GERM 305 - Traces of Empire: Exploring the Cultural Centers of Austria and Hungary

Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 4

Prerequisite: GERM 262. A four-week advanced language and culture class based in Graz, Austria, with a particular focus on the multi-national, polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire and its impact on modern Austria’s multi-ethnic, multi-cultural identity. Language and culture classes take place in the University of Graz’s language center, Treffpunkt Sprachen. Afternoon discussion classes focus on Austrian culture, supported by readings from the texts, film screenings, and visits to important sites and events in Graz and its environs. During excursions to Vienna and Budapest, we compare the two rival imperial capitals of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, visit the opera houses and national art collections, and consider both the function of art in forging national - and imperial - identity, and the role of power in the construction of taste.