FRS 003 — Sec. 002 — (1 unit) —CRN 92633 — M 3:10-4:00 pm — 25 Wellman
Germany: Highlights of Cultural History

Instructor: John Fetzer, Department of German, College of Letters and Science

Description: The aim of this seminar is to give the student a thumbnail overview of some of the major facets of German culture. After pinpointing the central terms of "German" and "culture," the course will outline the major epochs of cultural history and then focus on the distinctively German contributions to such fields as art, architecture, philosophy, literature, and music. In each instance, only the most prominent figures and concepts will be stressed (for instance, in the visual arts, medieval altars, Dürer in the age of the Renaissance, the 20th century Expressionists; in architecture, Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, and modern structures; in music, the three "B's" and their aftermath, etc.). Brief examples from each field (for instance, very short excerpts from major musical compositions) will be used in order to whet the appetite of the students and interest them in pursuing the subject in depth and detail in their subsequent studies.

Format: The class will meet for one hour each week for ten weeks. There will be a short reader (compiled by the instructor) containing notes in outline form which cover the contents of each introductory lecture. The remarks and summaries will serve as food for thought and as a springboard for follow-up discussions. Grading: One short paper, consisting of four pages, will be required. The paper counts (50%) toward the passing grade, active class participation accounts for the remaining (50%).

About the Instructor: John Fetzer received his BA from New York University, his MA from Columbia University, and his PhD. from the University of California, Berkeley. Before coming to UC Davis in 1965, he taught at Northwestern University. His book publications deal with Romantic writers (such as Clemens Brentano) and modern German authors (Thomas Mann), while his articles, which cover a variety of literary and musical subjects, include a recent study of Anna K. Emmerick, the stigmatic German nun whose writings on Christ's sufferings served as a major source for Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ." Fetzer's extra-curricular interests include musical composition as well as tennis and golf.