German Studies

Coordinator: Associate Professor Johannes Evelein (Language and Culture Studies)

The minor in German studies gives students the opportunity to explore the profound influence that German art, literature, and thought have had upon European and world culture and to integrate the various disciplines of this field of study into an understanding of the cultures of the German-speaking world.

Course Requirements:

Students shall take six courses in three categories of inquiry, including at least one course, and no more than three, from each category. GRMN 401. Senior Seminar: Special Topics is required and must be taken in the senior year. At least one of the other five must be taken from the German literature offerings (GRMN 233, 301, 302, 399, and 460) at Trinity College. The German studies minor does not require the Language Proficiency Exam. Students are encouraged (although not required) to take some of their other courses in one of the study-abroad programs sponsored by the department. They should consult the coordinator of the minor and the director of international programs for more information. Examples of acceptable courses taught at the College are listed below. Others may be acceptable with the coordinator’s approval.

The arts

• AHIS 101. Introduction to the History of Art in the West I
• AHIS 252. 18th–Century Art and Architecture
• AHIS 261. 19th–Century Painting and Sculpture
• AHIS 286. Modern Architecture: 1900 to the Present
• MUSC 164. Mozart and 18th–Century Music
• MUSC 166. Beethoven: His Life and Music

  MUSC 312. The History of Western Music II

• THDN 238. 20th–Century European Theater and Drama

History, politics, and thought

• ECON 205. History of Economic Thought
• HIST 102. Introduction to the History of Europe: 1715 to the Present
• HIST 104. Europe in the 20th–Century
• HIST 112. Europe in the Middle Ages
• HIST 310. Germany
• HIST 365. World War II
• PHIL 284. Late Modern Philosophy
• PHIL 286. 20th–Century Philosophy
• PHIL 318. Kant
• PHIL 320. Hegel
• PHIL 325. Nietzsche
• PHIL 335. Heidegger
• POLS 105. Introduction to Political Philosophy
• POLS 237. Building the European Union
• RELG 223. Major Religious Thinkers of the West I
• RELG 224. The Survival of God

Language and literature

• GRMN 233. German Literature in Translation
• GRMN 301. German Readings I
• GRMN 302. German Readings II
• GRMN 399. Independent Study
• GRMN 460. Tutorial
• LACS 299. Foundations of Language and Culture Studies

In their senior year, students will enroll in GRMN 401 and write an interdisciplinary paper integrating the knowledge acquired in German language and literature courses with that acquired in at least one of the other areas of inquiry being counted toward the minor. The integrating project may be written in English. Majors in German may not take this minor.