Department or Chair
within the Faculty
Department of German Studies,
Chair of German Literature
Study program
Single-major and
German Studies
double-major
undergraduate
1st cycle
Study level
Course title
German Literature of Realism and Naturalism
Course code
Double-major programme: (46349) (NJKRN-D)
Single-major programme: (46315) (NJKRN)
Language of instruction
German
Course description
REALISM: The historical, political, social and
philosophical (Arthur Schopenhauer, Friedrich Nietzsche)
context is presented as well as foreign influence (Balzac,
Flaubert, Zola; Dickens; Turgenjev, Dostojevski, Tolstoy;
Ibsen, Strindberg). In the first phase realism was
programmatical realism and later it developed its
specialism as poetical, psychological,
civilian realism. The course will try to distinguish main
characteristics and to define poetics and main genres. In
addition, the life and work of Gustav Freytag, Wilhelm
Busch, Theodor Storm, Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach,
Friedrich Hebbel, Conrad Ferdinand Meyer, Wilhelm
Raabe, Gottfried Keller, Theodor Fontane will be
presented.
NATURALISM: The literature is viewed within the
context of strong modernization and industrialization of
the German Empire as well as new theories and ideologies
(Nietzsche's philosophy, racist study, German sociology,
vitalism, attack on naturalist point of view, Marxism,
women emancipation, psychoanalysis, irrationalism,
succession and degeneration teaching, city phenomenon
and techniques. Also, one is warned on the emersion of
socio-democratic literature as well as entertaining, trivial
literature for masses. Finally, naturalism must be viewed
within the poetic context of stylistic pluralism: directions
such as neo-romanticism, neo-classicism, symbolism,
aestheticism and impressionism can be seen as a reaction
on extreme positions of naturalistic poeticism. The course
will discuss institutions related to literature (certain
groups, syndicates, magazines, publishers, market, literary
awards, censorship, and penal pursuit of authors). The
overview of the most important literary types will be
presented: naturalistic prose, naturalistic lyrics and
naturalistic drama. The life and work of Ludwig
Anzengruber, Hermann Sudermann, Arn Holz, Johannes
Schlaf, Helena Böhlau and Gabriele Reuter, and especially
Gerhart Hauptmann will also be presented. It is doubtless
that German naturalism must be connected to Zola when
regarding the choice of themes as well as to Strindberg,
Ibsen and Tolstoy when regarding drama techniques.
Form of teaching
Form of assessment
Number of ECTS
Class hours per week
Minimum number of
students
Lectures and seminars
continual evaluation (interpretation of readings, reports)
and oral exam in the end (theory only)
Essays (10-15 pages, can be submitted as an expansion of
reports as well) cannot replace the exam, they are a part of
regular essay writing work but they can influence final
mark.
final grade results 70% from achievements in the classes
and 30% from final oral examination in examination
periods.
Double-major programme: 3 (less literary works to
read)
Single-major programme: 5
Lectures: 2
Seminars: 1
?
Winter semester
Period of realization
Lecturer
Dr. Željko Uvanović, Associate Professor