GER 471/574
Romanticism is one of the most significant movements in Western intellectual history. And, it supposedly ended around 1850. In this course, however, we will test the notion that Romanticism is still with us, in various guises. Texts from Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" (1818) to Christoph Ransmayr's "The Terrors of Ice and Darkness" (1996), as well as several films, will help students develop a clear understanding of the movement, of its impacts, and of important trends in literary, philosophical, and cultural history from the late eighteenth century through today. This course is for graduate and undergraduate students. Readings and discussions are in English, with no prerequisites. Advanced undergraduate and graduate students in German should read the course texts in German (and may choose to write essays in German). This course is an affiliated seminar with the Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory. Meets with GER 574.
Term: Fall 2026
Instructor: Laurie Johnson
Credit: 3 hours/4 hours
GER 471/574: Enlightenment to Romanticism