GERMAN 298 A / GITS 313 A/ ITAL 354 A, Au2024
TuTh 2:30-3:50 pm, GUG 218
Taught by Annegret Oehme and Beatrice Arduini, this class explores inflections of cross-cultural interactions in the Middle Ages as well as representations of "Otherness" in various cultural settings and discourses. Students will engage with a wide range of literary texts; explore how diversity and interconnectivity materialize in the contexts of politics, commerce, migration, religion, and similar philosophical and cultural frameworks; and examine how such ‘modern’ global phenomena, find root in the medieval period, defined here as the pre-1500 centuries. While focusing on German and Italian-speaking areas, we will take a critical view of Eurocentric approaches.
Note:
The syllabus is going to be available on Canvas and may be changed at any time if necessary.
We will communicate changes to the schedule via Canvas.
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When and What are the Middle Ages? |
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Thursday, 09/26 |
Introduction |
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Tuesday, 10/01 |
Introduction (continued): Christians, Jews, and Muslims |
Ryan Szpiech: "Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in Medieval Europe," 2021. |
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Medieval Saints |
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Thursday, 10/03 |
Saints |
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Tuesday, 10/08 |
Saints and Satire |
Decameron Day 1, Story 1, and Day 2, Story 1 |
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Tolerance and Turmoil |
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Thursday, 10/10 |
Religious Tolerance |
Decameron Day 1, Story 3 and Day 10, Story 9 |
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Tuesday, 10/15 |
The German Boccaccio Reception Guest Lecture |
TBD |
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Thursday, 10/17 |
Heretics, Schismatics and Sowers of Discord: Dante, The Divine Comedy |
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Tuesday, 10/22 |
Library Workshop |
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Encounters of Religious and Racial Otherness |
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Thursday, 10/24 |
Geraldine Heng, “Race in the Middle Ages” |
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Tuesday, 10/29 |
Slavery in the Mediterranean |
Decameron, Day 5, Story 7, and Hannah Barker, The Most Precious Merchandise, Penn 2019 |
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Thursday, 10/31 |
Maurice |
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Mapping the Medieval World and Its Wonders |
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Tuesday, 11/05 |
Maps and Fantastic Races |
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Thursday, 11/07 |
Special Collections Visit |
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Tuesday, 11/12 |
Duke Ernst |
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Traveling the Medieval World |
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Thursday, 11/14 |
Arabic, Persian and Ottoman Sources and Reworkings of the Decameron |
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Tuesday, 11/19 |
"Resourceful Women" Guest Lecture | Decameron Day 2, Story 9, and Li Yu |
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Thursday, 11/21 |
Project Workshop |
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Tuesday, 11/26 |
The Travels of Marco Polo (excerpts), and Decameron Day 10, Story 3 | |
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Thursday, 11/28 |
No Class - Thanksgiving |
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Tuesday, 12/03 |
Ibn Batuta and Benjamin of Tudela |
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Thursday, 12/05 |
Final Review and Discussion | |
Course-Level Objectives
▪ Describe depictions of cross-cultural encounters in diverse cultures and languages.
▪ Explain the origins of these depictions.
▪ Compare and contrast medieval, modern, and contemporary depictions.
▪ Critically examine representations of "Otherness" in pre-modern sources.
▪ Contextualize diverse historic voices in dialogue.
Assignments
▪ a short response paper
▪ an annotation/collaborative reading exercises
▪ posting an image and description
▪ participating in graded discussions
▪ a final project