126-477 A Tale of Three Generations

37.5 points of second/third year subjects. European studies students wishing to enrol in this subject would normally have completed 37.5 points of European studies at second/third year, see Prerequisites.

This subject will examine how the legacy of two German dictatorships and a failed revolution in 1968 is figured in the stories of the children. It will cover the narratives of the children of Nazi perpetrators and East German functionaries, as well as the stories of their grandchildren, and those of the children of leftist activists of the generation of '68. Students will encounter the ways generations of contemporary writers deal with the historical experiences and political ideals of their parents; how the legacy of the past is passed on in the form of a transgenerational debt or trauma. On completion of the subject students should have acquired an in-depth understanding of the interrelationships between the representation of gender, history and identity in contemporary German prose and a detailed textual knowledge of the novels under consideration.

A 1000 word class paper and an essay of 3000 words for 3rd year, a 1000 word class paper and a 4000 word essay for 4th year.

• P Schneider, Vati. dtv, 1983.
• C Meckel, Suchbild. 1981.
• M Maron, Stille Zeile Sechs. Fischer, 1991.
• J Hermann, Sommerhaus, später. Collection Fischer, 1998.
• S Grann, Weit von Hier. Zürich, 1999.