| Unit name | Prague: A Tale of Two Cities |
|---|---|
| Unit code | GERM32058 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Anne Simon |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of German |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The purpose of this module is the study of a city, Prague, as a site of dramatic history, cultural inspiration and historical and cultural interchange. Incorporated into the Roman (later Holy Roman) Empire in 962, Prague became a major centre of trade, artistic patronage, learning and political power, not least since from 1355 onwards it was the capital of the empire under Charles IV. In the early thirteenth century Germans had been invited to colonise Bohemia and Prague's dual identity as a German and Czech city was born. Indeed, in 1348 Prague saw the foundation of the first university in the German-speaking territories. This unit will examine various facets of Prague's history and culture from the Middle Ages to the Prague Spring (1968) and the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Russians in August 1968.
Aims:
The study of a city as a site of dramatic history, cultural inspiration and historical and cultural interchange; to introduce students to the complex nature of Pragues dual identity as a German and Czech city from the Middle Ages to the Prague Spring.
Students will have encountered a range of historiographical, literary and visual material originally composed in both Czech and German; be able to interpret, compare and connect sources from two different yet linked national cultures across a wide time span; will develop an appreciation of what constitutes identity; will develop their presentational skills; training in group work.
A mixture of introductory lectures and student-led seminars for two hours a week over one teaching block.
One 3,000-word essay + One 3-hour exam.
