GER 199
This introductory course examines how forced migration has been portrayed and defined in German-language literature, film, and political thought from the Thirty Years’ War through the Second World War to the present-day. We will read the works of Germanophone exile writers and political thinkers, German-Turkish authors, and contemporary texts and films relating to the more recently termed European refugee “crisis” in English translation. In view of policy responses to large-scale migration and waning support for refugees in Europe coinciding with the rise of far-right political parties, this course asks how the terms "exile," "migrant," and "refugee" have been culturally and legally defined, how they are handled in public discourse, and whether these categories are distinct or overlapping. This course aims to offer students a comparative framework for analyzing forced migration across historical periods and culminates in independent research projects. No prerequisites or prior knowledge necessary; taught in English.
Term: Spring 2027
Instructor: Irene Kuo
Credit: 3 hours
GER 199: Tracing Flight: Exile, Migration and Asylum