German Studies 231PM - Topics in German and European Studies in a Global Context: 'In Conversation with the Past: The Politics and Problems of Memory'

How should the site of a former concentration camp be preserved? Who designs a memorial? How are atrocities remembered in daily life and culture as well as on the political stage? This course will approach the subject of memory as a meeting point between the personal and political, by considering diverse modes of commemoration in Germany and the United States. While exploring how literature, visual media and political policy engage and shape individual and collective memory, our approach will be comparative and interdisciplinary with an emphasis on relevant social and cultural events. While the focus of this course will be on German history of the 20th century, students are encouraged to think comparatively about memory culture and politics on a global scale.