ClassInfo

UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement

Open (17 of 25 seats filled)

In this seminar, we will investigate the media formats, practices, and environments that shaped modernity in the early twentieth century. Drawing on the work of German artists, filmmakers, writers, and cultural critics of the Weimar Republic, we will examine how new media (photography, film, and the illustrated press) contributed to the development of a number of key themes that continue to structure society today: the emergence of the metropolis and mass culture, the representation of self and public, the reconfiguration of the senses in response to new technologies and environments, and the role of media in political mobilization. In the process, students will develop skills in close-looking, close-reading, and the interpretation of visual and textual media; widen their vocabularlies (particularly in reference to visual media); and become comfortable expressing and debating complex ideas in the German language. This course will include three film screenings over the course of the semester, as well as occasional field trips to the Weisman Art Museum and Minneapolis Institute of Art to view works of art in person. Readings, class discussions, and assignments will be in German.

50% Reports/Papers

10% In-class Presentations

20% Class Participation