The course will schematize different aspects of German culture from the time of the Enlightenment (1760) up to today using different texts and cultural forms of expression such as fiction and non-fiction literature, films, music and visual arts as a basis.

TYS112 is a compulsory part of the specialization in German.

Knowledge:

The student:

- will acquire basic background knowledge on modern German society as well as cultural developments in Germany.

- will acquire knowledge of processes of nation building and state formation as well as familiarity with the main characteristics of various cultural-historical periods in Germany.

Skills:

The student:

- is capable of understanding academic texts dealing with cultural history and various aesthetic expressions, and is capable of independently carrying out academic work on such texts and expressions.

- is capable of independently using different media in order to acquire an understanding of cultural developments in Germany.

- General competence:

The student:

- has gained basic knowledge of selected topics within Germanistic culture in the period from the Enlightenment (1760) up to the present day,

- is capable of reflecting critically on this knowledge,

- and is capable of analysing various cultural expressions as well as relating them to historical and societal contexts.

The teaching offered includes lectures/seminars and group teaching that requires active participation from the students. Important: Part of the teaching in TYS112 is at the University of Kiel.

Two or three double sessions in Bergen + teaching in Kiel + library course

10 weeks in Bergen + 6 weeks in Kiel

Students are required to attend 75% of the lectures and seminars given in Bergen.

In the course of the semester, students are required to write three short (c. 300 words) practice papers and to give at least two short oral presentations.

Course assessment consists of a seven-day take-home examination and an oral examination (c. 30 minutes).

The take-home examination comprises approximately 1500 words, not including table of contents, problem statement and bibliography.

The oral exam consists of a presentation (15 minutes) and a conversation on a topic related to the curriculum (15 minutes).

Both parts of the exam must be passed in the same semester.

One joint grade will be given. When determining the grade, the take-home examination counts for 60 percent, the oral exam 40 percent.

There is an exam every semester.