Berlin and Beyond (GERM20011)

Students in this subject will learn about German history, language and society in the modern era from the perspectives of the capital, Berlin, and other locations such as Potsdam, Tübingen and Buckow. Beginning with one week in Tübingen students will gain a decentralised perspective on German history (from the foundation of the state, the Weimar Republic, the World Wars, until reunification) and an insight into the richly regional nature of German identity and language. By engaging with authors from the region, the stay in the heart of Baden-Württemberg also gets a literary component. Transferring to Berlin for the next thirteen days, students will learn about the challenges that face contemporary Germany including right-wing extremism, the refugee “crisis”, threats to the European Union and the legacy of both the Holocaust and the GDR. The subject ends with a stay in Buckow, a small town in the Nature Park Märkische Schweiz, where famous German writers used to compose their poems.