Subject Area: European Studies
This course can also be studied in the following specialisations: German Studies & History
This course explores social, cultural and political developments in Germany since 1945, with a focus on major contemporary and scholarly debates. It examines Germany’s development from its devastation in World War II through four decades of division during the Cold War and reunification in 1990 into the post-unification era. Issues will include the situation of Germany following its defeat and occupation in 1945, social, cultural and political change in East and West Germany, the demise of East Germany and German reunification, and issues relating to Germany’s national identity and its place in Europe and the world. These issues and the debates surrounding them will be explored in lectures, readings and student-led seminar discussions focusing on primary and secondary texts, including through literature and film.