GERM 230 - Green Germany

Cross-Listed as ENVI 230

Germany is famous today as a worldwide leader in discussions about environmental sustainability, green politics, and renewable energy. The term “sustainability” is in fact the translation of the much older German word “Nachhaltigkeit.” In this course, we will explore the development of ecological consciousness in the German-speaking world, with a focus on the relationship between environmental movements and broader cultural and intellectual traditions of thinking about nature. Through the study of visual art, literature, film, scientific texts, and philosophical writings, we will discuss topics such as: the political and theoretical underpinnings of eco-activism in Germany; the specter of disaster in the German environmental imaginary; influential scientific, literary, and philosophical attempts to challenge the division between the human and the nonhuman; and eco-architecture and related efforts to envision and create alternative modes of human-nonhuman coexistence. Taught in English. No previous knowledge required.

Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)