CIEE, Berlin

This course introduces the history of German cinema, with a special focus on the crucial role of Berlin as both production site and film set. Students engage with important milestones in the history of German cinema, many of which are set in Berlin, and learn about their historical, political and aesthetic contexts. Special emphasis is placed on the so-called “Berlin School” of filmmaking, a New Wave emerging in the late 1990s, and continuing to be highly relevant today. CIEE offers the course in German and English, and this version of the course is taught in German.

This course explores the different ways in which Germany has confronted, and continues to address, the historical legacy of the twentieth century, with an emphasis on sites of remembrance in Berlin related to the National Socialist era and the Holocaust. Individual historical and commemorative sites will be considered within the broader context of German history after 1945—and how those sites provide valuable insights into the successes and controversial failures of coming to terms with a complex and burdensome past. From the general silence and continuities of the Adenauer years, as well as the first criminal trials of the 1960s, to the citizens' initiatives of the 1970s and the institutional memorials of the 1990s, students will familiarize themselves with different approaches to confronting the past (Vergangenheitsbewältigung) and the German culture of remembrance (Erinnerungskultur).

This course is designed for students who can understand the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in their fields of specialization. The goals of the course are to enable students to interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers possible without strain for either party; to produce clear, detailed texts on a range of subjects; and to explain a viewpoint on a specific issue, giving the advantages and disadvantages of various perspectives or options.

This course introduces some of the major questions and historical debates that continue to surround the origins, implementation, and aftermath of the Holocaust—the systematic, industrialized mass murder of an estimated six million European Jews, as well as homosexuals, communists, Roma and Sinti, handicapped, and other victims by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during WWII. The first part of the course focuses on the historical context, planning, and execution of the Holocaust. The second part of the course introduces the major historiographical debates in the post-war period. The third part of the course focuses on memorialization and the politics of memory in contemporary Germany. Special attention is given to issues in Holocaust studies that are peculiar to Germany as the country of the perpetrators. The course examines domestic German controversies about Holocaust memorialization, the place of the Holocaust in German national self-understanding, and more broadly the concept of "coming to terms with the past" (Vergangenheitsbewältigung).

In this course, students encounter and work with a variety of German sources to refine their linguistic skills. It reviews and deepens students' knowledge of German grammar with an increasing focus on stylistics in both oral and written speech. Special emphasis is on practicing the subjunctive (“indirekte Rede”) while studying and producing journalistic texts about the city of Berlin. This course also includes practical tasks, such as conducting interviews, writing blog posts, and rehearsing a play.

This course examines music markets and the ongoing evolution of the music industry with a focus on the cultural and social influence of music, the changing perspective of music consumers, and the role of artists and producers. Students learn about varying debates and models within the music industry, the interaction of music with other media, and the intersection of traditional music forms (radio, records, and concerts) with new technologies such as on-line audio streaming. The course examines the importance and economic contribution of popular and alternative music festivals. Utilizing the city as a field site for study, this course encourages students to engage with a range of music performances and events. The course uses a dynamic mix of lectures, case study discussions, student presentations, and a field trip to a local music label.

The course is an exploration of the nature of the German fairy tale as a literary genre and institution. It examines its historical origins in the late 18th century, its cultural significance for Germany, the formalistic elements and thematic features developed in the German fairy tale over time and its dissemination in literary and pop culture in the contemporary world.

This course introduces the theories and techniques of journalism, with an emphasis on fairness and accuracy of journalistic coverage of diverse, multi-ethnic communities, the role of journalism in democratic societies, news values and ethics, and reporting and writing techniques. Using specific examples from two geographical and political arenas, students examine the influence of journalism on politics, business, and society. Topics include the role of foreign correspondents in the location of their study. Much of the coursework includes practical reporting and students develop a journalism portfolio based on weekly exercises.

This course provides an overview of the process of European integration from the post-World War II era to the present. Students study the functions and power distributions of the EU legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. Students also analyze the politics of policymaking in different areas, such as the single market, the Euro, and external trade policy. Current dissensions and dysfunctions within the EU are examined and debated from the perspectives of democratic theory and collective action theory. Noneconomic policy areas, such as foreign and security policies, also are addressed.

This course explores the contemporary host culture through the lenses of intercultural studies. Students learn about current cultural, societal and political themes in the host city, compare ethnic and racial identities in the host country and the U.S., and explore the experiences of diverse populations within the host country. The course examines the complexity of host culture values, beliefs, and practices and learn to identify the cultural differences and similarities between the host culture and U.S. American cultures. Students study key intercultural communication theories, frameworks and leadership practices in order to deepen their cultural self-awareness, acquire new perspectives and effectively communicate and interact with culturally different others.