Study Abroad | Berlin
Spring 2026: Academics

Course Code: FU-BEST 12 (Art History/Architecture 305)

Instruction Language: English

This course provides an overview of the development of public and private architecture in Berlin during the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Following an introduction to architectural terms and an examination of the urban development and architectural history of the Modern era, the Neo-Classical period will be surveyed with special reference to the works of Schinkel. This will be followed by sessions on the architecture of the German Reich after 1871, which was characterized by both modern and conservative tendencies, and the manifold activities during the time of the Weimar Republic in the 1920s. The architecture of the Nazi period will be examined, followed by the developments in the “divided city” East and West Berlin after the Second World War. The course concludes with a detailed review of the city’s contemporary and future architectural profiles, including an analysis of the conflicts concerning the re-design of "Berlin Mitte", Potsdamer Platz, and the government quarter and other more recent developments, i.e. the housing problem and concepts for a more sustainable architecture in a growing city. We will critically examine architectural examples in Berlin by architects like Aldo Rossi, Norman Foster, Frank O. Gehry, Daniel Libeskind, David Chipperfield and many others. As a complement to the lectures, formal field-trips to historically significant buildings and sites constitute an integral component of the course and will give students the possibility of discovering the city in a unique way. The course aims at offering a deeper understanding of the interdependence between Berlin’s architecture and the city’s social and political structures. It considers Berlin as an example for the development of a modern European capital.

Course Code: FU-BEST 19 (Art History/Cultural Studies 315)

Instruction Language: English

This course provides an introduction to art and politics in the context of dictatorship, focused on the examples of Hitler’s Germany, Stalin’s USSR, Mussolini’s Italy, and Franco’s Spain. In the first part of the semester, students will gain an understanding of art in a democratic society by analyzing the art and architecture of the Weimar Republic in Germany. Official art and architecture in Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union will then be examined, focusing on the works of Albert Speer, Giuseppe Terragni, Arno Breker, and Leni Riefenstahl. Modernist and Jewish artists were persecuted, forced into emigration or deported to concentration camps. Under the Nazi regime in Germany, the exhibition "Degenerate Art" tried to propagate the fascist idea of what art should not be like. Nazi Art Looting and the difficult and long way to Art Restitution will be examined, focusing on the case of the Dutch art dealer und collector Jacques Goudstikker and the “art collector” Hermann Göring. Art also served as a medium to commemorate the Holocaust: the memorials at Buchenwald concentration camp or the Holocaust memorial in Berlin are prominent examples. In the course of the semester, students will get an overview of important European art and architecture movements of the early 20th century. In addition, the course aims at providing a deeper understanding of art under totalitarian conditions. As a complement to the lectures, formal field-trips to historically significant sites and museums constitute an integral component of the course.

Course Code: FU-BEST 4 (Art History/Art 301)

Instruction Language: English

This course surveys the visual arts in Central Europe from the rise of modernism around 1900 to the present after postmodernism, with a strong focus on German art. It aims to study the individual works closely and interpret them critically by analysing their formal structure, style and technique, iconography etc.; consider the concerns of the artists who created them; and place the works within their wider historical,philosophical, political, social and cultural backgrounds as well as within the international development of the visual arts in Western Europe and – in the second half of the 20th century – the US.<br/><br/>A consideration of the theoretical context is of particular importance for the understanding of 20th-century art and its role in society. Thus the course will also introduce students to major philosophical ideas of the period and will focus on various links to the visual art works including reflections on the methods which art historians have found appropriate in studying the objects and ideas which constitute their discipline.<br/><br/>Berlin houses some of the most splendid art collections in the world, such as the Neue Nationalgalerie, the Hamburger Bahnhof (with the Friedrich Christian Flick Collection), the Kupferstichkabinett (Graphic Arts), the Brücke-Museum, and the Berlinische Galerie, not to mention the collections of ancient art.<br/><br/>In addition, a vibrant scene of art galleries provides new perspectives on contemporary art that has not yet been established in the museums. An essential approach of the course will be to work not only with slides and text sources in class but also with the originals during excursions to different museums. Thus the specific material qualities of the art works discussed in class will be experienced in front of the originals. This can serve as an eye-opener for understanding the reasoning and the artistic procedure of the artists in their respective period.

Course Code: FU-BEST 11 (Business/Marketing 310)

Instruction Language: English

The course examines the issues of intercultural competence, cultural identity and cultural diversity in a European<br/>business and marketing context. Various case studies will be considered from strategic, organizational, and<br/>marketing perspectives.<br/>This course will enhance students’ understanding of the wide variety of intercultural competences necessary to do<br/>successful business in Europe. Special attention is paid to the present burning economic and marketing issues of<br/>the European Union, business ethics and the standards of Corporate Social Responsibility. It will be highlighted how<br/>culture interacts with different types of marketing strategies in order to influence consumers’ satisfaction.<br/>Companies in different parts of Europe will be subject to analysis, including their efforts to work successfully across<br/>borders.

Course Code: FU-BEST 33 (Business/Environmental Studies 315)

Instruction Language: English

This course provides an introduction to recent developments in Germany, EU and other European countries with regard to a green and sustainable economy. It offers theoretical as well as practical insights based on conceptual discussions, case studies, a field trip, and group work to develop a green business case.<br/>The acute awareness of environmental challenges has permeated German and European society, politics and business for decades. The relationship between business and social-environmental issues has, however, changed drastically over the years and has continuously been impacted by the interaction between the German and European Union political levels. Historically, business’ environmental impact has been viewed more negatively as “market failure”. This view is increasingly becoming more differentiated. Nowadays, positive environmental impacts, which might be achievable through sustainable entrepreneurship, circular economy and sustainable core business activities using life cycle assessment principles, are increasingly being acknowledged.<br/>This course begins by exploring key concepts for a green, circular and sustainable economy in the German, European and International contexts and then looks at the development that has taken place both at the political level and in the economy in recent time. We then focus on the micro-level, i.e. the businesses themselves: What are the motivating forces behind entrepreneurs’ and businesses’ decision to make a strategic commitment to social and environmental sustainability? How does the use of a risk-based approach and product life cycle assessment contribute to increasing its environmental sustainability? What are the roles and strategies of different types of companies? Why and how do incumbents and start-ups engage in environmental protection in different ways? And how do you evaluate and assess sustainability impacts? Finally, in this more theoretical part of the course, we will look at how sustainable entrepreneurs may encounter market and regulatory barriers related to environmental externalities, path dependencies and lobbying activities by incumbent companies. We will also look at (partial) solutions to such barriers provided by e.g. incubators, business competitions, universities, investors and public funding programs.<br/>In the more practical part of the course, we will engage with good practice examples directly from the entrepreneurs themselves. As Berlin has a special reputation for hosting a vibrant start-up scene, we will learn about several cases. Students will also be encouraged to creatively develop their own business ideas and plan the initial steps using the Sustainable Business Canvas. Their business model will then be presented and discussed in the group providing tips for future improvement and possible realization of the ideas.

Course Code: FU-BEST 25 (History/Cultural Studies/Literature/Jewish Studies 310)

Instruction Language: English

With the beginning of the Enlightenment in the 18th century, the Jews of Central Europe were faced with the ambiguities of modernity. Whereas equality was one of the main demands of the time, it was granted to the Jewish minorities in Central Europe only after long struggles. And even this political achievement did not last long. Yet since the late 18th century and its emancipation movement, one of the most influential and versatile cultural legacies in Central Europe was created by German speaking Jews. The philosopher Moses Mendelssohn and the salonière Rahel Levin Varnhagen, among many other Jews, not only influenced European high culture of their time. They also founded a unique German-Jewish tradition that many artists and intellectuals draw upon to this day. Jewish writers such as Franz Kafka and Joseph Roth have added to the aesthetics of German literature to become a part of a modern world literature, while Zionism became a veritable alternative after 1900. Many Jews remained in Germany, however. They stuck to the German language and canon – even after Hitler‘s rise. And even after many of them were murdered in the concentration and extermination camps and on German streets during the Shoah, it was Jewish intellectuals such as Hannah Arendt, Theodor W. Adorno, and poets like Paul Celan who began the greater part of working through what had happened to the once glorified „German-Jewish symbiosis“. This work goes on today, while Jewish writing in Central Europe has yet again diversified greatly and new voices make themselves heard. However, none of them can go on writing without relating, one way or another, critically or nostalgically, to that great and tragic German Jewish legacy of the past. This course will introduce and discuss canonic texts by European-Jewish authors from Moses Mendelssohn to Paul Celan. It thus gives an extensive overview of German-Jewish culture since the late 18th century. Every class session starts off with a contextualization of the historic circumstances in which each text was created. In this part, the wider picture of German-Jewish culture and history will be developed, whereas in the second section of each class session, reading assignments will be discussed in greater detail. Here, the class will concentrate on one or two exemplary readings the students will prepare and present. These literary readings constitute the core interest of each session, this course being situated in the field of cultural studies. Poetic and philosophical texts will not be read for their own sake but in order to shed light on everyday life in Central Europe. All readings are available in English, but most of them are originally in German and thus may also be read in German.

Course Code: FU-BEST 20 (Cultural Studies/Communications 304)

Instruction Language: English

With the divide between mass culture and high art disappearing, popular culture has become a prolific field of study. In this seminar, we will consider the many facets and dimensions of pop culture, including its cultural history and the possibilities hidden within what is often assumed to be nothing more than entertainment. Some of the topics we will address are popular culture’s reflection of discourse, its capability of criticizing or affirming the status quo, and the various modes of ideology within. We will cover all relevant pop culture representations: film, television, comic books, fiction, music, paintings etc. and will discuss their significance within the historical frame of reference as well as their international social impact. Secondary texts will introduce a range of theoretical perspectives through which pop culture may be explored, analyzed, questioned, and understood. We will discuss the function of pop culture in the public sphere, its representations in texts, images, and music.

Course Code: FU-BEST 24 (Economics/Politics 305)

Instruction Language: English

The European Communities were conceived as a union of democratic nations shaping the economic and social model of the world. In the last 60 years the EU has grown big; at the same time economic and income disparities nurtured social grievances and political disappointments. With Brexit, the enlargement process went into reverse, and in a changing global economy Europeans wonder whether the EU can successfully compete with the US and China.<br/><br/>The euro, Europe’s single currency, was thought to speed up economic convergence. Yet lingering disparities (e.g. diverging inflation rates) drove a wedge between the “frugal” North and the “deficit-spending-prone” South. Is the Eurozone going to crash due to inability to handle the design flaws of the common currency?<br/><br/>With war aggressor Russia as major energy supplier, EU energy independence is high on the agenda. Would a shift towards increased use of renewables secure Europe’s energy future? And is the newly introduced “EU Green Deal” the right response to the global warming and climate change?<br/><br/>Lastly, a look at Europe’s social model shall tell us how free markets and social responsibility are combined for more inclusion and less income disparities within the EU member states.

Course Code: FU-BEST 30 (Political Sciences/Environmental Studies 318)

Instruction Language: English

Today, the EU is seen as a world leader in alternative energy efforts, notably Germany’s Energiewende to replace coal and nuclear with wind and solar for electricity. The EU is also unifying member-state gas, electrical and transport systems, liberalizing energy markets, and requiring more renewables. This is aided by the new European Energy Union (EEU), formed in response to the Ukraine crisis and Europe’s dependence on Russian gas. In Energizing Europe, we critically examine the difficulties facing these energy transitions.<br/><br/>We begin by looking at Europe’s previous energy transitions, each the product of larger, industrial revolutions. Informed by this history, we then critically examine Germany’s Energiewende (EW) and EU energy policy. This includes the EW’s: (i) roots in German society, (ii) goals, (iii) technical, and economic challenges of building and paying for its massive wind and solar, and to reengineer the grid. In addition: (iv) German and the EU’s continued dependence on oil to fuel cars and trucks; (iii) German and EU natural gas policies – including their heavy dependence on Russian imports; (iv) Germany’s continued high use of coal; (v) and its rejection of nuclear power, albeit a zero-carbon energy source.<br/><br/>Throughout, we compare the German and EU energy reality to US policy. The course should be of interest to students of either social or natural sciences.

Course Code: FU-BEST 28 (Film/Music 324)

Instruction Language: English

Film is often understood as primarily a visual art form, with the development of novel visual technologies, such as 3D, being heavily promoted and well known to mainstream international audiences. In this course, we will uncover two equally important, yet often overlooked, components of film: music and sound. Over the course of the semester we will examine how their use has contributed to the success and evolution of films throughout the history of the film industry in North America and Europe.<br/>We will begin with a discussion of what music and sound bring to narrative filmmaking, proceeding to the stylistic origins of film music in the European (and specifically Germanic) classical music tradition, with particular focus on the influence of Richard Wagner. This will be followed by an investigation into the intertwining histories of film and sound-recording technology during their infancy, in which we will examine groundbreaking techniques and works developed in Europe, and the USA. Our second task will be to situate the role of film music in some of the most vital movements and moments of film history. For example, we will consider Prokofiev’s music in Soviet Russian war epics, as well as the naturalistic “folk” music present in neo-realist Italian films. In our third unit, we expand our investigation beyond film drama to survey how music and sound are used to construct genre. Each week will focus on one genre – for example, action/adventure, horror, musicals – with detailed discussions of representative works in these genres from a variety of time periods and locations. For instance, during our week on musicals we will consider how the early history of the genre was situated in Hollywood, but quickly sparked an international genre including creative re-workings of the genre such as Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) and the truly global production Dancer in the Dark. Film music composition has long been the most rigidly gate-kept domain of Hollywood, with a diversity of voices being unheard until recent years – one unit will examine the history of this and explore new compositions and composers finally being heard in both mainstream and indie filmmaking. Our semester will end with an exploration of Ennio Morricone’s work and the use of contemporary orchestral techniques and how they co-exist with sound and sound design in film-making.

Course Code: FU-BEST 13 (Film/Cultural Studies 303)

Instruction Language: English

Film is often understood as a primarily visual art form, with the development of novel visual technologies, such as 3D, being heavily advertised and well known to mainstream international audiences. In this course, we will uncover an equally important, yet often overlooked, component of film: music. Over the course of the semester we will examine how music has contributed to the success and evolution of films throughout the history of the film industry in North America and Europe.<br/><br/>We will begin with a discussion of the stylistic origins of film music in the Western (and specifically Germanic) classical music tradition, with particular focus on the influence of Richard Wagner. This will be followed by an investigation into the intertwining histories of film and sound-recording technology during their infancy, in which we will examine groundbreaking techniques and works developed in Germany, France, and the United States. Our second task will be to situate the role of film music in some of the most vital movement and moments in film history. For example, we will consider Prokofiev’s music in Soviet Russian war epics, as well as the naturalistic “folk” music present in neo-realist Italian films. In our third unit, we expand our investigation beyond film drama to survey how music and sound are used to construct genre. Each week will focus on one genre—for example, action/adventure, horror, musicals—with detailed discussions of representative works in these genres from a variety of time periods and locations. For instance, during our week on musicals we will consider how the early history of the genre was situated in Hollywood, but quickly sparked an international genre including creative re-workings of the genre such as Les parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) and the truly global production, Dance in the Dark. Our semester will end with an exploration of films that were inspired largely by music (rather than music composed to fit film). This unit will include a week on music documentaries and the construction of realism, as well as avant-garde explorations of the intersections of film and music.<br/><br/>As is the case for all of the arts, Berlin is an ideal location in which to study music and film. Thus, we will explore this cultural landscape with specific encounters that will complement our conversations and readings. For example, we will visit a theater that hosts a weekly showing of a “silent movie” alongside a live organist.

Course Code: FU-BEST 27 (Women and Gender Studies/Cultural Studies 325)

Instruction Language: English

In this course we use historical, political and social sciences, filmic representations, news reports, essays,<br/>biographies and field trips to conduct our interdisciplinary investigation into Women’s and Gender Studies in<br/>European context. Our guiding approach seeks to find solidarity by understanding and embracing differences.<br/>Ultimately, our intersectional analysis of a multiplicity of subject positions, materialist histories and contemporary<br/>struggles reveal the overall instability of the sex/gender system and reasons for its longevity at the same time.<br/>By the end of the semester, students will be able to:<br/>1. Discuss gender and gender roles in a nuanced manner.<br/>2. Formulate academic theses about some of the major social, medical, and political concerns facing women,<br/>nonbinary, transgender, transsexual and intersex people.<br/>3. Discuss some of the historical and current issues related to gender politics in Germany.

Course Code: German 101

Instruction Language: German

This course is designed for the beginner student with no prior knowledge of German. It aims to develop your communicative competences in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The textbook Akademie Deutsch A1+ and additional material, which is primarily dealing with cultural and historical aspects of German(y), will help you develop your individual language skills. One of the foci of the course is placed on Berlin and its surroundings. Therefore, you will work with authentic material in class and on course-related excursions. By the end of this course, you will be able to deal with various everyday situations in a German-speaking environment and to conduct simple conversations. You will have developed reading strategies that allow you to gather specific information from factual texts, newspaper and magazine articles, and short literary texts. In addition, you will learn to write and revise short texts and, by doing so, assemble metalinguistic knowledge. Finally, you will be able to understand discussions on familiar topics.

Course Code: German 102

Instruction Language: German

This course is designed for beginners with some prior knowledge of German. With the help of the textbooks Akademie Deutsch A1+ and A2+ as well as additional material, which primarily deals with cultural and historical aspects of German(y), you will expand your competences in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The course will familiarize you with the daily life and culture of German-speaking countries and enable you to talk about practical issues such as traveling, living, shopping, health, traditions, holidays and the workplace. You will be able to select the main information from simple factual texts. You will get to know more complex sentence structures and be able to express yourself in the present and one past tense.

Course Code: German 201

Instruction Language: German

This course is designed to strengthen and expand your communicative competences in listening, speaking, reading and writing, and to deepen your understanding of German-speaking cultures in the context of Berlin. With the help of the textbook Akademie Deutsch A2+ and B1+ and additional material, which is primarily dealing with cultural and historical aspects of German(y), you will develop your individual language skills. One of the foci of the course is placed on Berlin and its surroundings. Therefore, you will increasingly work with authentic material in class and on course-related excursions. By the end of the course, you will be able to interact in most everyday situations in a German-speaking environment and to conduct simple conversations about familiar topics. You will be familiarized with the German university system, the arts, the media, and current social trends. You will be able to talk about the past and the future, to draw comparisons, to describe persons and things in detail, and to talk about your studies and your plans and wishes. You will have developed reading strategies that will allow you to understand newspaper and magazine articles as well as short literary texts. Through text production, you will also expand on the basics of independent text revision, employing a larger vocabulary and thus enlarging your metalinguistic knowledge. You will be able to understand the main information contained in standard language oral texts.

Course Code: German 202

Instruction Language: German

This course aims to systematically improve your writing and reading competences. It focuses on your acquisition of complex linguistic structures and your consistent self-correction. It will help you further develop effective reading and listening strategies by using texts and listening examples that extend beyond everyday communication. In-class discussions will be based on the weekly reading of literary and non-literary texts that will motivate you to exchange information, ideas, and opinions. In addition, these texts will provide important cultural and historical background information. Grammar revision is just one of the foci of this course; yet, you will expand and deepen your knowledge of German grammar through specific exercises.

Course Code: German 302

Instruction Language: German

This course is designed to optimize your writing and speaking competences, to enlarge your vocabulary, to increase your usage of complex grammatical structures and to make you consistently and successfully employ self-correcting strategies. You will analyze and discuss cultural, political, and historical aspects of German-speaking countries and compare them to your own cultural background. You will be able to coherently talk about a broad range of subjects and to argue for your point of view. You will be able to mostly understand authentic texts and to follow native speakers in normal conversations.

Course Code: German 401

Instruction Language: German

This course aims to deepen your competence in speaking and writing and to expand your vocabulary on a higher language level, with a focus on improving your communicative skills for increasingly academic discussions. The course material will help you acquire relevant and contemporary knowledge about the culture, politics, and history of Germany and other German speaking countries. Furthermore, you will develop effective reading and listening strategies with regard to various literary genres and media. In-class discussions will be based on literary and non-literary texts, enabling you to exchange information, ideas, and opinions on an academic level. You will give a presentation and lead the ensuing discussion in class. Special attention will be given to your paper.

Course Code: German 402

Instruction Language: German

This course will enable you to approximate your competence in speaking and writing German as well as your vocabulary to the native-speaker level. This includes understanding connotations and idioms as well as using stylistically and situationally appropriate forms of communication. Special attention will be given to the improvement of your communicative skills in academic contexts. You will be able to understand lectures and presentations and to participate in academic discussions. Sophisticated authentic texts will help you gain relevant information about the culture, politics, and history of Germany and other German-speaking countries. At the end of this course, you will have acquired effective reading and listening strategies concerning various literary genres and media and will work with larger excerpts of German literature. In-class discussions will be based on literary and non-literary texts, enabling you to exchange information, ideas, and opinions on an academic level. Your final project includes an academic paper, a presentation, and the direction of the ensuing discussion in class.

Course Code: FU-BEST 31 (German Studies/Political Sciences 337)

Instruction Language: German

En-route to the answer of who and what a “typical German” is, we will theorize the origins of self-imposed and foreign stereotypes and identities. By the end of the course, students will have learned of Germany’s development and dominant societal themes since the late 19th century and should be able to critically discuss foreign and self-identities, theorize about stereotype origins and compare and contrast existing identities in Germany with historical and political German clichés. (German language prerequesite)

Course Code: German 101E

Instruction Language: German

This course is designed for the beginner student who has no prior knowledge of German and does not major/minor in German. It will enable you to get familiarized with the German language and to deal with everyday situations during your stay in Berlin. You will develop basic communicative competences in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Your foremost goal is to be able to navigate through your daily activities in a German-speaking environment, such as ordering food in a restaurant, shopping at the grocery store/supermarket, getting around in the city, and conducting simple conversations about yourself (your studies, your hobbies, and fields of interest). The textbook Momente A1 and additional material, which is primarily dealing with everyday situations, will help you develop your individual language skills. One of the foci of the course is placed on Berlin and its surroundings. Therefore, you will work with authentic material in class and on course-related excursions.

Course Code: FU-BEST 7 (History/Cultural Studies 335)

Instruction Language: English

Berlin is a quintessentially modern city. It was invented as a capital when Germany was unified in 1871 in order to minimize regional rivalries, then reinvented in 1990 to effect the reunification of East and West. This course will explore representations and topographies of Berlin between the first German unification and the second, focusing on the major events and conflicts that have left their mark on this urban landscape: the rise of the modern metropolis, economic depression and social unrest, the two World Wars, Nazism and the Holocaust, and the Cold War and its aftermath — in short, the most disruptive and defining events of the twentieth century. Of central concern will be the conflicting identities, informing the events that have shaped Berlin’s — and the world’s — history: East and West, communist and capitalist, German and Jew, avant-garde and reactionary: these opposing terms have performed a mad dance over the past 140 years, sometimes settling in temporary alliances, sometimes in violent opposition, and always leaving their traces in literature, memory, and urban geography. Berlin is a palimpsest of the discarded ideologies of the twentieth century, both political and aesthetic; it is also one of the premier stages of Europe’s transnational future. Reading its literature and traversing its spaces provides an object lesson in the history of modernism, modernity, and globalization. Part of the course will involve developing strategies for reading and walking through this multi-layered and contradictory landscape. Thus, in addition to discussing the regular reading assignments, we will devote some time to discussing the complex relations between history, text, and memory. Schedule permitting, we will watch relevant films and organize field trips inside and outside of regular class times.

Course Code: FU-BEST 23 (History/Politics/International Relations 328)

Instruction Language: English

This course surveys the history of German diplomacy in the context of European diplomacy from the late 1700s until today and its relationship with U.S. diplomacy and the influence of other players on the world scene. Thus the course offers a comparative perspective on the developments in the countries involved. The course will show that it is essential to focus on the past as a basis for understanding the present and making guesses about the future. Current issues of diplomacy in Europe and their potential impact on the future, also in light of the events of the past, will be discussed in the context of press surveys (student presentations) at the beginning of each session. The instructor and students will jointly identify, based on the topics of each session and the reading assignments for each session, possible relevant points for today and the short- as well as long-term future.

Course Code: FU-BEST 6 (Psychology/History 312)

Instruction Language: English

The course focuses on the classical concept of the totalitarian state developed by Hannah Arendt and others, which takes Hitler and Stalin as the primary models for this uniquely 20th century political system. We will be covering some of the subsequent modifications in the theory of totalitarianism, insights gained from the close examination of historical changes and developments, especially in the former Soviet Empire. Here are some of the questions we will be dealing with: What are the key elements of totalitarianism? What are the fundamental elements of totalitarian rule? What were the official positions and the popular attitudes toward the rulers and such totalitarian atrocities as the Holocaust and the mass imprisonment? What insights into the totalitarian system and mindset can be gained from psychology and psychoanalysis? Under what psychological/social conditions are individuals capable of offering opposition or resistance, as did the German resistance and the “rescuers” of Jews under Nazi domination or dissidents in the Soviet Union? While the manifestations of totalitarianism may now appear to be bygones of merely historical interest, the social psychology of “totalitarian situations” remains acutely important, even in present-day democratic societies. The massacre at My Lai, the obedience experiments carried out by Stanley Milgram, similar events and similar studies, provide evidence of how easily average citizens – and by no means only the “authoritarian personalities” as described by Theodor W. Adorno and Erich Fromm – have the potential of behaving inhumanely in specific situations, when unthinking submission, even to the most questionable orders, seems to be the easiest way to deal with the stress and insecurity of the moment. What follows are the class schedule and the reading assignments for the eleven class sessions. Please be sure to have worked through the readings carefully prior to each session. All the texts identified below are included in the photocopied Reader. In addition to the Reader, there are two pocket books to be read and analysed in a research paper, namely Arthur Koestler’s, Darkness at Noon, London: Vintage 2005 (first published in 1940), and Aldous Huxley’s, Brave New World, New York: HarperCollins 1998 (first published in 1932).

Course Code: FU-BEST 17 (Law/History 329)

Instruction Language: English

What is Europe? Who gets to decide that? For what purposes? This course is designed for all those who are interested in gaining a closer understanding of how history and law intermingle with European political thought and cultural practices. The course seeks to provide a broad and theoretical overview of European legal traditions from social, political, economic and comparative perspectives. Starting with Roman Law, its coverage ranges from discussing the authority of law in history, literature, economics and religion, through the creation of the European legal frameworks up to the establishment of a human rights tradition. Focus is given to the wider scope of legal developments in history that have shaped the conceptualization of law in present-day Europe and beyond. The course is roughly divided into two parts. The first part encompasses a brief overview of European legal thought from Roman law to the development of the common and civil legal traditions. In the second half of the course, after the Midterm Exam, we will examine the more recent developments of European politics and law. The first session will be dedicated to how social aspects (i.e. geography and religion) influence European legal developments. During the second session we will deal with the fascist tendencies leading to World War Two. This links up with one option for the Independent Project, which entails a closer look into the fascist laws passed in Germany as portrayed in “Places of Remembrance in the Bavarian Quarter: Exclusion and deprivation, expulsion, deportation and murder of Berlin Jews in the years 1933 to 1945” in Berlin-Schöneberg. The last two sessions will be dedicated to European integration and the formation of the European Union mainly as an answer to the two World Wars. The focus here will be on the legal coverage of the Union’s economy and respect for human rights through supranational cooperation.

Course Code: FU-BEST 9b (Philosophy 304)

Instruction Language: English

In this course we discuss how German philosophy evolved after the grand systems of German idealism. We start by acknowledging that, after Hegel, philosophy has no longer been pursued as a unified whole but as a reflection on specific complexes of problems. We will focus on three philosophers or influential strands of thinking and their legacies: Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, and various existentialist philosophers.<br/><br/>Thinkers of all three strands proclaimed to end philosophy. However, like all arts and sciences in Germany, philosophy took part in paving the way for totalitarian ideologies and thus has to consider its role in the ‘immoral end’ of the 20th century. We will conclude the course with a more confident outlook. Like a phoenix from the ashes, philosophy has risen again in an unexpected form. We will therefore also consider how these ways of thinking have been taken up and received in postcolonial, feminist, and indigenous thought.

Course Code: FU-BEST 18 (Political Science/Environmental Studies 318)

Instruction Language: English

This course provides an introduction to the EU and its policy on environmental protection and natural resources. After a brief recap of the basics of policy-making in the EU, students will learn about the guiding principles and developments within the EU’s environmental policy. Subsequently, the course will cover the major environmental challenges we are facing currently.<br/><br/>In the first part of the course (sessions 1-6), we will discuss the functioning of the European Union to be able to better understand the factors influencing European environmental policy and politics. We will also look at the European reaction to climate change and discuss the effectiveness of the main solutions to this global problem: the development of renewable sources of energy and the different ways of pricing carbon. We will also devote a special session to the EU’s role in climate negotiations.<br/><br/>The second part of the course (sessions 7-12) will be devoted to different forms of pollution, such as air, noise, water and soil pollution, as well as humanity’s impact on biodiversity loss. In this part of the course, we will also discuss the main prerequisites for making the European transport sector more sustainable and European cities greener and smarter. The last session will be devoted to discussing the challenges and the opportunities for the future of environmental policy.

Course Code: FU-BEST 16 (Political Science/International Relations 320)

Instruction Language: English

European Politics, and the history and politics of European Integration more specifically, have been characterized by crises. Many contemporary and current observers have highlighted this again and again. During the past two decades, Europe has been shaken by a series of crises at an accelerating pace – from the failed EU constitution and the financial crisis to the migration, Brexit and the COVID crises, and most recently the return of war. Populism has been on the rise and democratic institutions have come under pressure in several member states. Why is Europe so crisis-ridden – and what does this imply for European integration, created to foster democracy, rule of law, peace, and prosperity? Policy-makers and publics have variously responded to these crises. By contrast, we may also ask to what extent have these crises perhaps strengthened European integration, too, even if that feels counter-intuitive at first sight?<br/>This course will introduce students to the politics of the European Union (EU), its history, its peculiar institutions and some of its key policies. It will address and explain the – often crisis-ridden – processes of widening and deepening of this unique political entity, drawing on some relevant theorizing. Students will learn how institutions changed and how policies are being made, as well as the role of the different supranational and intergovernmental institutions. Next to the formal institutions, interest representation, lobbying, and the media have shaped processes of policy-making and polity-building, and crisis responses. Special emphasis will be placed on Europe’s most recent crises – the Euro crisis, the migration crisis, Brexit, and the Russian war in Ukraine – and the lingering challenges of the environmental and climate change.<br/>The sessions consist of lectures, literature-based discussions, a close reading of sources, in smaller and larger groups. Students will be expected to participate actively, collaborate with other students, and prepare oral presentations. The course also includes a visit to the Europa House near Brandenburg Gate. In addition to a presentation and opportunity to discuss with a speaker from the Commission’s Team Europe, we will visit the exhibition on the European Parliament.

Course Code: FU-BEST 2 (Political Science/International Relations 309)

Instruction Language: English

Today’s world is beset by a host of problems that no one country appears able to resolve. Environmental problems, such as biodiversity loss, climate change or plastic pollution, appear to spiral out of control. A global pandemic has recently disrupted lives around the world and led to untold suffering and deaths. Global economic inequalities have reached unprecedented levels, and hundreds of millions still struggle with hunger and poverty. Meanwhile, more “traditional” problems have not gone away, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 underlines. Tensions between China and the United States are already commonly described as a “New Cold War”. International institutions often appear powerless to act.<br/><br/> This course is designed to introduce students to some of the major problems of international politics, focusing on the ways in which they are – or are not – addressed at the global level. To this end, students will learn key concepts, revisit historical developments and apply major theories from the field of International Relations to better understand why international problems are difficult to resolve. This is often understood as the problem of providing global governance in the absence of a global government. A major role is played here by international organizations (IOs), such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United Nations (UN) or the World Trade Organization (WTO), but also by a host of other transnational actors, including business and civil society organisations. At the end of the course, students will be able to understand major problems of contemporary international politics through the lens of relevant contemporary theories, and be able to apply such knowledge critically and confidently as engaged citizens.

Course Code: FU-BEST 22 (Communications/Politics 320)

Instruction Language: English

This course introduces its participants to mass media systems and structures in Germany and Europe and provides them with the analytical tools and background knowledge to assess the ways in which the mass media and politics interact and thus shape each other. We will start with an overview of the different structures of mass media (public/ private) in Germany and selected European countries, including how they have historically developed and particularly which political ideas have shaped the frameworks in which media institutions and individuals operate. At the same time, we will take a critical look at how the media in turn have shaped and are still shaping the ways in which the political process works and presents itself to the public. Historical and current case-studies will help us analyse the manifold points of interaction between media and politics. At the end of the course, students will also have the opportunity to compare European and American media politics and to ask whether there may be trends and influences across the Atlantic (one or both ways) that are shaping today’s politics and mass media on both sides.

Course Code: FU-BEST 8 (History/Political Science 325)

Instruction Language: English

In order to understand European history of the 19th and 20th century, a focus on Germany is indispensable and<br/>unavoidable. It took a long time before the German society transformed into a modern, open and democratic<br/>society. The “Revolution of Modernity” (Ralf Dahrendorf) was pushed back before World War I and failed 1933 in<br/>the Weimar Republic. The main antimodernist ideologies that also caused the Shoah and the German war against<br/>the “Jewish Enemy” (Jeffrey Herf) were: antisemitism, racism and nationalism. Freedom and rule of law were only<br/>brought to Germany by the Allied armies after World War II.<br/>Whereas in the first part of the 20th century, Germany attempted to destroy civilization under a blanket of<br/>propaganda and by violence, both brutal and coldly mechanistic, today we experience a Germany that presents<br/>itself as one partner among equals in the European Union. This new identity follows 40 years of ideological, social,<br/>political, and cultural division between two German states – the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and<br/>the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Germany now enjoys the political stability, peace and prosperity<br/>of a democratic system.<br/>The change in German identity and the meaning of identity within the German context offers a fascinating angle<br/>from which to approach German history. From this angle, one gains a new understanding of Germany’s<br/>contradictions, catastrophes, abysses, and moral bankruptcies before and after the Shoah, and the miraculous<br/>reconstruction after enormous casualties and destruction that resulted from the total war between 1939 and 1945.<br/>Within these parameters, the course addresses various topics in German and European 20th-century history:<br/>different political ideas, systems and movements, as well as social and cultural developments. We will compare<br/>and contrast the German variety of these phenomena with other European varieties.<br/>Two major themes are the struggles between democracy and dictatorship, and capitalism and communism, which<br/>played out through the 20th century. The course will connect these essentially ideological struggles to the two<br/>World Wars and the ensuing "Cold War", to memories of trauma, to the history of everyday life, pop culture and<br/>gender, and to the experience of youth and immigrants in Germany. Through analyses of the interconnections and<br/>distinctions between all these aspects, the course will provide participants with a better understanding of German<br/>society today

Course Code: FU-BEST 21 (Sociology 305)

Instruction Language: English

Sociology provides concepts and theories to describe, analyse and explain the emergence, crises, and transformations of modern societies. Classical sociologists like Marx, Weber, Durkheim observed how the rise of capitalism, the modern state, science, and new secular ideologies brought about a new form of society. Political conflicts and social struggles were part of the ‘great transformations’ which characterized the 20th century. Present-day sociologists from Michel Foucault to Pierre Bourdieu and Anthony Giddens are concerned with new challenges: mass surveillance, urban and environmental decay, mass migration, and the populist erosion of democracy.<br/>The aim of the course will be to portray prominent sociologists and apply their ideas to the challenges of our time.

Course Code: FU-BEST 10 (Sociology/Anthropology/Cultural Studies 315)

Instruction Language: English

Berlin is considered to be the European metropolis with the largest number of religious communities. In its strongly secular society, Judaism, Christianity and Islam in particular shape the city’s multi-religious and cultural coexistence. Berlin is consequently characterized by its diversity and plurality, which is both its strength yet also a source of challenges and potential conflict.<br/><br/>Antisemitism in particular influences the lives of Jews in Berlin and Germany and their relationship to other religious communities. But what, for example, distinguishes antisemitism from (an also present) hostility towards Muslims?<br/><br/>To facilitate an understanding of the causes (and possible remedies) for such sentiments and their intergenerational challenges, this course is dedicated to exploring Jewish and Muslim life in Berlin. What makes it special is that you will not only talk about Jews and Muslims, but also with them in Berlin, and will thus be able to gain unique, first-hand insights into the subject matter. Your instructors will visit places of worship with you and share their experiences with their own faiths. They authentically describe everyday religious life as well as the associated rituals of their religion and its existing variations. Beyond these religious insights, related socio-political topics such as the effects of the Middle East conflict on Germany, antisemitism, islamophobia (or anti-Muslim sentiment), and feminism in the religions will then be dealt with in detail.<br/><br/>In the process, we will incorporate various theoretical, sociological and theological perspectives which shape the identity of religious minorities. We will deal with the theory of tolerance of ambiguity and contradiction and how it contributes to fostering empathy and respect for diverse interpretations of religious beliefs and practices within interreligious dialogue and societal dynamics. We also want to find out (among others):<br/><br/>How does comparative theology contribute to understanding and enriching one’s own religious beliefs and practices while engaging with religions different from one’s own?<br/>How do the interpretative frameworks provided by our sources facilitate interreligious dialogue, and what theological and social obstacles must be addressed in this endeavor?<br/>How do contemporary perspectives on the sacred texts of Judaism and Islam vary, particularly in terms of feminist interpretations and discussions on gender-specific roles, including access to religious leadership positions?<br/>And finally, how does the acquired awareness of cultural diversity in Berlin influence the everyday experiences of Jews and Muslims, including the challenges and opportunities encountered in coexisting with each other, as well as with Christians, adherents of other faiths, and non-religious people?<br/>Our analysis will be conducted with the help of statistics, texts from the political, social and religious sciences, group discussions and visits to religious institutions. The result is a comprehensive understanding of the realities of the life and religious worlds of both communities in the context of Berlin (and beyond). Particular attention throughout the course will be paid to the tasks and opportunities of interreligious dialogue, which is also significantly shaped by Christianity in secular Berlin society.

Course Code: FU-BEST 34 (Sociology/Political Science/Anthropology 334)

Instruction Language: English

The course looks at how bordering practices and people’s movements make migration as a key socio-political, historical, and everyday phenomenon. We study border regimes in Europe, Germany, and Berlin: policy, law, practices, and discourses seeking to control and categorize people as migrants. We also learn about how people live in these regimes, adapt, contest, or tacitly transform them.<br/><br/>Conceptually, the course relies on an understanding of borders not as geographical lines, but as “machines” producing difference, including race, social and global inequality, gender, and other asymmetrical social relations. We understand borders as always contested, in multiple ways, and take the “border as a method” (Mezzadra and Neilson 2013): a perspective to study any social institution or phenomenon, such as health, criminal justice, work, or war.<br/><br/>The lectures, weekly readings and other materials offer an interdisciplinary approach, building on social, legal, cultural, historical, and political perspectives, and engaging with social movements, audio-visual and web-based works, and art. The Berlin level will be discussed together with guests and during an excursion.

Course Code: FU-BEST 3 (Theater 302)

Instruction Language: English

“Musical theater” is a non-consensual umbrella term to qualify very different operatic genres which only have a certain form in common: the complex interweaving between music, literature, performing, and visual arts in a multidimensional dramatic field. The course “Music and Theater on the Stage” will investigate the history of European musical theater from the Baroque era through the Enlightenment and Romanticism until modern times. Students are expected to learn how to “decode” operatic meta-structures by understanding their dramaturgical structures and analyzing them (libretto, music, stage direction and stage performance).