31350 - German Literature 3

Learning outcomes

Student will have acquired an adequate knowledge of significant aspects and issues in literary history. They will have acquired an analytical knowledge of the works of individual authors. They will be able to assess the literary quality of the works they have read, conducting textual analysis according to accurate critical methodologies, relying on theoretical tools necessary to appreciate the formal, thematic and stylistic components of individual works and linking them to precise historical and cultural backgrounds. Students will be able to comment, translate and discuss the contents of the literary works studied from a linguistic, historical and philological point of view.

Course contents

Wege der deutschsprachigen Erzählliteratur durch die zweite Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts

Even when confronted with extreme hardships, as Anselm Kiefer argues, «art still shall not succumb, if only by a small margin». Can this also be said of German-speaking literature in the second half of the 20th century? And if so, to what extent? The course sets out to examine crucial moments of the post-war literary debate and its consequences in the decades to follow, with particular regard to the experiences of the Group 47. We will discuss short stories, essays and autobiographical documents by authors who were part of the Group or approached it as ‘guests’ reading passages from their own works in a context open to divergent perspectives. How have they dealt with the issues of recent and distant history? What role did the models of tradition play? With these and other questions in mind, we are going to read the sources engaging in a dialogue with critical studies on the topics discussed.

Readings/Bibliography

 

Literary Sources

 

• Ilse Aichinger, Der Gefesselte. Erzählungen I (1948-1952), Frankfurt am Main, S. Fischer, 1991, p. 12–30 («Der Gefesselte») and p. 63–75 («Spiegelgeschichte»)

• Peter Bichsel, Eigentlich möchte Frau Blum den Milchmann kennenlernen. 21 Geschichten, Olten-Freiburg, Walter, 1964 (or other editions).

• Heinrich Böll, Wanderer, kommst du nach Spa… Erzählungen, München, dtv, 1967 (o later), p. 7–13 («Über die Brücke») and p. 45–56 («Wanderer, kommst du nach Spa...»)

• Günter Grass, Figurenstehen. Eine Legende, Göttingen, Steidl, 2022.

• Stephan Hermlin, Abendlicht, Berlin, Wagenbach, 2020.

• Hans Werner Richter, Im Etablissement der Schmetterlinge. 21 Porträts aus der Gruppe 47, Berlin, Wagenbach, 2018, p. 9–20, 61–76, 115–130 and 243–255

 

(This list is in progress, parts will be indicated)

 

Secondary Literature

 

• Elena Agazzi, Erhard Schütz (Hg.), Handbuch Nachkriegskultur: Literatur, Sachbuch und Film in Deutschland 1945-1962, Berlin, Walter de Gruyter, 2016², p. 93-96, 141-152, 281-290 and 553-561.

• Raul Calzoni, La letteratura tedesca del secondo dopoguerra. L’età delle macerie e della ricostruzione (1945-1961), Roma, Carocci, 2018² esp. p. 9-37, 93-116, 167-177 and 253-278.

• Marco Castellari, «L’immediato dopoguerra 1945-1949», in Chiara M. Buglioni, Marco Castellari, Alessandra Goggio, Moira Paleari, Letteratura tedesca. Epoche, generi, intersezioni. Vol. II: Dal primo dopoguerra al nuovo millennio, Firenze, Le Monnier, 2019, p. 145-153 and 165-174.

• Simone Costagli, Alessandro Fambrini, Matteo Galli, Stefania Sbarra, Guida alla letteratura tedesca. Percorsi e protagonisti 1945-2017, Bologna, Odoya, 2018, esp. p. 7-26, 70-79, 80-91 and 124-135.

• Michael Dallapiazza, «La letteratura dopo il 1945», in Michael Dallapiazza e Claudio Santi, Storia della letteratura tedesca. Vol. 3: Il Novecento, Bari-Roma, Laterza, 2018⁴, p. 179-286.

• Maurizio Pirro, Costruir su macerie. Il romanzo in Germania negli anni Cinquanta, Bari, Graphis, 2009, esp. p. V-VIII, 75-104 and 151-178.

Teaching methods

The course includes lectures and seminars in German and Italian. Students are encouraged to participate actively in the discussions.

Course contents and exam mode of completion are the same for students who do not follow lessons, are on Erasmus exchange etc.  They are furthermore advised to contact the teacher (guglielmo.gabbiadini@unibo.it) for mentoring service and further indications about exam preparation.

The oral exam shall be conducted in Italian. Those who wish may take it in German.

Assessment methods

Oral exam – open questions aimed at assessing:

1. the knowledge of the contents presented in class

 

2. the knowledge of at least two tales among the following ones (each student is expected to read them in full length in German)

- I. Aichinger, Der Gefesselte

- I. Aichinger, Spiegelgeschichte

- P. Bichsel, Eigentlich möchte Frau Blum den Milchmann kennenlernen

- H. Böll, Über die Brücke

- H. Böll, Wanderer, kommst du nach Spa...

- G. Grass, Figurenstehen. Eine Legende

- S. Hermlin, Abendlicht

 

3. the development of critical thinking skills

 

Final grading on a 30-point scale (0-17=fail)

Teaching tools

Visual aids and recruitment materials. 

Office hours

See the website of Guglielmo Gabbiadini