MDL21010 The Restless Era: German Society from Empire to Dictatorship

Aims/Description: This course will look at the fascinating and rapid transformation of German society in the pivotal era from the Kaiserreich to the Weimar Republic. Key issues are socialism, feminism, militarism, and totalitarianism as well as gender norms and expectations. Students will explore questions such as: how did all women and working men get the vote; how were traditional concepts of masculinity and femininity transformed into the androgynous and athletic ideal of the Weimar era; how did the Nazis manage to sell their evil ideology to the German people? By the end of the module students will have wide-ranging knowledge of the Kaiserreich and the Weimar Republic, have a good understanding of the effect of social and political upheaval on gender roles and be in a position to offer a critical analysis of the relation between popular movements, ideologies and politics.

Staff Contact: DE BERG HENDRIK

Teaching Methods: Seminars, Independent Study

Assessment: Formal Exam, Course work, Presentation

Information on the department responsible for this unit (Languages and Cultures):

Departmental Home Page

Teaching timetable

NOTE The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.

URLs used in these pages are subject to year-on-year change. For this reason we recommend that you do not bookmark these pages or set them as favourites.

Teaching methods and assessment displayed on this page are indicative for 2021-22. Students will be informed by the academic department of any changes made necessary by the ongoing pandemic.