Free University of Berlin

This course covers a frequently neglected aspect of the middle-high German literature, namely its Bebilderung. Scripts and multimedia works of art are illuminated, and students question how these works influence the text and our understanding of it.   

This course considers the following questions: to what extent do processes such as the transnationalization of production, world trade, or migration processes impact gender inequalities? What are the emancipatory effects of these processes? In order to be able to answer these questions, the seminar first discusses the theoretical foundations for a gender analysis in globalization research. Different theoretical approaches of gender research –from liberal, Marxist, social constructivist to postcolonial and intersectional approaches –are presented and critically reflected. Along the theoretical discussion, the various approaches to gender as an analysis category are worked out, discussed with regard to their methodological consequences, and tested on the basis of selected topics. Finally, various feminist strategies and approaches to the gender-equitable organization of globalization are presented and examined with regard to their gender implications.

This course considers the concept of hypermodernism and its more recent iterations with respect to new and planned buildings in Berlin (by international firms such as OMA and Herzog de Meuron), to places of infrastructure (train stations, airports), shopping centers, so-called POPS (privately owned public spaces), and urban wilderness areas. Students are encouraged to explore the city on their own and respond to particular sites through visuals, audio recordings, (creative) texts, and other forms of artistic expression.

This course is devoted to one of the most long-running and yet contested philosophical theories in the Western tradition, namely that of monism. This issue touches on several central themes in metaphysics and theoretical philosophy: the question of ground, the understanding of becoming and contingency, and the relationship between mind, language, and world, just to name a few. In order to delve into this rich and complex line of thought, the course uses the debate that ensued on the topic within analytic philosophy in the last decade. The contemporary debate has several merits that make it a wonderful introduction to the topic. After having considered the main tenets of the contemporary debate on analytic monism and its relation to the history of metaphysics within the analytic tradition, the course considers a few “traditional” authors that have defended or opposed different versions of monism in the history of philosophy (Parmenides, Spinoza, Hegel). Going from present to past, the course explores how authors from the traditions fit within the directives and presuppositions of the contemporary debate. Conversely, going from past to present the course assesses what authors from the tradition can contribute to today's metaphysical inquiry.

This course is designed for beginners with basic knowledge of German. This course is intensive and is intended for dedicated, highly self-motivated students who will take responsibility for their learning. This course helps students expand their competences in listening, speaking, reading and writing within four weeks, deepen their knowledge of grammar as well as knowledge of the German culture. It enables students to deal with everyday situations in a German-speaking environment and to conduct simple conversations. Students develop reading strategies that allow them to understand simple newspaper and magazine articles as well as more detailed short literary texts. In addition, students improve their essay writing skills and are able to write short texts on different topics, revise and proofread them.