Berlin

In this three-credit hour course (taught by Dr. Frohock, Professor of English and Associate Dean of the Honors College, and assisted by Ebonie Hill, Honors College Program Manager), we will explore the rich culture of Berlin, Germany. This class will use a City-as-Text curriculum, which means the contemporary culture of Berlin will be our object of study and will emphasize experiential learning and reflective writing. We will explore contemporary life in Berlin through reading; discussion of topics including globalization and immigration; and numerous excursions and activities aimed at developing interdisciplinary understanding. We will also incorporate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into our study of Berlin and use these as a lens for further understanding the city. There are no prerequisites, and the class is open to all majors.

Berlin is an exceptionally diverse city at the heart of German history and contemporary life and culture. Berlin was known in the early 20th century as the center of arts, higher learning and its vibrant culture. It was largely destroyed by the Nazi regime and World War II bombing; and it has a fascinating rich cold-war history. Today, Berlin is the home of Germans and immigrants from all over the world. It is renowned for its art culture, diverse neighborhoods and start-up friendly business environment. It has been the captial of Germany since 1990 (after reunification in 1989).