both phenomena, the Grotesque and Austrian literature, leads to the reading, analysing and interpreting of a  series of selected examples (J.N. Nestroy "Der Zerissene", F. Kafka “Die Verwandlung”, K. Kraus “Die letzten Tage der Menschheit”, E. Canetti “Komödie der Eitelkeit”, “Die Befristeten”, Ö. v.Horváth “Gebrauchsanweisung”, Th. Bernhard “Ein Fest für Boris”, W. Schwab “Volksvernichtung oder Meine Leber ist sinnlos”, E. Jandl “wien: heldenplatz”, D. Rabinovici "Andernorts"). 

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Secondary literature:

at disposial in the libary:

Wolfgang Kayser: Das Groteske. Seine Gestaltung in Dichtung und Malerei. Oldenburg/Hamburg: Stalling 1957. (Material Aulaweb).

Gerhard Mensching: Das Groteske im modernen Drama. Dargestellt an ausgewählten Beispielen. Phil. Diss. Bonn 1961. [Masch.], S. 36-49. (Fotokopien, MBK)

Michail M. Bachtin: Die Gestalt des grotesken Leibes. In: Michael M. Bachtin: Literatur und Karneval. Zur Romantheorie und Lachkultur. Aus dem Russischen übersetzt u. mit einem Nachwort versehen v. Alexander Kaempfe. Frankfurt/M.: Fischer 1996, S. 15-23. (Dossier Bibliothek)

Michail M. Bachtin: Wolfgang Kaysers Theorie des Grotesken. In: Bachtin, a.a.O., S. 24-31. (Dossier Bibliothek)

Arnold Heidsieck: Das Groteske und das Absurde im modernen Drama. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer 1969, S. 16 – 27; 37 – 46; 95 - 115. (Bibliothek)

Sowie die gesamte Sekundärliteratur zur Begriffsbestimmung des Grotesken in der Aulaweb (Müller, Kayser, Mensching, Pietzcker) und meine Essays zum Thema:

Groteske und Sprachgroteske in den Fäkaliendramen von Werner Schwab. (Material Aulaweb)

Formen des Grotesken in der österreichischen Literatur von Nestroy bis Schwab. (Bibliothek)

Primary literature: 

Johann Nestroy: Der Zerrissene

Karl Kraus: Die letzten Tage der Menschheit

Franz Kafka: Die Verwandlung

Jura Soyfer: Astoria

Jura Soyfer: Der Weltuntergang

Ödön von Horváth: Italienische Nacht

Ernst Jandl: Gedichte (Kriegskrüppel, Heldenplatz)

Thomas Bernhard: Ein Fest für Boris

 Werner Schwab: Volksvernichtung oder Meine Leber ist sinnlos

 Doron Rabinovici: Andernorts (Ital.: Altrove, La Giuntina, 2013)

 More material will be uploaded on aulaweb throughout the semester.

(...will be updated in September...)

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MICHAELA BÜRGER-KOFTIS (President)

SERENA SPAZZARINI (President)

NICOLETTA DACREMA

RAMONA PELLEGRINO (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

the first week of october 2022

Class schedule

GERMAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE MOD.2

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam, three questions, each one can be rated with max. 10 points and sum up to the maximum vote of 30/30 adding, eventually the "lode", excellency.

Due to COVID measurements the exams are being held online via Teams. 

ASSESSMENT METHODS

An exam, the length of which varies according to the programme, held by the professor responsible for the course, during which the level of the student’s knowledge will be assessed according to the following criteria:

a) ability to read, translate and comment on and contextualise critically excerpts from texts examined during the course, plus other supplementary texts read and prepared autonomously, see the list which can be downloaded from the professor’s website, the course on aulaweb and can also be consulted on the notice board outside the professor’s office;

b) ability to respond in Italian and German to questions on topics covered during the course and on supplementary texts prepared for the examination, as well as possibly developing an autonomous critical discourse.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Target group

Students from the LM 37/38 1st year, Comunicazione Internazionale

Credits

The exam is equivalent to 6 credit points.

Languages

Lessons will be held in German.

Target group

Students from the LM 37/38 1st year, Comunicazione Internazionale

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Credits

The exam is equivalent to 6 credit points.

Languages

Lessons will be held in German.

Will be comunicated in September 2022