German

Even if Friedrich Nietzsche liked to see himself as a "flame" leaping out of nothing and leaving only "ashes" behind him, his writings are integrated into philological and philosophical traditions. The list of his declared friends and enemies is long, as is the list of books he acquired or borrowed. Nietzsche's work cannot be thought of without antiquity, without Schopenhauer and without the confrontation with contemporary aesthetic and philosophical positions. In this respect, his work has a prehistory, but not only this: it has also experienced a turbulent reception history from turn-of-the-century aesthetics through the world wars and fascism to postmodernism, which often has little to do with Nietzsche's actual texts. In this lecture, selected passages from Nietzsche's work are subjected to a reading and examined for their influences in order to confront them with their history of impact. From the point of view of literary studies and aesthetics, the focus is on the early aesthetic writings around the BIRTH OF TRAGEDY, DIE FRÖHLICHE WISSENSCHAFT, ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA, as well as Nietzsche's own poetry.

In this class on the B1 level according to CEFR, students learn to understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. They deal with most situations likely to arise while travelling to an area where German is spoken. Students learn to produce simple connected texts on topics that are familiar or of personal interest. They acquire skills to describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans. The B1 level is split into two courses, the B1.1 course covers the first half of the level and the B1.2 course covers the second half of the level.

This course explores philosophical reflections on the structure and purpose of the university and the role of philosophy within that institution as put forward by German philosophers in the 19th century, while also providing a critical perspective on the subsequent history of the university through the 20th century until today. Students read key texts by philosophers such as Kant, Schelling, Fichte, von Humboldt, Schleiermacher, Hegel, Marx, Heine, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Heidegger, to trace how ideas relating to university reform changed and were implemented in the course of the last two centuries, also in light of the most recent European university reform: the Bologna Process in 1999.

This pre-semester course prepares foreign students for academic study at a German university. The focus is on the improvement of oral and written expression as well as grammar and lexical proficiency. The course covers selected topics on German politics and society within a historical context. In addition, excursions are planned to introduce students to German culture. Students work with cultural topics in everyday situations and broaden their intercultural knowledge. They are introduced to independent learning methods and familiarize themselves with typical learning situations at German universities. In this class at the B2 level according to CEFR, students consolidate their knowledge of grammar and study complex structures. They systematically expand their vocabulary and include abstract terms and topics. The course includes exercises to improve oral and written communication such as doing research, structuring, presenting, and discussing. Writing skills are enhanced through different types of academic texts and handouts. The B2 level is split into two courses, the B2.1 course covers the first half of the level and the B2.2 course covers the second half of the level.