Germanic Languages

Department website: https://germanic.columbia.edu/

Office location: 414 Hamilton Hall

Office contact: 212-854-3202, germanic@columbia.edu

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Professor Annie Pfeifer, 409 Hamilton Hall, ap750@columbia.edu, 212-854-8986

Director of the Language Program: Jutta Schmiers-Heller, js2331@columbia.edu, 212-854-5381

Director of Academic Administration and Finance: Kerstin Hofmann, 415 Hamilton Hall, kh3168@columbia.edu, 212-854-1624

The Department of Germanic Languages

The Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures is considered one of the very best in the country. Many of the faculty specialize in the study of German literature and culture from 1700 to the present. German majors acquire proficiency in examining literary, philosophical, and historical texts in the original, as well as critical understanding of modern German culture and society. Particular attention is given to German-speaking traditions within larger European and global contexts. Courses taught in translation build on Columbia’s Core Curriculum, thereby allowing students to enroll in upper-level seminars before completing the language requirement.

All classes are taught as part of a living culture. Students have ample opportunities to study abroad, to work with visiting scholars, and to take part in the cultural programs at Deutsches Haus. In addition, the department encourages internships with German firms, museums, and government offices. This hands-on experience immerses students in both language and culture, preparing them for graduate study and professional careers.

Upon graduation, German majors compete successfully for Fulbright or DAAD scholarships for research in Germany or Austria beyond the B.A. degree. Our graduating seniors are highly qualified to pursue graduate studies in the humanities and social sciences, as well as professional careers. Former majors and concentrators have gone on to careers in teaching, law, journalism, banking and consulting, international affairs, and communications.

German literature and culture courses are taught as seminars integrating philosophical and social questions. Topics include romanticism, revolution, and national identity; German intellectual history; minority literatures; Weimar cinema; German-Jewish culture and modernity; the Holocaust and memory; and the history and culture of Berlin. Classes are small, with enrollment ranging from 5 to 15 students.

The department regularly offers courses in German literature and culture in English for students who do not study the German language. The department also participates in Columbia’s excellent program in comparative literature and society.

The Yiddish Studies Program

The Yiddish Studies Program at Columbia University, the global leader in Yiddish scholarship and teaching, focuses on the experiences and cultural efflorescence of Ashkenazic Jewry over a thousand years and five continents. It is a perfect exemplar of Columbia’s interests in global and transnational study, weaving together language, literature, and culture in a way that echoes the best of Columbia’s justly famed humanities programs.

The program in Yiddish studies offers both the undergraduate Major, Concentration and three new Minor tracks, in addition to graduate studies leading to the Ph.D. In both the undergraduate and graduate program, emphasis is placed not merely on acquiring linguistic proficiency and textual study, but also viewing Yiddish literature in a larger cultural and interdisciplinary context. The graduate program, the only degree-granting Yiddish Studies Program in the United States, is considered one of the world’s most important, with its graduates holding many of the major university positions in the field.

Students of Yiddish have ample opportunities to enhance their studies through a number of fellowships. The Naomi Fellowship, a fully-subsidized Yiddish Study Abroad program allows students to explore Yiddish culture and history in Israel and Poland. The Irene Kronhill Pletka YIVO Fellowship enables students to expand on their archival research skills in New York. Upon graduation, our majors compete successfully for Fulbright and other prestigious scholarships, and are highly qualified to pursue careers in humanities, social sciences, as well as artistic and professional careers.

Students work with faculty in Germanic languages, Jewish studies, history, and Slavic studies to broaden their understanding of the literature, language, and culture of Eastern European Jewry. The Yiddish Studies Program is also closely affiliated with the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies, which offers diverse programming and other fellowship opportunities. Classes are small, and instruction is individualized and carefully directed to ensure that students gain both a thorough general grounding and are able to pursue their own particular interests in a wide-spanning field. The program also offers classes taught in translation for students who do not study Yiddish. The Yiddish programming, such as lectures, monthly conversation hours, Meet a Yiddish Celebrity series, as well as the activities of the Yiddish Club of Columbia’s Barnard/Hillel allows students to explore Yiddish culture outside the classroom.

The German Language Placement Exam

The German Language Placement Exam is offered every semester to students who already speak the language in order to determine their language level (Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced) and the right level language course. Visit our website for details.

The German Language Program

First- and second-year German language courses emphasize spoken and written communication, and provide a basic introduction to German culture. Goals include mastery of the structure of the language and enough cultural understanding to interact comfortably with native speakers.

After successfully completing the elementary German sequence, GERM UN1101 ELEMENTARY GERMAN I-GERM UN1102 , students are able to provide information about themselves, their interests, and daily activities. They can participate in simple conversations, read edited texts, and understand the main ideas of authentic texts. By the end of GERM UN1102 , students are able to write descriptions, comparisons, and creative stories, and to discuss general information about the German-speaking countries.

The intermediate German sequence, GERM UN2101 INTERMEDIATE GERMAN I-GERM UN2102 INTERMEDIATE GERMAN II, increases the emphasis on reading and written communication skills, expands grammatical mastery, and focuses on German culture and literary texts. Students read short stories, a German drama, and increasingly complex texts. Regular exposure to video, recordings, the World Wide Web, and art exhibits heightens the cultural dimensions of the third and fourth semesters. Students create portfolios comprised of written and spoken work.

Upon completion of the second-year sequence, students are prepared to enter advanced courses in German language, culture, and literature at Columbia and/or at the Berlin Consortium for German Studies in Berlin. Advanced-level courses focus on more sophisticated use of the language structure and composition (GERM UN3001 ADVANCED GERMAN I-GERM UN3002 ADVANCED GERMAN II ); on specific cultural areas; and on literary, historical, and philosophical areas in literature-oriented courses (GERM UN3333 INTRO TO GERMAN LIT (GERMAN)).

In Fulfillment of the Language Requirement in German

Students beginning the study of German at Columbia must take four terms of the following two-year sequence:

Course List
Code	Title	Points
GERM UN1101	ELEMENTARY GERMAN I
GERM UN1102	ELEMENTARY GERMAN II
GERM UN2101	INTERMEDIATE GERMAN I
GERM UN2102	INTERMEDIATE GERMAN II

Entering students are placed, or exempted, on the basis of their College Board Achievement or Advanced Placement scores, or their scores on the placement test administered by the departmental language director. Students who need to take GERM UN1101 ELEMENTARY GERMAN I-GERM UN1102 ELEMENTARY GERMAN II may take GERM UN1125 Accelerated Elementary German I & II as preparation for GERM UN2101 INTERMEDIATE GERMAN I.

Student Advising

Consulting Advisers

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Professor Annie Pfeifer, 409 Hamilton Hall, ap750@columbia.edu, 212-854-8986

Director of the German Language Program: Jutta Schmiers-Heller, js2331@columbia.edu, 212-854-5381

Director of the Yiddish Studies Program: Professor Jeremy Dauber, jad213@columbia.edu

Director of the Yiddish Language Program: Agnieszka Legutko, abl209@columbia.edu, 212-854-3202

Students can contact the DUS with advising questions. The Department of Germanic Languages is represented at the Academic Resources Fair prior to the beginning of the fall semester and hosts fall and spring open houses for interested students.

Enrolling in Classes

The German Language Placement Exam is offered throughout the year to students who already speak the language in order to determine their language level (Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced) and the right level language course. Visit our website for details.

Preparing for Graduate Study

Upon graduation, German majors compete successfully for Fulbright or DAAD scholarships for research in Germany or Austria beyond the B.A. degree. Graduating seniors are highly qualified to pursue graduate studies in the humanities and social sciences, as well as professional careers. Former majors and minors have gone on to pursue graduate degrees in law, journalism, banking and consulting, international affairs, education, and communications.

In addition to applying for Fulbright or DAAD scholarships, students considering graduate work may also wish to write a senior thesis or develop an independent research project with a faculty mentor.

Students interested in pursuing a PhD or MA in the field of Germanic Languages should therefore speak with the Director of Undergraduate Studies and other faculty members no later than the beginning of the fall semester before applying (i.e., typically the fall of the senior year).

Coursework Taken Outside of Columbia

Coursework in fulfillment of a major or minor [or special program or concentration] must be taken at Columbia University unless explicitly noted here and/or expressly permitted by the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the program. Exceptions or substitutions permitted by the Director of Undergraduate Studies should be confirmed in writing by email to the student.

Advanced Placement

The department grants 3 credits for a score of 5 on the AP German Language exam, which satisfies the foreign language requirement. Credit is awarded upon successful completion of a 3000-level (or higher) course with a grade of B or higher. This course must be for at least 3 points of credit and be taught in German. Courses taught in English may not be used for language AP credit. The department grants 0 credits for a score of 4 on the AP German Language exam, but the foreign language requirement is satisfied.

Barnard College Courses

The German programs at Columbia and Barnard work together closely. Students may take courses at Barnard to count towards the Major or Minor with the approval of the DUS. Students at Barnard should speak to their advisor at Barnard regarding Columbia courses as the departments are distinct and the requirements for their respective majors are different.

Transfer Courses

When students transfer to Columbia from other institutions, their coursework at their previous institution must first be considered by their school in order to be evaluated for degree credit (e.g., to confirm that the courses will count toward the 124 points of credit that every student is required to complete for the B.A. degree). Only after that degree credit is confirmed, departments may consider whether those courses can also be used to fulfill specific degree requirements toward a major or minor [or special program or concentration].

Study Abroad Courses

Classes taken abroad through Columbia-led programs (i.e., those administered by Columbia’s Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement and taught by Columbia instructors) are treated as Columbia courses, equivalent to those taken on the Morningside Heights campus. If they are not explicitly listed by the department as fulfilling requirements in the major or minor [or special program or concentration], the DUS will need to confirm that they can be used toward requirements in the major/minor.

Classes taken abroad through other institutions and programs are treated as transfer credit to Columbia, and are subject to the same policies as other transfer courses. There will be a limit on the number of courses taken abroad that can be applied to the major/minor, and they must be approved by the DUS.”

FUBiS Summer Language Program in Berlin

The department offers a language-intensive German program over the summer at the Freie Universität Berlin (FUBiS). Financial support is provided primarily by the Germanistic Society of America and the Max Kade Foundation, with some help from Barnard College, Columbia College, General Studies, Columbia Engineering, and the Department of Germanic Languages.

The FUBiS scholarship is for students who have completed at least two semesters or equivalent of German language instruction in our German language program by May of the year they are applying. Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement and German language aptitude. Each scholarship includes a travel grant, tuition for a six-week/ one month-long German language course, and lodging at the summer program of the FU University. For additional information on FUBIS, please contact our department and visit https://www.fubis.org.

Berlin Consortium for German Studies

The Berlin Consortium for German Studies (BCGS) provides students with a study abroad program, administered by Columbia University, which includes students from other consortium member schools (Princeton, Yale, University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Chicago). You can study a semester or a full academic year. We have the original immersion program (4 semesters + of German required) and a program for students with less German. Please visit the Global Engagement page and click on the tab “Calendars and Pathways” to see all the options available to you: https://global.undergrad.columbia.edu/program/bcgs

For additional information on the Berlin Consortium, see the Study Abroad—Sponsored Programs section in this Bulletin, visit the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement, or consult the program's office at uge@columbia.edu.

Summer Courses

Summer courses at Columbia are offered through the School of Professional Studies.

Courses taken in a Summer Term may be used toward requirements for the major/minor only as articulated in department/institute/center guidelines or by permission of the Director(s) of Undergraduate Studies. More general policies about Summer coursework can be found in the Academic Regulations section of this Bulletin.

Core Curriculum Connections

Faculty and graduate instructors from the Department of Germanic Languages regularly teach in the Core, usually Literature Humanities and Contemporary Civilization.

The Department of Germanic Languages also offers several courses that build on the coursework in Contemporary Civilization including “Marx, Nietzsche, Freud” (GERM4670GU) and “Aesthetic Theory - Frankfurt School” (CLGR 4210GU) and “Aesthetics and Philosophy of History” (CLGR4250GU).

Undergraduate Research and Senior Thesis

Undergraduate Research in Courses

Beyond the wide-ranging language instruction, the department offers courses that teach students critical theory and interdisciplinary thinking that are applicable to many areas of knowledge. Courses like “Literary Theory: Nietzsche-Agamben” (CLGR4130GU) introduce students to theoretical and interdisciplinary methods. “Advanced Topics” (UN3991) introduces students to contemporary topics and scholarly debates and is based on current research interests of faculty members. Students are also given an opportunity to develop an independent research project.

Students should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students can register for Directed Readings with a faculty member.

Senior Thesis Coursework and Requirements

A senior thesis is not required for the major. Students interested in a senior thesis or research project may do so through independent study with a faculty member over one or two semesters. Students should approach a faculty member at the end of their junior or beginning of their senior year.

Undergraduate Research Outside of Courses

Students can learn more about pursuing undergraduate research beyond the classroom by talking to the DUS or consulting the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. Some faculty members offer undergraduates research opportunities during the academic year or over the summer. Students may also wish to pursue research projects abroad with consultation from faculty members or mentors.

Department Honors and Prizes

Department Honors

Normally no more than 10% of graduating majors receive departmental honors in a given academic year. For the requirements for departmental honors, see the DUS.

Academic Prizes

All prize recipients are announced at the end of the spring semester of each academic year.

The German Academic Achievement Award is awarded to the top students in German language classes. The award is made by the department together with the support of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany. The prize consists of a certificate provided by the Consulate and a small gift provided by the department.

The Deutscher Verein Prize is a cash prize given annually to a single Columbia College junior or senior who submits the best essay on a prescribed topic in German Literature or culture. Essays can be in English or in German.

The Deutsches Haus Prize for Distinguished Undergraduate Achievement is given to a graduating German major or minor who has demonstrated excellence and promise in the field of German Studies.

Other Important Information

Deutsches Haus

Deutsches Haus, 420 West 116th Street, provides a center for German cultural activities on the Columbia campus. It sponsors lectures, film series, and informal gatherings that enrich the academic programs of the department. Frequent events throughout the fall and spring terms offer students opportunities to engage with current issues in the field and practice their language skills. Twice a month during the semester, the department offers “Kaffeestunde,” an open German conversation hour for speakers at all proficiency levels. The department also holds monthly Dutch and Yiddish Conversation hours.

Grading

Courses in which a grade of D has been received do not count toward the major or concentration requirements.

Professors

Mark Anderson
Stefan Andriopoulos
Claudia Breger (on sabbatical)
Jeremy Dauber
Andreas Huyssen (emeritus)
Harro Müller (emeritus)
Dorothea von Mücke (on leave Spring 2026)
Annie Pfeifer
Oliver Simons (Chair)

Visiting Professor Spring 2026:

Nicola Gess (Visiting Max Kade Professor)

Senior Lecturers

Wijnie de Groot (Dutch)
Agnieszka Legutko (Yiddish)
Jutta Schmiers-Heller (German)

Lecturers

Xuxu Song (German)
Simona Vaidean (German)

Guidance for Undergraduate Students in the Department

Program Planning for all Students

Students who entered Columbia (as first-year students or as transfer students) in or after Fall 2024 may select from a curriculum of majors and minors. The requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, and role of majors and minors in those requirements, can be found in the Academic Requirements section of the Bulletin dated the academic year when the student matriculated at Columbia and the Bulletin dated the academic year when the student was a sophomore and declared programs of study.

Students who entered Columbia in or before the 2023-2024 academic year may select from a curriculum of majors and minors and concentrations. The requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, and the role of majors and minors in those requirements, can be found in the Academic Requirements section of the Bulletin dated the academic year when the student matriculated at Columbia and the Bulletin dated the academic year when the student was a sophomore and declared programs of study.

Course Numbering Structure

The 1000 and 2000-level courses are typically language classes including Elementary, Intermediate, and Conversation. At the 3000/4000-level, courses are either advanced language classes and literature/culture classes. While many 3000/4000 courses are taught in English, others are taught in the target language and have language prerequisites or requirements.

Guidance for First-Year Students

Students who have had prior German instruction are required to take the placement test, which is offered every semester. Students may enroll in 3000 and 4000 level literature and culture courses taught in English before or without completing the language requirements.

Guidance for Transfer Students

When students transfer to Columbia from other institutions, their coursework at their previous institution must first be considered by their school in order to be evaluated for degree credit. Only after that degree credit is confirmed, departments may consider whether those courses can also be used to fulfill specific degree requirements toward a major or minor [or special program or concentration].

Undergraduate Programs of Study

Major in German Literature and Cultural History

The goal of the major is to provide students with reasonable proficiency in reading a variety of literary, philosophical, and historical texts in the original and, through this training, to facilitate a critical understanding of modern German-speaking cultures and societies. Students should plan their program of study with the director of undergraduate studies as early as possible. Competence in a second foreign language is strongly recommended, especially for those students planning to attend graduate school.

The major in German literature and cultural history requires a minimum of 30 points, distributed as follows:

Course List
Code	Title	Points
GERM UN2102	INTERMEDIATE GERMAN II
GERM UN3001	ADVANCED GERMAN I (can be waived and replaced by another 3000 level class upon consultation with the DUS)
or GERM UN3002	ADVANCED GERMAN II

GERM UN3333	INTRO TO GERMAN LIT (GERMAN)
Select two of the following survey courses in German literature and culture (at least one of these must focus on pre–20th-century cultural history):
GERM UN3442	Literature in the 18th and 19th Centuries
GERM UN3443	SURVEY OF GERMAN LIT:19C (GER)
GERM UN3444	Readings in 20th and 21st century Literature
GERM UN3445	German Literature After 1945 [In German]
One course in German intellectual history
GERM UN3991	Advanced Topics in German Literature
The remaining courses to be chosen from the 3000- or 4000-level offerings in German and Comparative Literature–German in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Intermediate German II (GERM UN 2102) can be counted toward the required 30 points, but the total of points from language courses should not be higher than six points.

Senior Thesis

A senior thesis is not required for the major. Students interested in a senior thesis or research project may do so through independent study with a faculty member over one or two semesters.

Major in Yiddish Studies

The program is designed as a combination of language and content courses. First- and second-year Yiddish language courses emphasize spoken and written communication, and provide a basic introduction to Eastern European Jewish culture. Goals include mastery of the structure of the language and enough cultural understanding to interact comfortably with native speakers.

After second-year Yiddish language courses are completed, students should feel sufficiently comfortable to begin to work with Yiddish literature in the original. Upper-level undergraduate/graduate courses are designed to accommodate students with a range of Yiddish language experience, and intensive language summer study abroad, such as the Naomi Prawer Kadar International Yiddish Summer Program (the Yiddish Studies program at Columbia offers the fully-subsidized Naomi Fellowship for students of Yiddish), or other academic summer programs, is also encouraged for improvement in language acquisition and comprehension.

The goal is to provide students with reasonable proficiency in reading a variety of literary, philosophical, and historical texts in the original and, through this training, to provide them with a critical understanding of Yiddish-speaking culture and society.

The second pillar of the Yiddish program is an intimate exposure to the literature and culture of the Yiddish-speaking Jewry. That exposure is achieved through several courses in Yiddish literature, which, although they may cover a variety of subjects or proceed from a number of methodological and disciplinary orientations, share a rigorous commitment to analyzing and experiencing that literature within an overarching historical and cultural framework.

These courses in Yiddish literature, culture and Jewish history will provide students with a solid interdisciplinary foundation in Yiddish studies. Inevitably and necessary, these courses, whether taught in Yiddish, English, or in a combination of the Yiddish text and English language instruction – cover the sweep of Yiddish literary history from the early modern period to today.

Students should plan their program of study with the director of undergraduate studies as early as possible. There is a prerequisite of two years of Yiddish, or equivalent to be demonstrated through testing.

The Major in Yiddish Studies requires a minimum of 30 points, distributed as follows:

Two courses of advanced language study (6 points); YIDD UN3101, YIDD UN3102
Three courses in Yiddish literature (9 points); e.g. YIDD UN3500, YIDD GU4420
At least one course related to a senior thesis (3 points);
Four related courses, at least one of which is in medieval or modern Jewish history (12 points); e.g. HIST UN4604, YIDD GU4113.

A senior thesis is required for the Major in Yiddish Studies. Students interested in a senior thesis or research project may do so through independent study with a faculty member over one or two semesters. Students must conduct original research, some of which must take place in the Yiddish language, and are required to submit a culminating paper, of no less that 35 pages.

Elective courses:

Elective courses can be taken at Columbia as well as at affiliated institutions such as the Jewish Theological Seminary, Barnard College, New York University, etc. Columbia’s arrangements with the joint degree appointing program at JTS, i.e. JTS and GS Joint program with List College, offers students exposure to a wide variety of courses on Yiddish and Yiddish-related topics taught by experts in the field of Yiddish and comparative Jewish literature.

Thanks to the consortial arrangements with other universities in the New York area (Barnard, NYU, Yale, Penn, etc.) students both in Columbia College and General Studies, can take courses at these institutions for degree credit, which allows for student exposure to experts in twentieth-century Soviet Yiddish literature, Yiddish women’s writing, Yiddish literature in Israel, and much more (Profs. Gennady Estraikh, Kathryn Hellerstein , and Hannan Hever). These arrangements allow students to have, if they so choose, an even broader intellectual experience than the already broad interdisciplinary opportunities available to them via the courses offered by the faculty on the Interdisciplinary Committee on Yiddish at Columbia.

Language courses need to be taken at Columbia.

Honors options:

Departmental Honors in Yiddish Studies can be granted to a total of 10% of the students graduating with the Major in Yiddish Studies in a given year across both Columbia College and General Studies.

Minor in German

The total number of courses required for the minor is 5 courses (= minimum of 15 points).

Pre-requisites:

The minor requires at least 4 semesters of German language (= through Intermediate II), or equivalent proficiency determined by placement test. However, students can count the second semester of intermediate German (GERM UN2102) towards their five courses and begin other coursework (in translation) before completing the four semesters of language.

Language/Literature and Culture distribution:

A maximum of 6 points can be fulfilled with upper-level language courses (Intermediate II and/or Advanced). The remaining credits (= at least three courses) need to be 3000/4000-level literature/culture courses.

Required Course:

GERM UN3333 (Introduction to German Literature)

Course Description: Prerequisites: GERM UN2102 or the equivalent. Examines short literary texts and various methodological approaches to interpreting such texts in order to establish a basic familiarity with the study of German literature and culture.

Recommended Electives:

1. One of the period survey courses in German literature and culture

a. GERM UN3442 Survey of German Literature: 18th-Century

b. GERM UN3443 Survey of German Literature: 19th-Century

c. GERM UN3444: Survey of German Literature: 20th-Century

2. GERM UN3991: Advanced Topics in German Literature

Other electives:

The remaining courses can be chosen, in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, from the department’s other 3000- or 4000-level offerings in German and Comparative Literature-German (taught in German or English).

Sequencing:

Four semesters of language (or equivalent) need to be completed before students can enroll in German-language literature and culture classes. The “Introduction to German Literature” will ideally be taken in the beginning of their work on the minor, while the "Advanced Topics” provides more of a capstone experience. We do, however, offer flexibility with sequencing to accommodate tight scheduling and encourage students with advanced competency to enroll in “Advanced Topics” as early as their junior year.

Minor in German Thought and Critical Theory

The minor enables students to gain a deeper knowledge of a critical intellectual and philosophical tradition, which was first established by Kant and then adapted by Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Arendt, and the Frankfurt School. In addition to historicizing the contexts that allowed for the emergence of this mode of critical thinking, the minor also trains students to extend this critical awareness to new but equally contingent circumstances that we encounter in our global presents and futures. The minor draws on and strengthens crucial core competencies of a Columbia undergraduate education, especially critical thinking, written communication, global awareness, oral communication, and research. Students expand their knowledge of critical arguments by Kant, Marx, Nietzsche, and Arendt whose texts they also read as part of Contemporary Civilization. Offered in cooperation with the Philosophy Departments at Barnard and Columbia, this interdisciplinary minor allows students to explore various dimensions of critical theory including literary theory, continental philosophy, aesthetics, and political theory.

The total number of courses required for the minor is 5 courses (minimum of 15 points). Prerequisites: None. The second semester of Contemporary Civilization is recommended but not required. There is no German language requirement as part of the minor. Classes will be taught in English.

Requirements: Students have to take two of the following three courses:

1. CLGR4210GU: Aesthetic Theory - Frankfurt School

Critical theory was the central practice of the Frankfurt School. Founded in Frankfurt in 1923 and later based at Columbia University, this interdisciplinary institute influenced fields like sociology, political science, film, cultural studies, media theory, and comparative literature. The course begins by examining the genealogy of the Frankfurt School in Marxism and its critique of fascism and traces its afterlife in aesthetic theory, deconstruction, and gender studies, as well as the specter of “Cultural Marxism” recently floating around right-wing circles. We read texts by key figures of the Frankfurt School such as Theodor W. Adorno, Max Horkheimer, Herbert Marcuse and Jürgen Habermas as well as works by adjacent figures like Walter Benjamin, Hannah Arendt, and Siegfried Kracauer.

2. GERM4670GU: Marx, Nietzsche, Freud

Along with Darwin, Marx, Nietzsche and Freud have radically altered what and how we know; about humans, language, history, religion, things and life. Because their thought has shaped our sense of ourselves so fundamentally, Michel Foucault has referred to these three authors as discourse-founders. As such they will be treated in this class. Special attention will be paid to the affinities and competition among their approaches. Secondary sources will be subject to short presentations (in English) of those students capable of reading German.

3. CLGR4250GU: Aesthetics and Philosophy of History (in English)

Electives: In addition, students take elective courses to be chosen from the following list of classes. They can also petition for other elective courses to count toward the minor, dependent on approval by the DUS of German.

Approved electives:

PHIL UN 2301 History of Philosophy: Kant-Nietzsche

PHIL UN 3251 Kant

PHIL UN 3264 19th Century Philosophy: Hegel

PHIL UN 3351 Phenomenology & Existentialism

CLGR GU4215 Spirit and Ghosts from Kant to Marx

CLGR GU 4420 Walter Benjamin

CLGR GU 4130 Literary Theory: Nietzsche-Agamben

CLGR GU 4251 Kant with Arendt (NEW COURSE PENDING APPROVAL)

Minor in Yiddish Studies

3 Separate Minor Tracks Available:

The Yiddish minor is designed as a combination of five courses with three separate tracks:

5 courses (= minimum of 15 points)

1) Minor in Yiddish Language: 5 language courses;

2) Minor in Yiddish Language and Literature: a combination of language and content courses;

3) Minor in Yiddish Culture: 5 content courses.

Requirements:

1. Courses required for Minor in Yiddish Language:

Requirement: Five Language Courses

YIDD 1101 UN Elementary Yiddish I 4 points

YIDD 1102 UN Elementary Yiddish II 4 points

This year-long course offers an introduction to the language that has been spoken by the Ashkenazi Jews for more than a millennium, and an opportunity to discover a fabulous world of Yiddish literature, language and culture in a fun way. Using games, new media, and music, we will learn how to speak, read, listen and write in a language that is considered one of the richest languages in the world (in some aspects of vocabulary). We will also venture outside the classroom to explore the Yiddish world today: through field trips to Yiddish theater, Yiddish-speaking neighborhoods, Yiddish organizations, such as YIVO or Yiddish farm, and so on. We will also have Yiddish-speaking guests and do a few digital projects. At the end of the two-semester course, you will be able to converse in Yiddish on a variety of everyday topics and read most Yiddish literary and non-literary texts. Welcome to Yiddishland!

YIDD 2101 UN Intermediate Yiddish I 4 points

YIDD 2102 UN Intermediate Yiddish II 4 points

Prerequisites: YIDD UN1101-UN1102 or the instructor's permission.
Prerequisites: YIDD UN1101-UN1102 or the instructor's permission.

This year-long course is a continuation of Elementary Yiddish II. As part of the New Media in Jewish Studies Collaborative, this class will be using new media in order to explore and research the fabulous world of Yiddish literature, language, and culture, and to engage in project-oriented activities that will result in creating lasting multi-media online presentations. In addition to expanding the command of the language that has been spoken by the Ashkenazi Jews for more than a millennium, i.e. focusing on developing speaking, reading, writing and listening skills, and on the acquisition of more advanced grammatical concepts, students will also get some video and film editing training, and tutorials on archival research. The class will continue to read works of Yiddish literature in the original and will venture outside of the classroom to explore the Yiddish world today: through exciting field trips to Yiddish theater, Yiddish-speaking neighborhoods, YIVO, Yiddish Farm, and so on. And we will also have the Yiddish native-speaker guest series. Welcome back to Yiddishland!

YIDD 3101 UN Advanced Yiddish 3 points

This course focuses predominantly on developing reading comprehension skills, as well as on listening, writing, speaking, and some more advanced grammar. It explores literary and scholarly texts examining the modern Jewish experience in the context of the twentieth-century history and culture of the Ashkenazi Jews. Supplementary texts will be selected based on students’ interests and may include historical pedagogical materials, past and present newspaper articles, polemic, poetry, historical and scholarly articles. We will also venture outside the classroom to explore the Yiddish world today: through field trips to Yiddish theater, Yiddish-speaking neighborhoods, Yiddish organizations, such as YIVO, and so on. We will apply our reading and translating skills to contribute to the Mapping Yiddish New York online project, and will also have Yiddish-speaking guests. At the end of the semester, you will be able to converse in Yiddish on a variety of everyday topics and read authentic Yiddish literary and non-literary texts. Welcome back to Yiddishland!

Please note: Study abroad courses (such as the Naomi Fellowship run by Yiddish Studies Program) can count towards the minor fulfilment as wel.

2. Courses required for Minor in Yiddish Language and Literature

Requirement: Combination of language and content courses: at least 15 points (see below).

2 language courses at Elementary and/or Intermediate levels (listed above), and 3 elective content courses (listed below), at least two of which are literature courses: at least 17 points.

1 language course at Advanced level (listed above) and 4 elective content courses (listed below), at least two of which are literature courses: at least 15 points.

3. Courses required for the Minor in Yiddish Culture

Requirement: Five elective content courses: at least 15 points.

Selected from the list below, with at least three of being literature courses: at least 15 points.

The courses in Yiddish literature, culture and Jewish history, whether taught in Yiddish, English, or a combination of the English and Yiddish texts and English language instruction will expose students to modern global Yiddish/Jewish cultures from a number of methodological and disciplinary perspectives.

Please see chart below for recommended elective content courses for:

2) Minor in Yiddish Language and Literature

3) Minor in Yiddish Culture*

YIDD UN3500: Survey of Yiddish Literature
CLYD UN3500: Readings in Yiddish Literature
YIDD GU4420: Gender & Sexuality in Yiddish Literature
CLYD UN4200 : American Jewish Literature: Survey
CLYD GU4250: Memory and Trauma in Yiddish Literature
YIDD UN3520: Magic & Monsters in Yiddish Literature
HIST UN3657: Medieval Jewish Cultures
HIST UN3644: Modern Jewish Intellectual History
HIST UN3630: American Jewish History
HIST UN4604: Jews and the City

*The above list is “recommended” and not “required” since there are only two full-time Yiddish faculty members at the Department of Germanic Languages, and the courses are offered in rotation. This option also allows students to choose courses aligned with their interests and research needs. All the literature courses are taught by the Yiddish faculty at the Department of Germanic Languages, other courses are taught by faculty in History, Slavic, and Religion Departments.

The Yiddish minor requirement can be fulfilled by choosing from the list of approved courses (listed here and on the departmental website) in consultation with a Yiddish Advisor – either Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) or the Director of the Yiddish Language Program (DLP), preferably during the first two years of undergraduate studies. All courses have to be approved in advance by the Yiddish Advisor, who will make sure student minor design (particularly in case of Minor in Yiddish Language and Literature and Minor in Yiddish Culture) offers a solid foundation in Yiddish language, literature, and culture.

The Yiddish Advisor is in contact with the faculty outside of the Germanic Languages Department in order to consult, collaborate, and monitor the student progress towards the minor, the same model being applied in regard to the Yiddish Major. Many of the Columbia faculty teaching Jewish studies content courses are also affiliated with the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies, which not only provides students and other departments with information about Jewish/Yiddish studies courses offered across the university on a regular basis, but it also facilitates networking and collaborations between the faculty.

List of all elective content courses for the Yiddish Minor:

YIDD GU4101 INTRODUCTION TO YIDDISH STUDIES

YIDD UN3500 SURVEY OF YIDDISH LIT

CLYD UN4200 AMER JEWISH LIT: SURVEY

CLYD UN3600 HOLOCAUST LITERATURE: SURVEY

YIDD GU4550 YIDD THEATER: TEXT & PERFORMANCE

YIDD UN4401 MODERN YIDDISH POETRY

YIDD GU4200 THE FAMILY SINGER

YIDD GU4675 LIFE WRITING IN YIDD LIT

YIDD GU4420 GENDER & SEXUALITY IN YIDD LIT

CLYD GU4460 HORROR STORY: JEWS & OTHERS

YIDD UN3520 MAGIC & MONSTERS IN YIDD LIT

CLYD UN3500 READINGS IN YIDD LIT

YIDD UN3800 READINGS IN YIDD LIT

YIDD UN3360 MODERN YIDDISH LIT & CULTURE

WMST GU4310 CONT AMER JEWISH WOMEN’S LIT 1990 TO PRESENT

CLYD GU4250 MEMORY AND TRAUMA IN YIDDISH LIT

YIDD GU4995 EXPLORING YIDDISHLAND: CULTURE, TIME, SPACE

YIDD GU4113 YIDDISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES

YIDD GU4114 YIDDISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES II

HIST UN2611 JEWS AND JUDAISM IN ANTIQUITY

HIST UN3603 INTRL & GLOBAL HISTORY OF JEWISH MIGRATION

HIST UN3645 SPINOZA TO SABBATAI: JEWS IN EARLY MODERN EUROPE

HIST UN3657 MEDIEVAL JEWISH CULTURES

HIST UN3644 MODERN JEWISH INTELLECTUAL HISTORY

HIST UN3630 AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY

HIST UN4281 CULTURE IN POLISH LANDS

HIST UN4641 HOLOCAUST & GENOCIDE IN AMERICAN CULTURE

HIST UN4610 ANCIENT JEWS AND THE MEDITERRANEAN

HIST UN4604 JEWS AND THE CITY

RELI UN4513 HOMELANDS, DIASPORAS, PROMISED LANDS

RELI UN4505 THE BEGINNINGS OF JEWISH MYSTICISM

MUSI UN2030 JEWISH MUSIC OF NEW YORK

RELI UN2306 INTRO TO JUDAISM

RELI GU4509 CRIME AND PUNISHMENT IN JEWISH CULTURE

RELI UN3571 JUDAISM, JEWISHNESS, AND MODERNITY

RELI GU4524 THEORIES OF THE UNCONSCIOUS AND JEWISH THOUGHT

RELI GU4522 PRODUCTION OF JEWISH DIFFERENCE FROM ANTIQUITY TO PRESENT

RELI GU4308 JEWISH PHILOSOPHY AND KABBALAH

RELI GU4637 TALMUDIC NARRATIVE

WMST GU4301 EARLY JEWISH WOMEN IMMIGRANT WRITERS

WMST GU4302 THE SECOND WAVE AND JEWISH WOMEN’S ARTISTIC RESPONSES 1939-1990

*Since the above list of elective courses is so expansive, the additional course descriptions can be provided upon request.

For students who entered Columbia in or before the 2023-24 academic year

Concentrations are available to students who entered Columbia in or before the 2023-2024 academic year. The requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, and the role of the concentration in those requirements, can be found in the Academic Requirements section of the Bulletin dated the academic year when the student matriculated at Columbia and the Bulletin dated the academic year when the student was a sophomore and declared programs of study.

Concentrations are not available to students who entered Columbia in or after Fall 2024.

Concentration in German Literature and Cultural History

The concentration in German literature and cultural history requires a minimum of 21 points in German courses.

Course List
Code	Title	Points
GERM UN3333	INTRO TO GERMAN LIT (GERMAN)
At least one of the period survey courses in German literature and culture
GERM UN3442	Literature in the 18th and 19th Centuries
GERM UN3443	SURVEY OF GERMAN LIT:19C (GER)
GERM UN3444	Readings in 20th and 21st century Literature
GERM UN3445	German Literature After 1945 [In German]
GERM UN3991	Advanced Topics in German Literature
The remaining courses to be chosen from the 3000- or 4000-level offerings in German and Comparative Literature in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies

Concentration in Yiddish Studies

The concentration in Yiddish studies requires a minimum of 21 points, distributed as follows:

Two courses of advanced language study (6 points); YIDD UN3101, YIDD UN3102
Two courses in Yiddish literature (6 points); e.g. YIDD UN3500, YIDD GU4420
Three related courses, at least one of which is in medieval or modern Jewish history (9 points); e.g. HIST UN4604, YIDD GU4113.

Special Concentration in German for Columbia College and School of General Studies Students in STEM fields

The special concentration in German requires a minimum of 15 points.

Course List
Code	Title	Points
GERM UN3333	INTRO TO GERMAN LIT (GERMAN)
At least one of the period survey courses in German Literature and Culture
GERM UN3442	Literature in the 18th and 19th Centuries
GERM UN3443	SURVEY OF GERMAN LIT:19C (GER)
GERM UN3444	Readings in 20th and 21st century Literature
GERM UN3445	German Literature After 1945 [In German]
GERM UN3991	Advanced Topics in German Literature
Two courses to be chosen from the 3000- or 4000-level (taught in German or English) offerings in German and Comparative Literature German in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies

Comparative Literature-German

CLGR UN3460 Narrating Immigration Control. 3.00 points.

“The passport is the noblest part of a human being,” wrote the German exiled writer Bertolt Brecht in the late 1930s. When millions fled Nazi political and racial persecution, and before any country had a designated refugee policy, the immigration and identification system of control as we know it today was relatively new. For the refugees, having the right papers meant a difference between life and death. Visas, passports, and other documents also began to appear in Hollywood films, novels, and critical writing. Almost a century later, Germany, now a destination for refugees from other, war-ridden regions, is still ruled by papers. In this seminar, we will read and watch refugee narratives from these two biggest “refugee crises” in human history. We will study shifting refugee policies and bureaucratic practices along with their roles in cultural imaginations. We will trace the history of passports, visas, and identification as integral to the development of the modern state, and examine their symbolic values in a variety of aesthetic mediums, such as literature, film, dance, and video games

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: CLGR UN3460
CLGR 3460	001/10774	Th 12:10pm - 2:00pm 401 Hamilton Hall	Didi Tal	3.00	5/15

CLGR GU4130 LIT THRY:NIETZSCHE-AGAMBEN(ENG). 3.00 points.

A survey of the most influential literary theories of the twentieth century, this seminar will discuss seminal contributions to hermeneutics, psychoanalysis, structuralism, deconstruction, discourse analysis, and gender theory. Each section will juxtapose two representative authors whose texts either complement or contradict one another. Based on close readings of exemplary texts, we will explore basic concepts of these theories and examine their intersections and differences. A second focal point of the seminar will be on applications of theory to literature. We will analyze their reformulation as methodologies in literary studies and discuss how they influenced different approaches to literature. The aim of the seminar will ultimately be to scrutinize critically these “applications” of theory to literature. Readings and discussions in English. No prior knowledge of literary theories required

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: CLGR GU4130
CLGR 4130	001/10782	M 4:10pm - 6:00pm 707 Hamilton Hall	Oliver Simons	3.00	12/30

CLGR GU4210 AESTHETC THRY-FRANKFURT SCHOOL. 3.00 points.

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: CLGR GU4210
CLGR 4210	001/10783	T 2:10pm - 4:00pm 318 Hamilton Hall	Annie Pfeifer	3.00	20/25

CLGR GR6823 Altered States: Cultures of Intoxication and Addiction. 3.00 points.

Altered States: Cultures of Intoxication and Addiction This seminar investigates the literary and philosophical treatment of intoxication and addiction from Romanticism to critical theory to contemporary recovery literature with an eye toward the Germanophone context. Examining intoxication not merely as a pathological or medical phenomenon but as a site of existential inquiry and aesthetic experimentation, the course explores how thinkers and writers have grappled with states of excess, compulsion, altered consciousness, enlightenment, and the dissolution of the self. We will situate these discussions within three important historical developments: 1) the colonial drug trade, 2) drug production in Germany, which was the site of the synthesis and manufacture of morphine, heroin, and codeine in the nineteenth century as well as in Switzerland, which was the site of the discovery of LSD and psilocybin in the twentieth century, and 3) the medicalization of the discourse around addiction and drug treatment programs. Points of emphasis include the metaphysics of intoxication, the aesthetics of fragmentation, the tension between autonomy and compulsion, and the role of intoxication in critiques of bourgeois rationality, modernity, and capitalism. We will engage with a range of genres—poetry, fiction, philosophy, psychoanalysis, memoir, and recovery literature—as well as relevant secondary scholarship and critical theory. Discussions and materials will be in English

CLGR UN3252 What is Fascism?. 3.00 points.

This course explores fascism through an interdisciplinary, trans-historical lens. Beginning with Germany’s Third Reich, we will examine fascism’s history and foundations in social, political, religious, and scientific developments. We will explore various theories—ranging from psychoanalytic to philosophical—which try to explain the rise and spread of fascism. To help conceptualize fascism, we will analyze its complex relationship with race, ideology, and nationalism, and in particular, its deployment of technology, aesthetics, and propaganda. We will apply our own working definition of fascism to the contemporary moment by analyzing current populist, authoritarian movements around the globe. Taught in English

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: CLGR UN3252
CLGR 3252	001/10424	M W 2:40pm - 3:55pm Room TBA	Annie Pfeifer	3.00	7/25

CLGR GU4241 Literature and Money. 3.00 points.

Money in its multiple forms has received renewed attention in recent decades, especially since the financial crises in 2008 and the emergence of new cryptocurrencies. Money has been described as a means of exchange, a store of value, a measure of debt, a commodity, a social institution, or a tool in the formation of identity. In all of these instances, money fuses economic purposes with social and cultural practices. Exploring the intersections between economics and aesthetics, this course will juxtapose some of the most influential theories of money from Adam Smith to the present with contemporaneous literary texts that reflect on various aspects of money in their poetics on a thematic or formal level. Literary texts include Shakespeare, Goethe, Balzac, Zola, Thomas Mann, and Martin Amis

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: CLGR GU4241
CLGR 4241	001/10425	M 4:10pm - 6:00pm Room TBA	Oliver Simons	3.00	10/25

CLGR GU4250 AESTHETICS ＆ PHIL OF HIST(ENG). 3.00 points.

This course offers an introduction to German intellectual history by focusing on the key texts from the 18th and 19th century concerned with the philosophy of art and the philosophy of history. Instead of providing a general survey, this thematic focus that isolates the relatively new philosophical subspecialties allows for a careful tracing of a number of key problematics. The texts chosen for discussion in many cases are engaged in lively exchanges and controversies. For instance, Winckelmann provides an entry into the debate on the ancients versus the moderns by making a claim for both the historical, cultural specificity of a particular kind of art, and by advertising the art of Greek antiquity as a model to be imitated by the modern artist. Lessings Laocoon counters Winckelmanns idealizing approach to Greek art with a media specific reflection. According to Lessing, the fact that the Laocoon priest from the classical sculpture doesnt scream has nothing to do with the nobility of the Greek soul but all with the fact that a screaming mouth hewn in stone would be ugly. Herders piece on sculpture offers yet another take on this debate, one that refines and radicalizes an aesthetics based on the careful examination of the different senses, especially touch and feeling versus sight.—The second set of texts in this class deals with key enlightenment concepts of a philosophical anthropology informing the then emerging philosophy of history. Two literary texts will serve to mark key epochal units: Goethes Prometheus, which will be used in the introductory meeting, will be examined in view of its basic humanist program, Kleists Earthquake in Chili will serve as a base for the discussion of what would be considered the end of the Enlightenment: be that the collapse of a belief in progress or the critique of the beautiful and the sublime. The last unit of the class focuses on Hegels sweeping supra-individualist approach to the philosophy of history and Nietzsches fierce critique of Hegel. Readings are apportioned such that students can be expected to fully familiarize themselves with the arguments of these texts and inhabit them

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: CLGR GU4250
CLGR 4250	001/10426	T 4:10pm - 6:00pm Room TBA	Dorothea von Muecke	3.00	13/25

Dutch

DTCH UN1101 ELEMENTARY DUTCH I. 4.00 points.

Fundamentals of grammar, reading, speaking, and comprehension of the spoken language. During the spring term supplementary reading is selected according to students' needs

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: DTCH UN1101
DTCH 1101	001/10470	T Th 6:10pm - 8:00pm Room TBA	Wijnie de Groot	4.00	2/18
DTCH 1101	002/10471	M W 4:10pm - 6:00pm Room TBA	0. FACULTY, Wijnie de Groot	4.00	3/18

DTCH UN1102 ELEMENTARY DUTCH II. 4.00 points.

Fundamentals of grammar, reading, speaking, and comprehension of the spoken language. During the spring term supplementary reading is selected according to students needs

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: DTCH UN1102
DTCH 1102	001/10617	T Th 6:10pm - 8:00pm 253 International Affairs Bldg	Wijnie de Groot	4.00	19/18
DTCH 1102	002/10618	M W 4:10pm - 6:00pm 316 Hamilton Hall	Ben Bert F De Witte	4.00	13/18

DTCH UN2101 INTERMEDIATE DUTCH I. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: DTCH W1101-W1102 or the equivalent.
Prerequisites: DTCH UN1101-UN1102 or the equivalent. Continued practice in the four skills (aural comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing); review and refinement of basic grammar; vocabulary building. Readings in Dutch literature

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: DTCH UN2101
DTCH 2101	001/10472	T Th 4:10pm - 6:00pm Room TBA	Wijnie de Groot	4.00	12/18
DTCH 2101	002/10473	M W 6:10pm - 8:00pm Room TBA	Wijnie de Groot, 0. FACULTY	4.00	3/18

DTCH UN2102 INTERMEDIATE DUTCH II. 4.00 points.

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: DTCH UN2102
DTCH 2102	001/10619	T Th 4:10pm - 6:00pm 253 International Affairs Bldg	Wijnie de Groot	4.00	13/15
DTCH 2102	002/10620	M W 6:10pm - 8:00pm 352b International Affairs Bldg	Nicolette Dekens	4.00	6/18

DTCH UN3101 ADVANCED DUTCH I. 3.00 points.

This advanced course is a content-based language course, and is centered around the history of the Low Countries. Each week focuses on a specific era, such as the counts of Holland in the 13th century and the Reformation in the 16th century. Students will read texts about history and literature of the historical periods. Students will read texts at home and discuss them in class, explore history-related websites and watch short video clips. Attention will be paid to advanced grammar issues and vocabulary

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: DTCH UN3101
DTCH 3101	001/10474	T Th 6:10pm - 7:25pm Room TBA	0. FACULTY	3.00	0/10

DTCH UN3102 ADVANCED DUTCH II. 3.00 points.

see department for details

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: DTCH UN3102
DTCH 3102	001/10621	T Th 1:15pm - 2:30pm 352a International Affairs Bldg	Wijnie de Groot	3.00	4/15

DTCH UN3994 SPECIAL READING COURSE. 1.00 point.

See department for course description

Finnish

FINN UN2102 INTERMEDIATE FINNISH II. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: FINN W1101-W1102 or the instructor's permission.
Prerequisites: FINN UN1101-UN1102 or the instructors permission. Continued practice in aural comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing; review and refinement of grammatical structures; vocabulary building. Readings include Finnish fiction and nonfiction

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: FINN UN2102
FINN 2102	001/11287	M W 3:10pm - 5:00pm 352a International Affairs Bldg	Heli Sirvioe	4.00	7/15

FINN UN1101 ELEMENTARY FINNISH I. 4.00 points.

Fundamentals of grammar and lexicon. Building proficiency in aural comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Linguistic structures in the cultural context

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: FINN UN1101
FINN 1101	001/12270	M W 2:10pm - 4:00pm Room TBA	Heli Sirvioe	4.00	0/15

German

GERM UN1101 ELEMENTARY GERMAN I. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: No prior German. German 1101 is a communicative language course for beginners, taught in German, in which students develop the four skills -listening, speaking, reading, and writing- and a basic understanding of German-speaking cultures. Emphasis is placed on acquiring the four language skills within a cultural context. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to understand, speak, read, and write German at a level enabling them to communicate with native speakers and provide basic information about their background, family, daily activities, student life, work, and living quarters. Completion of daily assignments, which align with class content, and consistent work are necessary in order to achieve basic communicative proficiency. If you have prior German, the placement exam is required

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: GERM UN1101
GERM 1101	001/12637	M T Th 8:40am - 9:55am 313 Hamilton Hall	Simona Vaidean	4.00	13/15
GERM 1101	002/12638	T Th F 10:10am - 11:25am 313 Hamilton Hall	Jutta Schmiers-Heller	4.00	11/15
GERM 1101	003/12640	M W Th 4:10pm - 5:25pm 318 Hamilton Hall	Xuxu Song	4.00	17/15
Fall 2026: GERM UN1101
Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
GERM 1101	001/11283	M W Th 10:10am - 11:25am Room TBA	Xuxu Song	4.00	2/15
GERM 1101	002/11285	M W Th 1:10pm - 2:25pm Room TBA	Xuxu Song	4.00	1/15
GERM 1101	003/11288	M T Th 4:10pm - 5:25pm Room TBA	Jutta Schmiers-Heller	4.00	11/15
GERM 1101	004/11291	T Th 6:10pm - 8:00pm Room TBA	0. FACULTY	4.00	1/15
GERM 1101	005/00247	M W Th 2:40pm - 3:55pm 302 Milbank Hall	Johanna Veth-Abinusawa	4.00	0/10

GERM UN1102 ELEMENTARY GERMAN II. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: GERM UN1101 GERM V1101 or the equivalent.

Prerequisites: GERM UN1101 or the equivalent. If you have prior German outside of Columbia’s language sequence, the placement exam is required. German 1102 is the continuation of Elementary German I (1101). It is a four-skill language course taught in German, in which students continue to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in German and an understanding of German-speaking cultures. Emphasis is placed on acquiring the four language skills--listening, speaking, reading and writing--within a cultural context. Students expand their communication skills to include travel, storytelling, personal well- being, basic economics, recent historical events, and working with movie segments. Completion of daily assignments, which align with class content, and consistent work are necessary in order to achieve basic communicative proficiency.

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: GERM UN1102
GERM 1102	001/12641	T Th F 11:40am - 12:55pm 313 Hamilton Hall	Jutta Schmiers-Heller	4.00	11/15
GERM 1102	002/12643	M T Th 2:40pm - 3:55pm 616 Hamilton Hall	Varol Kahveci	4.00	7/15
GERM 1102	003/12644	M T Th 4:10pm - 5:25pm 313 Hamilton Hall	Varol Kahveci	4.00	13/15
GERM 1102	004/00863	T Th 6:10pm - 8:00pm 307 Milbank Hall	Johanna Veth-Abinusawa	4.00	12/15
Fall 2026: GERM UN1102
Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
GERM 1102	001/11298	M T Th 8:40am - 9:55am Room TBA	0. FACULTY	4.00	3/15
GERM 1102	002/11301	M T Th 1:10pm - 2:25pm Room TBA	0. FACULTY	4.00	7/15

GERM UN2101 INTERMEDIATE GERMAN I. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: GERM UN1102 GERM V1102 or the equivalent.
Prerequisites: GERM UN2101 or the equivalent. If you have prior German outside of Columbia’s language sequence, the placement exam is required. Intermediate German UN2102 is conducted entirely in German and emphasizes the four basic language skills, cultural awareness, and critical thinking. A wide range of topics (from politics and poetry to art) as well as authentic materials (texts, film, art, etc.) are used to improve the 4 skill. Practice in conversation aims at enlarging the vocabulary necessary for daily communication. Grammar is practiced in the context of the topics. Learning and evaluation are individualized (individual vocabulary lists, essays, oral presentations, final portfolio) and project-based (group work and final group project)

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: GERM UN2101
GERM 2101	001/12662	M T Th 11:40am - 12:55pm 315 Hamilton Hall	Varol Kahveci	4.00	7/15
GERM 2101	002/12665	M T Th 2:40pm - 3:55pm 313 Hamilton Hall	Simona Vaidean	4.00	5/15
Fall 2026: GERM UN2101
Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
GERM 2101	001/11869	M T Th 2:40pm - 3:55pm Room TBA	0. FACULTY	4.00	5/15
GERM 2101	002/11317	M T Th 4:10pm - 5:25pm Room TBA	0. FACULTY	4.00	5/15
GERM 2101	004/00319	M W 6:10pm - 8:00pm 302 Milbank Hall	Irene Motyl	4.00	5/12

GERM UN2102 INTERMEDIATE GERMAN II. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: GERM UN2101 GERM V1201 or the equivalent.
Prerequisites: GERM UN2101 or the equivalent. Intermediate German UN2102 is conducted entirely in German and emphasizes the four basic language skills, cultural awareness, and critical thinking. A wide range of topics (from politics and poetry to art) as well as authentic materials (texts, film, art, etc.) are used to improve the 4 skill. Practice in conversation aims at enlarging the vocabulary necessary for daily communication. Grammar is practiced in the context of the topics. Learning and evaluation are individualized (individual vocabulary lists, essays, oral presentations, final portfolio) and project-based (group work and final group project)

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: GERM UN2102
GERM 2102	001/12666	M W Th 10:10am - 11:25am 315 Hamilton Hall	Xuxu Song	4.00	10/15
GERM 2102	002/12667	M T Th 1:10pm - 2:25pm 313 Hamilton Hall	Simona Vaidean	4.00	15/15
GERM 2102	003/00864	M W 6:10pm - 8:00pm 327 Milbank Hall	Irene Motyl	4.00	9/12
Fall 2026: GERM UN2102
Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
GERM 2102	001/11318	M T Th 10:10am - 11:25am Room TBA	0. FACULTY	4.00	7/15

GERM UN2520 Intermediate Conversation. 2.00 points.

Prerequisite: Completion of 1102 or equivalent. If you have prior German outside of Columbia's language sequence, the placement exam is required. Desire to speak lots of German! Students in Intermediate Conversation should have completed the equivalent of two semester of college German or placed at the Intermediate level at Columbia. This conversation group is designed for students are either taking Intermediate German I or II and would like additional practice or who take only this class because they wish to maintain their spoken German. The course is designed to improve your ability to speak and understand and manage German in everyday situations; to provide opportunities to participate in conversational situations on any topics you are interested in; to strengthen and acquire skills to understand German spoken at normal conversational speed; to expand active and passive vocabularies speaking skills; and to maintain a certain level of written German through short written activities. This is a 2-point course and does not count towards the language requirement

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: GERM UN2520
GERM 2520	001/12670	M W 1:10pm - 2:25pm 315 Hamilton Hall	Xuxu Song	2.00	6/15
Fall 2026: GERM UN2520
Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
GERM 2520	001/11319	T Th 2:40pm - 3:55pm Room TBA	0. FACULTY	2.00	2/15

GERM UN3001 ADVANCED GERMAN I. 3.00 points.

Prerequisites: GERM V1202 or the director of undergraduate studies' permission.
Prerequisites: GERM UN2102. If you have prior German outside of Columbia’s language sequence, the placement exam is required. Note: UN3001 and UN3002 are not sequential. German UN3001 is an ambitious socio-cultural exploration of Berlin. Designed to follow up the language skills acquired in first- and second-year language courses (or the equivalent thereof), this course gives students greater proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing German while focusing on topics from German society today through various German media, such as internet, film, and literature through the lens of Germany’s capital, Berlin. Topics discussed include: cultural diversity in Berlin's multi-cultural neighborhoods; questioning and reflecting upon Berlin＆#39;s recent past; developing your own Berlin experience and presenting your interests in various forms, such as presentations, an essay, your CV, an application letter and interview for an internship in Berlin. The course represents a gateway class to literature courses and counts towards the major and concentration in German. Taught in German

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: GERM UN3001
GERM 3001	001/11320	M W 11:40am - 12:55pm Room TBA	Xuxu Song	3.00	3/15

GERM UN3002 ADVANCED GERMAN II. 3.00 points.

Corequisites: Course either taken before or after GERM V3001.
Corequisites: Course either taken before or after GERM V3001. Intensive practice in oral and written German. Discussions, oral reports, and weekly written assignments, based on material of topical and stylistic variety taken from German press and from literary sources

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: GERM UN3002
GERM 3002	001/00217	M W 4:10pm - 5:25pm 302 Milbank Hall	Irene Motyl	3.00	8/15

GERM BC2210 GRAMMATIK AKTIV. 2.00 points.

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: GERM BC2210
GERM 2210	001/00250	W 4:10pm - 6:00pm 302 Milbank Hall	Irene Motyl	2.00	0/10

GERM BC2212 GRAMMATIK ACTIV. 3.00 points.

Students have the option to register for 2-point or 3-points. Please check the course number when registering.

An intensive study of key features of German grammar, with an emphasis on skill-building exercises and practical solutions to common problems of writing and speaking on the intermediate level; aims at building confidence in using simple and more complex sentence structures. For an additional point, students will hand in a weekly 150-200 word summary in German in which they highlight what they have learned, explain the rules and applications of the linguistic feature on hand. In the last portion of the summary students will reflect on their learning process during each week to document their progress. Individual meetings with the Professor to clarify and practice student specific grammar issues will be scheduled

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: GERM BC2212
GERM 2212	001/00264	W 4:10pm - 6:00pm 302 Milbank Hall	Irene Motyl	3.00	1/6

GERM GU4000 Pedagogy Seminar. 3.00 points.

What kind of teacher would you like to become? What experience, knowledge and opinions regarding learning and teaching a language and language and communication do you bring to class? How can theoretical and practical literature help us augment our personal experiences? How do we plan and execute lesson plans? What role do institutional expectations play? What can we learn from how others teach? How can we ensure to welcome a wide spectrum of students into our classes? What impact has the pandemic on the way we approach teaching? How can we grow as educators through self-reflection, our interactions with colleagues, and through our understanding theoretical and practical knowledge that goes beyond planning the next class? Collaboratively, we will discuss these and other questions using our concrete experience, practical and theoretical literature, and opportunities for professional development. We will apply our knowledge and create materials together, visit colleagues in other language and reflect on our learning and teaching experience. Learning Goals: At the end of this class, you will: be able to understand and use the concept of ‘Backward Design’ have acquired a basis in a spectrum of different research-based perspectives that you can use to decide on the usefulness of pedagogical strategies in a given situation. be familiar with the basic terminology as well as the most relevant sources for the field of foreign language pedagogy have familiarity with applying theory to practice by designing classroom activities you will be able to use in your class have started to develop strategies for continuous reflection and deepening of pedagogical practices (through discussion, observations, journals) take first steps to developing your own teaching philosophy statement

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: GERM GU4000
GERM 4000	001/10429		Jutta Schmiers-Heller	3.00	1/15

GERM UN3991 Advanced Topics in German Literature. 3.00 points.

Prerequisites: one of the Introduction to German Literature courses and one upper-level literature course, or the instructor's permission.
"Advanced Topics in German Literature” is open to seniors and other advanced undergraduate students who have taken Intro to German Literature (GERM 3333) or an equivalent class. The seminar provides students the opportunity to closely examine a topic from a variety of perspectives and theoretical approaches. Readings and discussion in German. The course is repeatable for credit

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: GERM UN3991
GERM 3991	001/10784	M 10:10am - 12:00pm 401 Hamilton Hall	Stefan Andriopoulos	3.00	8/25
Fall 2026: GERM UN3991
Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
GERM 3991	001/11007	W 4:10pm - 6:00pm Room TBA	Dorothea von Muecke	3.00	5/25

GERM UN3780 BERL/ISTANBUL:MIGRATN,CLTR,VAL. 3.00 points.

CC/GS/SEAS: Partial Fulfillment of Global Core Requirement

An intensive seminar analyzing questions of migration, identity, (self-) representation, and values with regard to the Turkish minority living in Germany today. Starting with a historical description of the „guest worker“ program that brought hundreds of thousands of Turkish nationals to Germany in the 1960s and 1970s, the course will focus on the experiences and cultural production of the second and third generations of Turkish Germans, whose presence has profoundly transformed German society and culture. Primary materials include diaries, autobiographies, legal and historical documents, but the course will also analyze poetry, novels, theater plays and films. In German

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: GERM UN3780
GERM 3780	001/10787	W 10:10am - 12:00pm 707 Hamilton Hall	Mark Anderson	3.00	13/25

GERM GU4448 Poetics of Childhood – Figures, Discourses, Theories. 3.00 points.

This seminar explores the literary representation of the child and childhood. It focuses on three key areas, which will be examined through a selection of texts by authors including Hoffmann, Keller, Busch, James, Proust, Rilke, Benjamin, and March. (1) Figures: The seminar will analyze literary depictions of the foreign, mysterious, anarchic, and, most importantly, the evil child, a figuration that began to displace the Romantic image of the "divine child" by the 19th century. (2) Theories: The seminar will consider the pedagogical and developmental psychological theories of the time, which underpin this shift in discourse, alongside foundational historical and theoretical reflections on childhood, including those by Ariès and Agamben. (3) Poetics: Central to the selected texts is the question of how childhood can be grasped in literary form—what kinds of memory are invoked, and how the recalled experience of childhood can be articulated in language. Through an interdisciplinary approach, this seminar will engage with both the evolution of childhood as a cultural construct and the aesthetic challenges of representing it in literature. We will be reading both German and English literature; the reading load typically amounts to 30-50 pages per week, with the exception of two sessions in which we will discuss two English novel(la)s. Course readings and discussions will be in German

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: GERM GU4448
GERM 4448	001/16253	Th 10:10am - 12:00pm 501 Hamilton Hall	Nicola Gess	3.00	5/25

GERM UN3333 INTRO TO GERMAN LIT (GERMAN). 3.00 points.

Prerequisites: GERM V1202 or the equivalent.
Prerequisites: GERM UN2102 or the equivalent. Examines short literary texts and various methodological approaches to interpreting such texts in order to establish a basic familiarity with the study of German literature and culture

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: GERM UN3333
GERM 3333	001/10427	T Th 1:10pm - 2:25pm Room TBA	Claudia Breger	3.00	7/25

GERM GU4170 KAFKA (ENG). 3.00 points.

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: GERM GU4170
GERM 4170	001/10430	W 10:10am - 12:00pm Room TBA	Mark Anderson	3.00	8/25

GERM GU4350 GERMAN FILM AFTER 1945. 3.00 points.

This introduction to German film since 1945 (in its European contexts) deploys a focus on feelings as a lens for multifaceted, intersectional investigations of cinematic history. We will explore how feelings have been gendered and racialized; how they overlap with matters of sex (as closely associated with political revolt in Western Europe, while considered too private for public articulation in the socialist East, especially when queer); and how they foreground matters of nation and trauma (for example via the notions of German ‘coldness’ and inability to mourn the Holocaust). Simultaneously, the focus on feelings highlights questions of mediality (cinema as a prototypically affective medium?), genre and avant-garde aesthetics: in many films, ‘high-affect’ Hollywood cinema intriguingly meets ‘cold’ cinematic modernism. In pursuing these investigative vectors through theoretical readings and close film analysis, the course connects affect, gender, queer, and cultural studies approaches with cinema studies methodologies. The films to be discussed span postwar and New German Cinema, East German DEFA productions, the ‘Berlin School’ of the 2000s, and contemporary transnational cinema

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: GERM GU4350
GERM 4350	001/10431	T 10:10am - 12:00pm Room TBA	Claudia Breger	3.00	8/25

Swedish

SWED UN2102 INTERMEDIATE SWEDISH II. 4.00 points.

The goal of this course is to further develop your speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills and broaden your knowledge about the Swedish culture, history and literature. Topics emphasize contemporary Swedish life and cross-cultural awareness. Topics to be covered include Swedens regions, the party and political system, major historical and cultural figures, and the Swedish welfare state. In addition to the main text we will use a selection of short stories, newspaper articles, films and audio resources available on the internet. Class will be conducted almost exclusively in Swedish. To succeed in this course, you must actively participate. You will be expected to attend class regularly, prepare for class daily, and speak as much Swedish as possible. Methodology The class will be taught in a communicative way. It will be conducted primarily in Swedish. In-class activities and homework assignments will focus on improving and developing speaking, reading, writing, listening skills, and deepening the students understanding of Swedish culture through interaction and exposure to a broad range of authentic materials

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: SWED UN2102
SWED 2102	001/11286	M W 10:10am - 12:00pm 352c International Affairs Bldg	Heli Sirvioe	4.00	11/15

SWED UN1101 ELEMENTARY SWEDISH I. 4.00 points.

The goal of this course is to introduce students to the Swedish language as it is spoken in Sweden today. The class will also introduce important aspects of contemporary Swedish culture, historical figures and events, and Swedish traditions. Upon the completion of the course, students who have attended class regularly have submitted all assignments and taken all tests and quizzes should be able to: provide basic information in Swedish about themselves, families, interests, food, likes and dislikes, daily activities; understand and participate in a simple conversation on everyday topics (e.g. occupation, school, meeting people, food, shopping, hobbies, etc.); read edited texts on familiar topics, understand the main ideas and identify the underlying themes; pick out important information from a variety of authentic texts (e.g. menus, signs, schedules, websites, as well as linguistically simple literary texts such as songs and rhymes); fill in forms requesting information, write letters, notes, postcards, or messages providing simple information; provide basic information about Sweden and the rest of the Nordic countries (e.g. languages spoken, capitals, etc); use and understand a range of essential vocabulary related to everyday life (e.g. days of the week, colors, numbers, months, seasons, telling time, foods, names of stores, family, common objects, transportation, basic adjectives etc.) pronounce Swedish well enough and produce Swedish with enough grammatical accuracy to be comprehensible to a Swedish speaker with experience in speaking with non-natives. use and understand basic vocabulary related to important aspects of contemporary Swedish culture and Swedish traditions (e.g. Christmas traditions, St. Lucia, etc.). Methodology The class will be taught in a communicative way. It will be conducted primarily, but not exclusively in Swedish. In-class activities and homework assignments will focus on developing speaking, reading, writing, listening skills, and a basic understanding of Swedish culture through interaction. Authentic materials will be used whenever possible

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: SWED UN1101
SWED 1101	001/12271	M W 10:10am - 12:00pm Room TBA	Heli Sirvioe	4.00	1/15

Yiddish

YIDD UN1101 ELEMENTARY YIDDISH I. 4.00 points.

This course offers an introduction to the language that has been spoken by the Ashkenazi Jews for more than a millennium, and an opportunity to discover a fabulous world of Yiddish literature, language and culture in a fun way. Using games, new media, and music, we will learn how to speak, read, listen and write in a language that is considered one of the richest languages in the world (in some aspects of vocabulary). We will also venture outside the classroom to explore the Yiddish world today: through field trips to Yiddish theater, Yiddish-speaking neighborhoods, Yiddish organizations, such as YIVO or Yiddish farm, and so on. We will also have Yiddish-speaking guests and do a few digital projects. At the end of the two-semester course, you will be able to converse in Yiddish on a variety of everyday topics and read most Yiddish literary and non-literary texts. Welcome to Yiddishland!

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: YIDD UN1101
YIDD 1101	001/10856	T Th 12:10pm - 2:00pm 404 Hamilton Hall	Agnieszka Legutko	4.00	4/15
Fall 2026: YIDD UN1101
Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
YIDD 1101	001/11545	T Th 12:10pm - 2:00pm Room TBA	Agnieszka Legutko	4.00	3/15

YIDD UN2102 INTERMEDIATE YIDDISH II. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: YIDD W1101-W1102 or the instructor's permission.
Prerequisites: YIDD UN1101-UN1102 or the instructor's permission. This year-long course is a continuation of Elementary Yiddish II. As part of the New Media in Jewish Studies Collaborative, this class will be using new media in order to explore and research the fabulous world of Yiddish literature, language, and culture, and to engage in project-oriented activities that will result in creating lasting multi-media online presentations. In addition to expanding the command of the language that has been spoken by the Ashkenazi Jews for more than a millennium, i.e. focusing on developing speaking, reading, writing and listening skills, and on the acquisition of more advanced grammatical concepts, students will also get some video and film editing training, and tutorials on archival research. The class will continue to read works of Yiddish literature in the original and will venture outside of the classroom to explore the Yiddish world today: through exciting field trips to Yiddish theater, Yiddish-speaking neighborhoods, YIVO, Yiddish Farm, and so on. And we will also have the Yiddish native-speaker guest series. Welcome back to Yiddishland!

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: YIDD UN2102
YIDD 2102	001/10858	T Th 2:10pm - 4:00pm 404 Hamilton Hall	Agnieszka Legutko	4.00	4/15

YIDD UN3333 ADVANCED YIDDISH. 3.00 points.

May be repeated for credit.

Prerequisites: YIDD W1201-W1202 or the instructor's permission.
Course Description and Goals: This course focuses predominantly on developing reading comprehension skills, as well as on listening, writing, speaking, and some more advanced grammar. It explores literary and scholarly texts examining the modern Jewish experience in the context of the twentieth-century history and culture of the Ashkenazi Jews. Supplementary texts will be selected based on students’ interests and may include historical pedagogical materials, past and present newspaper articles, polemic, poetry, historical and scholarly articles. We will also venture outside the classroom to explore the Yiddish world today: through field trips to Yiddish theater, Yiddish-speaking neighborhoods, Yiddish organizations, such as YIVO, and so on. We will apply our reading and translating skills to contribute to the Mapping Yiddish New York online project, and will also have Yiddish-speaking guests. At the end of the semester, you will be able to converse in Yiddish on a variety of everyday topics and read authentic Yiddish literary and non-literary texts. Welcome back to Yiddishland!

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: YIDD UN3333
YIDD 3333	001/11548	T Th 2:10pm - 3:25pm Room TBA	Agnieszka Legutko	3.00	2/15

WMST GU4310 CONTEM AMER JEWISH WOMEN'S LIT. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: Enrollment limited to 15 students. Sophomore standing.
The seminar will focus on trends that have emerged over the past three decades in Jewish American women's writing in the fields of memoirs, fiction and Jewish history: the representation and exploration through fictive narratives of women's experiences in American Jewish orthodox communities; reinterpretation of Jewish history through gender analysis; the recording of migration and exile by Jewish women immigrants from the former Soviet Union, Morocco, Iran, and Egypt; and gender transformations. Texts will be analyzed in terms of genre structures, narrative strategies, the role of gender in shaping content and Jewish identity, and the political, cultural and social contexts in which the works were created. The course aims for students to discuss and critically engage with texts in order to develop the skills of analytical and abstract thinking, as well as the ability to express that critical thinking in writing. Prerequisites: Both one introductory WGSS course and Critical Approaches to Social and Cultural Theory, or Permission of the Instructor

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Spring 2026: WMST GU4310
WMST 4310	001/00604	T 4:10pm - 6:00pm 119 Milstein Center	Agnieszka Legutko	4.00	6/20

CLYD UN3520 New Yiddish Literature. 3.00 points.

Modern Yiddish literature, which experienced its cultural peak in the 1920s and 1930s, has entered a new phase in its history. Over the past decade, an unprecedented wave of Yiddish literature translations into English has significantly expanded access to this distinct minority culture. Until recently, only a small fraction of Yiddish literary production was available in translation—estimates are than less than five percent of Yiddish literary output has been translated into English and other languages. The recent surge in translations is reshaping our understanding of Ashkenazic cultural heritage and invites a reconfiguration of the established literary canons. This course surveys recent translations from Yiddish literature, including prose, drama, poetry and satirical sketches, focusing on both previously canonized authors and understudied works by women who were excluded from traditional literary canons. Through close reading and discussion, we will consider how these works engage with the modern human condition and the Jewish experience in particular, and how relevant they are in the twenty-first century. Employing a comparative gender approach as analytical lenses, we will explore questions of identity, cultural memory, trauma, and most importantly, the ways in which modernity negotiates its relationship with the past. The course puts emphasis on developing skills in critical, analytical, and abstract thinking in relation to the discussed works, as well as the ability to articulate that critical thinking in writing. This course is part of the digital humanities project Mapping Yiddish New York, which focuses on building an online archive as a way of meaningful engagement with the past and exploring the cultural history of New York City. As part of the course, students will conduct archival research and interview with contemporary Yiddish writers and translators in order to create encyclopedia-style entries for publication on the Mapping Yiddish New York website. No knowledge of Yiddish required; all texts will be taught in English translation

Course Number	Section/Call Number	Times/Location	Instructor	Points	Enrollment
Fall 2026: CLYD UN3520
CLYD 3520	001/13626	T 4:10pm - 6:00pm Room TBA	Agnieszka Legutko	3.00	7/25