Course: German Philology - Literary Seminar

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Course title German Philology - Literary Seminar
Course code KGN/LS20
Organizational form of instruction Seminar
Level of course Master
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 4
Language of instruction German
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Course availability The course is available to visiting students
Lecturer(s)
  • Solomon Kristýna, doc. Mgr. Ph.D.
Course content
The aim of the seminar "Man and Morality in German Medieval Short Stories" is to familiarize students with the development, genre-specific characteristics, and moral discourse of German medieval short stories (particularly the Märe genre). Topics: 1 Introduction: Human Beings and Morality in Medieval German Verse Tales 2 Medieval Verse Tales: Theory by Grubmüller, Fischer and Heinzle 3 Marriage, Love and Courtly Morality in the Middle Ages 4 Love, Fidelity and Death: Konrad von Würzburg, Das Herzmäre 5 Deception in Love, Body and Honour: Konrad von Würzburg, Die Halbe Birne 6 The Portrayal of the Husband and Marital Virtues: Heinrich Kaufringer, Der feige Ehemann 7 The Search for an Ideal Marriage: Heinrich Kaufringer, Die Suche nach dem glücklichen Ehepaar 8 Female Cunning and Gender Roles: Heinrich Kaufringer, Drei listige Frauen 9 Anti-Morality and Criticism of the Clergy: Hans Rosenplüt, Der fünfmal getötete Pfarrer 10 Christian Morality, Desire and Consequences: Der Stricker, Die drei Wünsche 11 Eroticism and Female Morality: Das Nonnenturnier and Der Stricker, Die eingemauerte Frau 12 The Animal Fable as a Model of Moral Conduct: Der Stricker, Der Hase und der Löwe; Final Comparison

Learning activities and teaching methods
Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Work with Text (with Book, Textbook)
Learning outcomes
The aim of the course "Man and Morality in German Medieval Short Stories" is to familiarize students with the development, genre-specific characteristics, and moral discourse of German medieval short stories (particularly the Märe genre). Through literary analysis of key texts (e.g., Konrad von Würzburg, Heinrich Kaufringer, "Der Stricker"), the course explores the contemporary understanding of human nature, courtly morality, marital virtues, gender roles, and Christian ethics. Emphasis is placed on the ability to apply literary theories to specific texts and to critically reflect on the evolution of moral concepts over time.
This seminar will introduce students to the development, genre-specific characteristics, and moral discourse of German medieval short stories (particularly the Märe genre).
Prerequisites
The seminar is intended for all students of the Palacký University.

Assessment methods and criteria
Student performance, Analysis of Creative works (Music, Pictorial,Literary)

Active participation in class, a maximum of two absences, and thorough reading of the assigned primary texts.
Recommended literature
  • Grubmüller, Klaus. Die Ordnung, der Witz und das Chaos: Eine Geschichte der europäischen Novellistik im Mittelalter. Fabliau ? Märe ? Novelle. Tübingen. 2006.
  • Poor, Sara S., Alison L. Beringer, and Olga V. Trokhimenko. Gender Bonds, Gender Binds: Women, Men, and Family in Middle High German Literature. Boston/ Berlin. 2021.
  • Saunders, Corinne, and Diane Watt. Women and Medieval Literary Culture: From the Early Middle Ages to the Fifteenth Century. Cambridge. 2023.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): German Philology (2019) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): German for Translators and Interpreters (2019) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): German Philology (2022) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): German Philology (2019) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): German for Translators and Interpreters (2019) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): German Philology (2019) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): German for Translators and Interpreters (2019_24) Category: Philological sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -