German

This course is conducted in the German language and is designed to teach students who are new to German or have basic German skills the basic expressions and grammar necessary for daily life. The course enables students to develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in German in a range of predictable situations and contexts and allows students to interact in a simple way orally and in writing. 

The history of the Jewish people in East Germany has become a focus of interest in the last few years. This seminar focuses on the perspective of Jewish returners, both prominent and not and focuses on a series of questions and topics: The catastrophe of the Holocaust causes a great many questions about the various lifestyles of East German Jews: What persuaded them after the Holocaust to return to Germany? Which hopes and expectations did this new community have? And to what extent did return to Germany mean the immigration into a socialist utopia, which was a reaction to the atrocities of the past and promised a future and foothold for returnees? But with hope and expectations often comes disappointment: How was the East German antisemitism, both private and occasionally also public, experienced, and what did it mean for returnees; how did they perceive East German evasion surrounding discussion of and responsibility for the Holocaust? The course explores these themes through autobiographical texts and scientific secondary literature.

This course focuses on sustainability and its impact as the most important global transformation project of the current time. It primarily discusses theories of change and human planning and design, but also topics such as justice, freedom, progress, growth, capitalism, and inequality.