Wednesday      9:30 -11:10 am
Friday              9:30 -10:20 am
 
 

Far from being a mere historical event, the Holocaust still engenders public debate and political decisions in both Europe and Canada.
After a brief outline of the events leading to the reign  of National-Socialism, the course will focus on a selection of literary texts (and related film versions) attempting to communicate the Holocaust experience by authors from the German speaking countries such as Jurek Becker, Edgar Hilsenrath, Siegfried Lenz, Peter Weiss and others. Class discussions will take the challenging  legacy  of the Holocaust into account and compare today’s debates with those of the literary texts.
Motifs to be discussed include the ’unrepresentability’ of the Holocaust experience and the inability of language to describe the unthinkable horrors; the world forsaken by God; the monstrosity of man; humaneness in an inhuman environment, as well as collective guilt and responsibility.
There will also be the study of works that  deal with various attempts of resistance (by individuals, political, Jewish, church and youth groups) and the reasons for failure, as described for example by Anna Seghers and Rolf Hochhuth.
A comparison between Holocaust testimonies, historiographic writing and the fictional rendering of analogous motifs will complement the readings.
There will be several guests  speaking about their own  Holocaust or war experiences.
Open to all Students. Knowledge of German not required.

Reading List
1. Anna Seghers:  The Seventh Cross  (l942)
2. Rolf Hochhuth: The Deputy  ( l963), excerpts
3. Peter Weiss:    The Investigation  ( l965)
4. Jurek Becker:  Jacob the Liar   (l969)
Copies of poems and other excerpts will be distributed in class

Grading Scheme:
Oral Assignments and  Participation:            20%
Midterm Examination:                                   20%
Final Examination:                                        30%
Termpaper (10 -12 pages):                            30%

 How to reach your instructor:
Office Hours (ML 317): Mon. Tue.10:30 ?11:20am
                                      Friday 3:15 - 4 pm
Or by appointment :extension: 2148
 e- mail: gbrudefi@watarts.uwaterloo.ca
 
 
 

 Syllabus

September
Wed.13          Introduction. Holocaust and Literature
Friday15        Historical Overview

Wed. 20        Historical Overview
Friday 22      Anna Seghers: The Seventh Cross

Wed. 27        Anna Seghers: The Seventh Cross

 Friday 29      Anna Seghers: The Seventh Cross

October
 Wed.4           Anna Seghers: The Seventh Cross
 Friday 6        Anna Seghers: The Seventh Cross
 

Wed.11         Edgar Hilsenrath: The Nazi and  the  Barber (excerpt)
Friday13        Rolf Hochhuth: The Deputy  (excerpt)

 Wed. 18       Rolf Hochhuth: The Deputy
Friday 20      Midterm Exam
 

Wed. 25        Peter Weiss: The Investigation
Friday27       Guest Speaker(s)

 November

Wed. 1      Peter Weiss: The Investigation
Friday3     Peter Weiss: The Investigation

Wed. 8      Peter Weiss:  The Investigation
Friday10   Peter Weiss:  The Investigation
 

Wed.15     Comparison of Fiction and Historiography
Friday17   Jurek Becker: Jacob the Liar

Wed. 22    Jurek Becker: Jacob the Liar
Friday24   Jurek Becker: Jacob the Liar

Wed.29      Jurek Becker: Jacob the Liar

 December
Friday 1      Summing up
 

 Films:
 Fred Zinneman: The Seventh Cross
   DEFA:              Jacob the Liar
Documentary:   The Nazi Concentration Camps