Catalog
German and Russian Studies
Associate Professors Cernahoschi and Kazecki; Lecturers Filipovic and Stephenson
Contemporary central and eastern Europe consists of heterogeneous societies with contested cultural traditions. Offerings in the Department of German and Russian Studies investigate important interconnections among history, society, culture, and language in the region. The curricula in German and Russian explore societies challenged and invigorated by change and stress the importance of attaining fluency not only in the language but also in the nuances of cultural understanding.
The department offers a major and a minor in German and a minor in Russian. The department also contributes to the interdisciplinary Program in European Studies. More information on the Department of German and Russian Studies is available on the website (www.bates.edu/german-russian).
All students, and especially majors and minors, are strongly encouraged to spend an extended period of time abroad prior to graduation. Opportunities to do so include participation in the Bates Fall Semester Abroad programs in Germany and Russia; junior-year- or junior-semester-abroad programs; summer sessions; and the various off-campus Short Term courses sponsored by the department.
Entering students are assigned to the appropriate level in language courses according to the following criteria: their performance on the SAT II or Advanced Placement Test of the College Entrance Examination Board taken in secondary school, relative proficiency based on length of previous study, and/or after consultation with an appropriate member of the department. Incoming students with previous knowledge of German should complete the German Language Placement Questionnaire on the departmental website (https://www.bates.edu/german-russian/academics/german/language-placement/) to determine the appropriate German course to take.
Literatures and Cultures in Translation
While the department emphasizes the importance of acquiring the fluency needed to study literature and culture in the original, the German and Russian and affiliated faculty offer many courses in translation. See course listings in German, Russian, and European studies for detailed descriptions of these courses.EUS 215. Jewish Lives in Eastern Europe.
EUS 240. Daily Life under Hitler and Stalin.
EUS 261. Slavic Europe.
EUS s26. Russian and East European Film.
EU/GR 254. Berlin and Vienna, 1900-1914.
EU/HI 288. Modern Russia: From Revolution to Today.
GER s26. The Split Screen: Reconstructing National Identities in West and East German Cinema.
German
Major Requirements in German
The major consists of ten courses in the German program. Required are: GER 233, at least one 300-level seminar, and GER 457 or GER 458. German majors must take a course in German both semesters of their senior year.Students starting the major with GER 101 typically take the sequence GER 101, GER 102, GER 201, GER 202, and GER 233, before taking upper-level seminars. Students who have started their major with GER 101 and are studying abroad in a German-speaking country during the fall of their junior year may substitute an appropriate course taken abroad for GER 233.
The major may include one elective in English from among the courses taught by the German faculty at Bates. Courses on German and European history and culture, as well as courses relevant to German studies offered in other departments or programs may be counted toward the major with the approval of the faculty advisor. Students may petition to have up to three electives in English counted toward the major in some circumstances. Upon the approval of the chair, students who achieve a score of five on an Advanced Placement examination may be granted two course credits toward the major, students who achieve a score of four may apply one course credit toward the major.
Minor in German
A minor requires a minimum of seven courses in the German program. At least six of the seven courses must be taught in German. At least one of the seven courses must focus on the study of literature or culture (taught either in German or in English). Advanced Placement courses may not be applied toward the minor.Pass/Fail Grading Option for the Classes of 2022 and 2023
Pass/fail grading may not be elected for courses applied toward the major except for 201, 202, and/or 233; nor for the minor except for 101, 102, 201, 202, and/or 233.Pass/Fail Grading Option for the Classes of 2024 and beyond
The use of the pass/fail option is restricted to one course within the major or the minor but may not be elected for 300-level courses.Study Abroad
German majors and minors are strongly encouraged to deepen their engagement with German language and culture through the experience of studying in a German-speaking country. The completion of four college-level German courses is typically required before commencing a study-abroad program in German. Majors may count a maximum of three credits for one semester of study and five credits for two semesters of study in a recognized program toward the completion of the major. Minors may count a maximum of two credits for one semester of study and three credits for two semesters toward the completion of the minor. Students are encouraged to speak with their faculty advisor regarding course offerings before going abroad, otherwise credit toward the major or minor is not guaranteed. More information is available on the Russian and German Studies departmental website(https://www.bates.edu/german-russian/study-abroad/).
Courses
GER 101. Introduction to German Language and Culture I.
This course, part of a yearlong sequence, introduces students to the German language and its cultural contexts. By emphasizing communicative skills, students learn to speak, build vocabulary, and develop their listening comprehension, reading, and writing skills. GER 101 is only offered in the fall semester. GER 101 is not open to students who have had two or more years of German in secondary school. Enrollment limited to 22. Normally offered every year. [AC] [CP] R. Cernahoschi, J. Kazecki.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
GER 102. Introduction to German Language and Culture II.
This course, a continuation of GER 101, introduces students to the German language and its cultural contexts. By emphasizing communicative skills, students further develop their speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing skills. GER 102 is only offered in the winter semester. GER 102 is not open to students who have had two or more years of German in secondary school. Prerequisite(s): GER 101. Enrollment limited to 22. Normally offered every year. [AC] [CP] R. Cernahoschi, J. Kazecki.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
GER 201. Intermediate German Language and Culture I.
Offered in the fall, this course is a continuation of GER 101-102. Students further expand their skills through sustained interactive practice in reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as their cultural knowledge about the German-speaking countries through wide-ranging, authentic material. Open to first-year students who enter with at least two years of German. Prerequisite(s): GER 102. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 22. Normally offered every year. [AC] [CP] R. Cernahoschi, J. Kazecki.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
GER 202. Intermediate German Language and Culture II.
This course, offered in the winter semester, is a continuation of GER 201. Students further expand their skills through sustained interactive practice in reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as their cultural knowledge about the German-speaking countries through wide-ranging, authentic material. Open to first-year students who enter with at least two years of German. Prerequisite(s): GER 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 22. Normally offered every year. [AC] [CP] R. Cernahoschi, J. Kazecki.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
GER 233. Advanced German Language and Introduction to German Studies.
A topical course offered in the fall semester and designed to develop linguistic and cultural competency at the advanced level, as well as to introduce students to some of the analytical and interpretative strategies necessary to engage and decode cultural productions originating in the German-speaking world. The course focuses on analysis and critical thinking applied to a variety of written and audiovisual media. Prerequisite(s): GER 202. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 22. Normally offered every year. [CP] [HS] R. Cernahoschi, J. Kazecki.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
GER 252. Tracing the Autobiographical: Personal Narratives in German Literature.
The course focuses on autobiographical writings in German literature. Students consider questions about the self-presentation of the authors as narrators of their own stories, the relationship between disclosure and literary invention, and the contested area between truth and fiction in autobiographical forms. They investigate how "life-writing" and "self-writing" can be a literary genre that presents issues such as identity, belonging and Otherness, memory, and trauma. Prerequisite(s): GER 233. Enrollment limited to 29. [AC] [CP] R. Cernahoschi, J. Kazecki.GER 253. Contemporary German Cultures.
This project-based course engages students in current issues in the German-speaking countries. The issues may include difficult debates surrounding pluriculturalism, racism, and the legacies of imperialism and authoritarianism, as well as popular culture, such as music, film, or children’s books. Students work in groups to define current trends and place them in a historical context. Prerequisite(s): GER 233. Enrollment limited to 25. [W2] Normally offered every other year. J. Kazecki.EU/GR 254. Berlin and Vienna, 1900–1914.
From the beginning of the twentieth century to the outbreak of World War I, the capital cities of Berlin and Vienna were home to major political and cultural developments, including diverse movements in art, architecture, literature, and music, as well as the growth of mass party politics. The ascending German Empire and the multiethnic Habsburg Empire teetering on the verge of collapse provide the context within which this course examines well-known and lesser-known texts from the period. Topics include urban growth and its social effects, class and gender anxiety, the role of the military, empire and nationalism, and colonialism at home and abroad. Conducted in English. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 29. [AC] [HS] R. Cernahoschi, J. Kazecki.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
GER 256. The Age of Materialism, 1830-1899.
The nineteenth century saw the profound transformation of Germany and Austria at all levels of society. The Napoleonic Wars, the failed revolutions of 1848, the ascent of Prussia and the divisions within the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the crumbling of feudalism and the emergence of nationalism, scientific advances, and industrialization contributed to the rethinking of political, economic, and social roles, the relationship between the human and the natural worlds, and the nature of reality itself. The course focuses on the investigation of the materiality of the human condition through selected literary, artistic, journalistic, and other texts of the period. Prerequisite(s): GER 233. Enrollment limited to 29. [AC] [HS] R. Cernahoschi.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
GER 262. The Split Screen: Reconstructing National Identities in West and East German Cinema.
This course investigates selected works of West and East German cinematic production after 1945. Students engage a broad range of topics and issues that define the popular view of Germany and its culture today. They discuss Germany's Nazi past, the postwar division of the country and its reunification in 1990, the legacies of the 1968 generation, and the role of minorities in contemporary Germany. The course also provides students with basic tools of film analysis, which are used in the discussion of cinematic art and in the analysis of the specific aesthetic qualities of a film. Conducted in English. Not open to students who have received credit for GER s26. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 39. J. Kazecki.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
GER 341. Landscapes and Cityscapes in German Media.
This course examines the construction of space in a variety of historical and contemporary German media, answering questions such as: What landscapes and cityscapes contribute to a German identity and how? How do geographical location, cultural particularity, and historical context contribute to (sometimes contested) discourses on these spaces? How is the construction of these spaces impacted by the historical diversity of cultures in Central Europe, as well as by modern migration to the area? And how have German speakers conceptualized and colonized "other" spaces in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas? Prerequisite(s): GER 233 and one other 200-level course in German Enrollment limited to 15. [AC] [HS] R. Cernahoschi, J. Kazecki.GER 350. Margins and Migrations.
What is German literature? The course examines this question through the lens of writers who are difficult to incorporate into a national narrative. The first part of the course focuses on literatures produced on the margins of the German and Austrian empires in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, while the second part studies the effects of postwar labor migrations and globalization on contemporary German, Austrian, and Swiss literatures. Prerequisite(s): GER 233 and another 200-level course in German. This course may be repeated once for credit. Enrollment limited to 15. [AC] [CP] R. Cernahoschi, J. Kazecki.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
GER 358. Literature and Film of the German Democratic Republic.
This course explores the ways in which literature and film reflect and refract the social and political experiments of the GDR. Topics include the doctrine of Socialist Realism and its (mis)applications, coming to terms with the past, the emergence and problematization of new gender models, youth culture and generational tensions, the role of the individual in socialist society, censorship and artistic experimentation, conformity and resistance, popular culture and the artistic underground, and industrialization and environmental concerns. Attention is given to the sociohistorical contexts of the examined works and the means and ends of literary and cinematic creations of (alternate) realities. Prerequisite(s): GER 233 and another 200-level course in German. Enrollment limited to 15. [AC] [HS] R. Cernahoschi.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
GER 360. Independent Study.
Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester. Normally offered every semester. Staff.GER 365. Special Topics.
Designed for the small seminar group of students who may have particular interests in areas of study that go beyond the regular course offerings. Periodic conferences and papers are required. Permission of the department is required. Staff.GER 457. Senior Thesis.
A capstone project, which may take the form of a written research paper, community-engaged project, translation project, or digital portfolio, designed in consultation with the faculty advisor. Students register for German 457 in the fall semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both German 457 and 458. Enrollment limited to 15. [W3] Normally offered every year. Staff.GER 458. Senior Thesis.
A capstone project, which may take the form of a written research paper, community-engaged project, translation project, or digital portfolio, designed in consultation with the faculty advisor. Students register for German 458 in the winter semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both German 457 and 458. Enrollment limited to 15. [W3] Normally offered every year. Staff.GER s26. The Split Screen: Reconstructing National Identities in West and East German Cinema.
This course investigates selected films from West and East German after 1945. Students engage a broad range of topics and issues that define the popular view of Germany and its cultures today. They discuss Germany's Nazi past, the postwar division of the country and its reunification in 1990, the legacies of the 1968 generation, and diversity in contemporary Germany. The course also provides students with basic tools of film analysis, which are used in the discussion of cinematic art and in the analysis of the specific aesthetic qualities of a film. Conducted in English. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 39. [AC] [HS] J. Kazecki.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
GER s27. German Beer: Art, Science, History and Theory of a German Tradition.
This course is devoted to the study of Braukunst, the art of brewing, from its earliest origins in Mesopotamia to the most modern mass production. Students examine the production and consumption of beer from cultural, chemical, historical, and economic points of view, considering beer as an agricultural product, a consumer good, a culinary staple, and a cultural artifact. The emphasis is on the German and central European traditions. The practical component of the course include designing and brewing beer, and touring a Maine microbrewery and hops farm. Conducted in English. Students with background in German will have the option to complete selected readings in German. Only open to juniors and seniors. Enrollment limited to 20. One-time offering. [AC] A. Hamilton.GER s50. Independent Study.
Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study during a Short Term. Normally offered every year. Staff.Russian
Minor in Russian
A minor requires a minimum of seven courses in Russian. At least one of the seven courses must involve a study of literature or culture (taught either in the language or in translation), but only one course in translation may be counted toward the minor. A student may petition to have up to three comparable courses, completed at other institutions either in the United States or abroad, apply toward the minor. Advanced Placement courses may not be applied toward the minor.Pass/Fail Grading Option
Pass/fail grading may be elected for 101, 102, 201, 202, 301, and 302.Courses
RUSS 101. Elementary Russian I.
This course, offered in the fall semester as part of a yearlong sequence, introduces students to Russian language and culture with an emphasis on listening and speaking. Students also experience the richness of modern Russia through a variety of authentic texts including music, art, film, and television. Conducted in Russian. Enrollment limited to 22. Normally offered every year. [AC] [CP] M. Filipovic, C. Stephenson.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RUSS 102. Elementary Russian II.
This course, offered in the winter semester, is a continuation of RUSS 101 with an emphasis on listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students continue their introduction to modern Russia through authentic texts including music, film, and television excerpts, and selected items from recent newspapers and the Internet. Conducted in Russian. Enrollment limited to 22. Normally offered every year. [AC] [CP] M. Filipovic, C. Stephenson.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
EU/RU 111. Protestors, Punks, and Pioneers: Youth in Eastern Europe.
This course examines the role of youth and student culture in shaping East European societies in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Course materials including film, literature, journalism, and music provide an introduction to East European cultural and social history and encourage students to explore themes of identity, activism, expression, and community. As students move from considering the role of youth in the Russian Revolution to contemporary student protests in support of human rights, class discussions bring new perspectives to the ways young people both navigate and foster change in the times and spaces they occupy. Enrollment limited to 39. [AC] [HS] C. Stephenson.EU/RU 112. Gangsters and Gulags: Crime in Russia and Eastern Europe.
This course explores the history and shifting contexts of crime and punishment in Russia and Eastern Europe from the nineteenth century to the present. Central questions for the course include how crimes against the state, against property, and against individuals differ; how gender, religious, and ethnic identities impact ideas about criminality; and how legality and morality are related. As students explore literary texts, first-person narratives, films, and other media depicting crime and criminals, they discuss what kinds of norms and values are reinforced or undermined by ideas and actions surrounding crime. New course beginning Fall 2022. Enrollment limited to 39. Normally offered every other year. C. Stephenson.RUSS 201. Intermediate Russian I.
This course, offered in the fall semester, is a continuation of Elementary Russian, focusing on vocabulary acquisition and greater control of more complex and extended forms of discourse. Conducted in Russian. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 102. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 22. Normally offered every year. [AC] [CP] M. Filipovic, C. Stephenson.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RUSS 202. Intermediate Russian II.
This course, offered in the winter semester, is a continuation of RUSS 201 and completes students' introduction to the formal aspects of Russian language. Emphasis is placed on students' use of Russian to express themselves orally and in writing. Conducted in Russian. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 22. Normally offered every year. [AC] [CP] M. Filipovic, C. Stephenson.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ES/RU 216. Nature in the Cultures of Russia.
This course explores the connections among environment, culture, and identity in the Eurasian landmass that has been home to Russians, Siberians, and Central Asians. After a brief consideration of the ways in which Russian identities have been grounded in deeply conservative understandings of land and peasantry, students consider alternative and revisionist versions that draw on "nature" to explore gender, sexuality, and ethnicity, often in direct opposition to the state. Conducted in English. Prerequisite(s): ENVR 205 or one course in European studies or Russian. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 29. Staff.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RUSS 301. Advanced Russian I.
This course, normally offered in the fall semester, focuses on the essentials of contemporary colloquial Russian. Students read short unabridged texts in both literary and journalistic styles, and write one- and two-page papers on a variety of topics. Conducted in Russian. This course may be repeated once for credit with permission of the instructor. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 202. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Normally offered every year. [AC] [CP] M. Filipovic, C. Stephenson.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RUSS 302. Advanced Russian II.
This course, normally offered in the winter semester, is a continuation of RUSS 301, in which students read and discuss texts in a variety of styles from political speeches to short novels, from songs to feature-length films. Students write a number of short papers ranging from opinion pieces to literary parodies. Conducted in Russian. This course may be repeated once for credit with permission of the instructor. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 202. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Normally offered every year. [AC] [CP] M. Filipovic, C. Stephenson.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RUSS 306. Advanced Russian Culture and Language.
This course develops oral fluency and aural acuity as well as reading and writing skills through directed and spontaneous classroom activities and individual and collaborative written assignments. Conversations and compositions are based on feature films and film criticism, documentary films, and short fiction and nonfiction texts. Conducted in Russian. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 202. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. [AC] [CP] Staff.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
EU/RU 313. Hard and Soft Socialism: Literatures, Films, and Cultures of the USSR and Socialist Yugoslavia.
Was socialism and socialist art a uniform phenomenon across the USSR and Eastern Europe? The course focuses on the development of socialist cultures in the USSR and Yugoslavia following the Tito-Stalin split in 1948. While the USSR claimed the monopoly on Marxism, Yugoslavia constructed its image as an unorthodox communist country that eradicated the ideological and aesthetic impurities of Stalinism and introduced a more democratic, "West-friendly" socialism. The course also examines changing concepts of gender, sex, and dissident cultures, via texts and films produced on the eve of socialism’s collapse in the early 1990s. Enrollment limited to 15. Normally offered every other year. M. Filipovic.RUSS 360. Independent Study.
Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester. Normally offered every semester. Staff.RUSS 365. Special Topics.
Designed for the small seminar group of students who may have particular interests in areas of study that go beyond the regular course offerings. Periodic conferences and papers are required. Conducted in Russian. Instructor permission is required. Staff.INDC s22. Puppets: Theory, Practice, and Play.
This interdisciplinary course examines the questions, concepts, and potential surrounding puppets through a combination of hands-on work and play with puppets, discussion, readings, and viewings of puppet performances. Readings and other materials offer perspectives on what puppets are, how they interact with audiences, and what makes puppet performance a distinct forum for exploring questions about bodies and identities. Students test these ideas together using actual puppets to see how theory and practice collide. The course concludes with a collective project using puppets to engage with the community at Bates and beyond. Crosslisted in European studies, Russian, and theater. New course beginning Short Term 2022. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Normally offered every other year. C. Stephenson.Interdisciplinary Programs
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)