GRMN 536 - Foreign Exchanges:German Travel Literature and the East

Institution:

University of Pennsylvania

Subject:

Description:

Wiggin. Prerequisite(s): GRMN 216 or equivalent. This course is taught in German. For centuries the "Orient" has functioned as an important concept in formulating a European as well as a specifically German identity. In the context of today's debates about the expansion of Europe and the so-called war on terrorism, it is a concept which demands further historical investigation. On the basis of travel narratives and other texts, we will explore this key term, noting how it has been insistently (re)formulated since the beginnings of modernity. We will also investigate several theoretical models which can help us to think through the cultural encounters documented in the primary works. A series of fundamental questions will accompany us through the semester: Where is the East Is the East a homogenous place eliciting either fear or wonder Who lives in the East and how are the "customs and manners" of its inhabitants comprehended What happens to a German in the East And, vice versa, what happens to an "Oriental" in Germany Is the East only in the East Can one also find the East in Germany

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.upenn.edu

Phone Number:

(215) 898-5000

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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