2016/17 Undergraduate Module Catalogue
GERM2100 Victims and/or Perpetrators? Remembering the Second World War in Germany
20 creditsClass Size: 18
Module manager: Dr Stephan Petzold
Email: s.petzold@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2016/17
Pre-requisite qualifications
Successful completion of level 1This module is mutually exclusive with
GERM3250 | Perpetrators and/or Victims? Remembering the Second World Wa |
This module is approved as a discovery module
Module summary
The Second World War and the Holocaust continue to occupy a prominent place in public perceptions of and debates in Germany today. This module examines the different ways in which the legacy and memory of the Second World War have shaped Germany since 1945. It investigates how three different German societies have tried to confront (and played down) the Nazi past, how they have remembered (and forgotten) the Second World War. The changing dynamics of collective memory of the war will be analysed by looking at a variety of expressions and practices, ranging from intellectual debates and political interventions to high and popular culture. Particular emphasis will be placed on the wider significance of war remembrance for political and cultural developments in German society in order to understand why the Second World War and the Holocaust continue to remain at the heart of German culture and identity. This module is taught through English, no knowledge of German is required.Objectives
The aims of this module are:- to examine the German remembrance of the Second World War and the Holocaust since 1945
- to understand how meanings of terms such as 'perpetrator', 'victim' and 'bystander' shifted and explain their wider historical relevance
- to explore the links between memory and national identity to explain the controversial nature of German war memory
- to analyse a variety of different practices and sites of memory, including film, trial reports, speeches, newspaper articles, photographs, novels, opinion polls
- to use war memory as an analytical tool for understanding developments in post-1945 German history more generally
Learning outcomes
On completion of the module, students should have developed:
- detailed knowledge of key developments and debates in German post-1945 history and German memory of World War II
- the ability to assess the wider political and cultural significance of war memory
- a critical understanding of the relationship between war memory and the construction of national identity with particular focus on German culture
- the skills to analyse primary material and engage with scholarly research
- the ability to communicate complex ideas
Skills outcomes
- A profound awareness of the ways in which the present is shaped by memory and how the future is imagined through the past
- a deeper understanding of German culture, politics and identities
- an ability to analyse different types of primary sources
- an enhanced ability to critically engage with scholarly literature
Syllabus
The first semester examines key events and processes in German collective memory between 1945 and 1990, while the second semester focuses more closely on developments and controversies in unified Germany.
Topics in the first semester may include:
- the impact of the Nuremberg trials
- German debates over collective guilt
- Representations of German suffering and victimhood
- Critical confrontation with the Nazi past in the 1960s
- the emergence of Holocaust memory
Topics in the second semester are likely to include:
- German reactions to Schindler's List
- Debates over German perpetrators
- political rhetoric in debates over German military intervention
- debates surrounding the Berlin Holocaust Memorial
- the resurgence of German victimhood
- Generation War TV series
Teaching methods
Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
Seminar | 20 | 1.50 | 30.00 |
Private study hours | 170.00 | ||
Total Contact hours | 30.00 | ||
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200.00 |
Private study
- reading and reflection in preparation for seminars- researching, preparing and writing assessed written work
- preparation of one seminar discussion (in a group of two or three)
- self-directed reading around the topic
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
- Participation in seminar discussions- Feedback on formative assessment
- Discussion of plans for student-led discussion
- Submission of essay topics and plans
Methods of assessment
Coursework
Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
Essay | 2,500 words | 50.00 |
Literature Review | 1,500 words | 30.00 |
Report | Report of 1,000 words | 20.00 |
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100.00 |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 17/04/2015
Browse Other Catalogues
- Undergraduate module catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
- Undergraduate programme catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue
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