126-032 East Meets West in German Literature 1989-1999

Availability

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

37.5 points of second/third-year subjects

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

For many authors German unification has meant the chance to repose the question of what it means to be German today? Who in fact is 'das Volk' that was proclaimed in the popular slogan 'Wir sind das Volk' in 1989? Does to be German mean to be West German? What has the result of unification been on East German identity and their sense of belonging to the new Germany? How do stereotypes of Ossis and Wessis serve to divide those that belong to the nation and those that are to be excluded? Is the Wall now replaced by 'die Mauer im Kopf', as Peter Schneider suggested? These questions of identity and 'imagined' community will be examined by comparing and contrasting works by East and West German writers from the decade since unification. Texts by West German authors such as F C Delius' 'Die Birnen von Ribbeck', Rolf Hochhut's 'Wessis in Weimar' and Hans Pleschinski's 'Ostsucht' will be compared with works by East German writers such as Monika Maron's 'Animal Triste', and Ulrich Plenzdorf's 'Vater, Mutter, Mörderkind'.

Assessment

An assignment or classpaper of 1000 words, and written work totalling 4000 words.

Prescribed Texts

• F C Delius, Die Birnen von Ribbeck. Rowohlt Reinbek 1991.
• R Hochhut, Wessis in Weimar. dtv 1993.
• H Pleschinski, Ostsucht. Beck 1993.
• M Maron, Animal Triste. Fischer 1996.
• U Plenzdorf, Vater, Mutter, Mörderkind. Hinstorff 1994.