German Studies 221DC - German Culture and Histories: 'All the Glitter and the Gold: Decadence and Destruction in Weimar Germany'
Decadence&Destrut. in Weimar
Spring
2026
01
4.00
Catherine McNally
TTH 09:00AM-10:15AM
Mount Holyoke College
129850
Ciruti 109
cemcnally@mtholyoke.edu
In this course, we will explore the complex history, contested legacy, and contemporary resonance of Weimar Germany, from the murder of Rosa Luxemburg in 1919 to Hitler's rise to power in 1933. Was this dynamic interregnum in Germany's political history merely a prelude to catastrophe, or can we understand it instead as a site of daring political experimentation in which radically different visions of democracy, authority, mass politics, and public welfare were all up for grabs? Reading widely across primary sources-essays, speeches, news articles, and cultural artifacts from the period--as well as later reflections and analyses, we will ask: How exceptional was the fate of Weimar Germany?
Prereq: GRMST-201.; Coreq: GRMST-221L
Taught in German.
Multiple required components--lab and/or discussion section. To register, submit requests for all components simultaneously.