Aims: To examine the social, political and economic changes which have taken place in Berlin since the two halves of the divided city were reunited in 1989-90 and to investigate the ways in which that process has been depicted in recent German films.
Learning Outcomes:
Students who complete the unit successfully will understand the continuing impact of the years of division on all aspects of life in today's Berlin and why the unification process has been particularly slow and complicated there. They will grasp what the specific issues faced by citizens in each half of the city are and how well the city government has coped with them. They will have looked in detail at a representative selection of films focused on contemporary Berlin and developed their analytical and comparative skills in studying them.
Skills:
Skills in critical analysis, conceptual thinking, precision in the use of written and spoken language, exercise of independent judgement, reasoned argument, effective communication in the target language, teamwork and the planning/conduct/reporting of non-quantitative research are developed and assessed in this unit.
Content:
Subjects for close study include the legacy of division in both halves of the city; the unification process; problematic social, political and economic aspects of Berlin's transition to capital city; symbolic actions marking the beginning of a new era; the aspiration to renew Berlin's status as a cultural metropolis; its geopolitical role in an enlarged EU; the films Der Himmel über Berlin (Wenders, 1987), Ostkreuz (Klier, 1991), Das Leben ist eine Baustelle (Becker, 1997) and Berlin Babylon (Siegbert, 2000). The unit is taught in German.
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