GETR 3462

Professor Achilles is a gem. It's clear she put a great deal of thought and effort into creating a unique course, which is exactly what we should want as students. Instead of just dry historical points, she ties in philosophy, psychology, and even art (be prepared to watch some unusual foreign films). This is cross-listed as a history class, but it's not as much about memorizing dates and events as it is about understanding German culture and human nature in general. Weekly reading responses are simple and make up a good portion of your grade, along with 3 papers about 5 pages each, and a no-frills presentation on one of the readings. The essay prompts are fascinating and reflect exactly what's discussed in class. This class requires near perfect attendance, but you'll want to go. Take it if you're at all interested in Germany or the World Wars, or even philosophy.

This class is a pretty good one to take if you are interested in Germany history at all. If you have taken any GETR (or maybe some of the GERM) courses, this class could come across as a little bit repetitive. Prof. Achilles is a good lecturer, but very German in that her lectures tend to be somewhat repetitive, a little bit "lecture-y" (which for such a small class can be a little bit of a drag), and a little more theoretical/high-minded than I personally would have liked. Despite all that, it's clear she knows the hell out of the material. Plus, she's very approachable and willing to give second chances on assignments. The German sense of humor is also a big plus.

The material itself varies in terms of how interesting it is; the earlier stuff, pre-WWII, I found to be very dry and way to complicated (particularly the Schmidt readings). The course really shines during the parts about WWII and East/West Germany, which is where you'll read one of the best books you'll ever read in a class (Stasiland).

There are weekly reports on the readings, but they're very easy: find two quotes from the reading and explain their significance.

Overall, I definitely recommend this course for majors and non-majors alike.