Course Description In this course, we will examine how contemporary writers, filmmakers, graphic novelists, and visual artists attempt to come to terms with the legacy of the National Socialist regime while portraying the after-effects of the Holocaust for the second and third generations in Austria, France, Germany, Hunary, Israel, Poland, and the US.

Wednesday: 16:30 - 19:20 CLE A303 Instructor: Charlotte Schallié | schallie@uvic.ca | 250 721 7321 Office Hours: Tuesdays - 11:00 to 12:00

Territory Acknowledgment: We acknowledge with respect the Lkwungen-speaking peoples on whose traditional territory the university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

GMST 453: AFTER-IMAGES OF THE HOLOCAUST IN TEXT AND FILM

UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA DEPARTMENT OF GERMANIC AND SLAVIC STUDIES FALL 2019

Note: No knowledge of German required. May count towards a Minor in Film Studies

Die Unsichtbaren / The Invisibles (Claus Räfle; 2017)

Since this print outline and schedule is subject to revision and updating, coursespaces.uvic.ca will be the portal for all updated course information, including topics and readings; please check it regularly for posted readings, powerpoints and study questions.

Evaluation: Students’ grades will be based on the following criteria:

REQUIREMENT WEIGHT DATE Attendance 10% ONGOING Participation 10% ONGOING Response Paper 10% OCTOBER Midterm 25% OCTOBER Group Presentation 10% NOVEMBER Final Take-Home 35% DECEMBER Examination

Grading: To familiarize yourself with the UVic grading guidelines, please consult the University Calendar. Note (from the University calendar): An A+, A, or A- is earned by work which is technically superior, shows mastery of the subject matter, and in the case of an A+ offers original insight and/or goes beyond course expectations. Normally achieved by a minority of students.

READINGS (available on CourseSpaces): Gavriel D. Rosenfeld. How the Nazi Past is Being Normalized in Contemporary Culture (2014); Doris L. Bergen, War and Genocide. A Concise History of the Holocaust (excerpts; 2009); Hannah Arendt, On the Nature of Totalitarianism: An Essay in Understanding (excerpts; 1954); Christopher Browning, Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland (excerpts; 1992); Stefan Kühl, Ordinary Organizations (excerpts; 2016); James Edward Waller, Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide (2007; excerpts); David Cesarani, Becoming Eichmann: Rethinking the Life, Crimes and Trials of a Desk Murderer (brief exerpts: 2006) Bettina Stangneth, Eichmann Before Jerusalem: The Unexamined Life of a Mass Murderer (brief excerpts; 2011); Samuel D. Kassow, Who Will Write Our History? Emanuel Ringelblum, the Warsaw Ghetto, and the Oyneg Shabes Archive (excerpts; 2007); Marie Jalowicz Simon, Gone to Ground: One woman's extraordinary account of survival in the heart of Nazi Germany (2015; excerpts); Nathan Englander, Camp Sundown (2012); Edgar Keret, Shoes (2015); Cynthia Ozick, Rosa (1983); Bernice Eisenstein, I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors (2007).

EVALUATIONAttendance (10%):Attendance shall be taken by your instructor and will count for 10% of your final grade. Although this percentage represents a relatively small portion of your final grade, it is an expected and mandatory course requirement. Please be aware of the academic regulations cited in the University Calendar: “[S]tudents may be assigned a final grade of N or debarred from writing final examinations if they have failed to satisfy a minimum attendance requirement set by an instructor … in the course outline.” The following policy will apply: Students missing more than eight classes in this course may either receive an N grade for failing to meet course requirement or be debarred without notice from writing the final examination. Students may ask for an academic concession regarding missed or late work upon providing proper documentation of a personal or medical affliction.

Participation (10%): This class expects students to have read the material before each class and be prepared to participate in discussions and to demonstrate their engagement with the questions at hand.

Reflective Essay (10%) - October 2 You are expected to write a reflective essay (four pages or approx. 1,000 words) in response to an assigned reading or film viewing. This essay is intended for students to personally and critically engage with the issues and themes covered in class. A detailed rubric outlining the evaluation criteria will be provided. Students with an interest in visual arts, and creative writing can substitute this assignment with an artistic response (i.e. poems, short stories, illustrations, etc.). They are requested to supplement their creative project with a concise summary discussing their own approach (250-300 words). Please note that all creative project proposals will have to be approved by the instructor.

Midterm (25%) - October 23 This test (90 minutes) will examine your knowledge of the material covered up to October 16th. The midterm has a brief answer section as well as multiple-choice questions and also includes a 350-word response.

Presentation (10%) - November 20 This requirement involves a 10-15-minute presentation, depending on the size of the group (minimum of two members, maximum of three). Suggested topics and a grading rubric will be posted on CourseSpaces.

Final Take-home Examination (35%) - December 13thThe final take-home examination is an opportunity for students to synthesize their knowledge of the course material. There will be a strict word limit and a wide choice of topics; a grading rubric will be posted on CourseSpaces.

A Note on Due Dates: All due dates are fixed as they stand. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, late submissions will receive a 10% penalty per day, including weekends.

COURSE POLICIES

University Policy on Human Rights, Equity and Fairness: The University promotes a safe, respectful and supportive learning and working environment for all members of the university community. The University fosters an environment characterized by fairness, openness, equity, and respect for the dignity and diversity of its members. The University strives to be a place that is free of discrimination and harassment, injustice and violence. The strength and vibrancy of the University is found in the diverse life experiences, backgrounds and worldviews of all its members:

https://www.uvic.ca/universitysecretary/assets/docs/policies/GV0200_1105_.pdf.

A Note on Pronouns: The Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies acknowledges and supports each student’s right to and preference for their own personalized pronouns.

Information on Campus Supports for Student Wellbeing:

Counselling Services - Counselling Services can help you make the most of your university experience. They offer free professional, confidential, inclusive support to currently registered UVic students.  https://www.uvic.ca/services/counselling/.

Health Services - University Health Services (UHS) provides a full service primary health clinic for students, and coordinates healthy student and campus initiatives. http://www.uvic.ca/services/health/.

Center for Accessible Learning (CAL) - Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you have a disability/health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to approach me and/or the CAL as soon as possible. CAL staff members are available by appointment to assess specific needs, provide referrals and arrange appropriate accommodations. https://www.uvic.ca/services/cal/. The sooner you let us know your needs the quicker we can assist you in achieving your learning goals in this course. Please note that your instructor cannot provide CAL-type accommodations without CAL documentation.

Add/Drop Deadlines: It is the student’s responsibility to attend to ADD/DROP dates as published in the Calendar and the Undergraduate Registration Guide and Timetable. You will not necessarily be dropped automatically from a class that you do not attend.

Communication: The most efficient way to talk to your instructor is in class or during office hours. If you decide to communicate by email, please be advised that instructors can be expected to check and answer UVic emails from Monday to Friday between 9.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m.

The materials discussed in GMST 453 illustrate the extremes of human behaviour, of hatred and cruelty but also of courage and humanity. Learning about Nazism and the Holocaust through film and literature might evoke powerful emotions and raises important moral, theological and ethical questions. Be mindful that we all might express these emotions in different, and sometimes contradictory ways. GMST 453 is a safe and respectful learning environment that encourages open and constructive dialogue.

Absences and Incomplete Work: Regular attendance, completion of in-class tests and the punctual submission of work are important and mandatory components of completing the course successfully.

Concessions and Documentation: Students may ask for an academic concession, such as the rescheduling of a quiz or test or an extension for an assignment, upon providing proper documentation of a personal or medical affliction or of a time conflict. Proper documentation would include a doctor’s note or a memo from Counseling Services, or a memo from a coach, employer or faculty member. It must be dated before or close to the time of the missed work or classes. The date of the rescheduled quiz or test or the extension on an assignment is final.

Withdrawals and Deferrals: Students who miss more than eight classes for documented medical or personal reasons may still be asked to apply for a backdated withdrawal. Even when the reasons for failing to meet course requirements are valid, it is neither academically sound nor fair to others in the course to allow students missing significant amounts of work to continue in the course and receive credit. Students who miss substantial amounts of class and assignments without documentation will be asked to withdraw, as they will receive an N at the end of the semester. Students are to familiarize themselves with the withdrawal dates in the academic calendar. Students may only apply for a course deferral if a) they have serious and documented medical or personal reasons for not completing some of the end-of-term requirements and b) they have already completed practically all the course requirements at the time of their application. In situations in which a student cannot complete the course requirements and a deferral is not a viable option, he or she must have completed 80% of the course requirements for an AEG (aegrotat) grade to be assigned.

A Note on Academic Integrity and Plagiarism: Actions such as plagiarism, multiple submissions, falsifying materials used in academic evaluations, cheating or aiding others to cheat violate University policies on academic integrity and are considered serious offences. You must inform yourself about the university regulations (see the UVic Policy on Academic Integrity in the University Calendar).

Unauthorized Use of an Editor: An editor is an individual or service, other than the instructor or supervisory committee, who manipulates, revises, corrects or alters a student’s written or non-written work. The use of an editor, whether paid or unpaid, is prohibited unless the instructor grants explicit written authorization.

Classroom Conduct: Since the quality of the learning environment is paramount, every student has the right to learn and your instructor has the duty to perform his or her teaching duties in a cooperative, distraction-free and effective manner. Students using their laptops or smart phones during class are expected to use them solely for accessing and working with course-related materials. The use of earphones is prohibited at all times unless the instructor explicitly states otherwise.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Your instructor may provide you with additional material if necessary. Materials are either posted on the course reserves (for which you would need to log in) or linked through CourseSpaces.

WEEK I (September 4) Introduction to GMST 453 Topic: The Ethics of Representation - National Socialism and Holocaust Memory in Contemporary Culture

‣ Introduction to GMST 453 ‣ Memes, Metaphors & Counterfactual Histories ‣ Ethics of Enquiry and Representation - the Appropriation of Nazi Aesthetics ‣ Selfies from Auschwitz - Holocaust/Shoah Memory and Social Media

Background Reading: Gavriel D. Rosenfeld. How the Nazi Past is Being Normalized in Contemporary Culture (2014)

WEEK II (September 11) Topic: The Holocaust/Shoah on Screen - Representing Crimes Against Humanity

‣ The Holocaust/Shoah on Film - A Historical Overview ‣ An Introduction to Testimony Viewing and First Person Accounts of the Holocaust

Readings: Doris L. Bergen, War and Genocide. A Concise History of the Holocaust (excerpts; 2009); Hannah Arendt, On the Nature of Totalitarianism: An Essay in Understanding (excerpts; 1954)

WEEK III (September 18) Topic: Reserve Police Batallion 101 ‣ Choosing Cruelty: The Psychology of Perpetrators ‣ The Nuremberg Trials ‣ The Einsatzgruppen on Trial

Readings: Christopher Browning, Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland (excerpts; 1992); Stefan Kühl, Ordinary Organizations (excerpts; 2016) James Edward Waller, Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide (2007; excerpts)

In-Class Film Viewing: Shoah. Directed by Claude Lanzmann (1985; excerpts)

In-Class Film Viewing: Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz. Directed by Barry Avrich (2018)

* Please complete the Film Analysis Worksheet at home and submit it at the beginning of the class.

WEEK V (October 2)

REFLECTIVE ESSAY DUE

Topic: The Holocaust on Trial (cont.) ‣ Film Analysis & Discussion: The Eichmann Show (2015) (cont.)

Topic: How Objects Speak - the Oyneg Shabes–Ringelblum Archive  ‣ The Warsaw Ghetto ‣ Emanuel Ringelblum and the Creation of the Oneg Shabbat Archive

Reading: Samuel D. Kassow, Who Will Write Our History? Emanuel Ringelblum, the Warsaw Ghetto, and the Oyneg Shabes Archive (excerpts; 2007)

WEEK VI (October 9)

Topic: How Objects Speak - the Oyneg Shabes–Ringelblum Archive (cont.) ‣ Film Analysis & Discussion: Who Will Write Our History (2018)

Reading: Samuel D. Kassow, Who Will Write Our History? Emanuel Ringelblum, the Warsaw Ghetto, and the Oyneg Shabes Archive (excerpts; 2007)

WEEK IV (September 25) Topic: The Holocaust on Trial ‣ Film Discussion and Analysis: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz

‣ The Trial of Adolf Eichmann ‣ Film Analysis & Discussion: The Eichmann Show (2015)

Readings: David Cesarani, Becoming Eichmann: Rethinking the Life, Crimes and Trials of a Desk Murderer (excerpts: 2006); Bettina Stangneth, Eichmann Before Jerusalem: The Unexamined Life of a Mass Murderer (excerpts; 2011); Amit Pinchevski , Tamar Liebes & Ora Herman, Eichmann on the Air: Radio and the Making of an Historic Trial (2007)

Viewing Assignment (the DVD is available at the library’s Music and Media Desk): The Eichmann Show. Directed by Paul Andrew Williams (2015).*

In-class Film Viewing: Who Will Write Our History (Directed by Roberta Grossman; 2018)

Topic: Hiding in Plain Sight - Surviving in the Capital of Nazi Germany ‣ Film Analysis & Discussion: The Invisibles (Claus Räfle, 2017)

Reading: Richard N. Lutjens Jr. Jews in Hiding in Nazi Berlin, 1941–1945: A Demographic Survey (2017); Marie Jalowicz Simon, Gone to Ground: One woman's extraordinary account of survival in the heart of Nazi Germany (2015; excerpts)

WEEK VII (October 16)

Topic: Holocaust History and Memory in Literature ‣ After-Images of the Holocaust/Shoah in Contemporary Literature

Readings: Cynthia Ozick, Rosa (1983); Bernice Eisenstein, I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors (2007); Nathan Englander, What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank/Camp Sundown (2012); Edgar Keret, Shoes (2015)

WEEK VIII (October 23)

MIDTERM

Topic: Holocaust Memorial Landscapes and Commemorative Practices in Germany ‣ An Introduction to the Aesthetics of Counter-Monuments

WEEK IX (October 30)

Topic: Holocaust Memorial Landscapes and Commemorative Practices in Germany (cont.) ‣ An Introduction to the Aesthetics of Counter-Monuments (cont.)

Reading: James E. Young, The Stages of Memory (2016; excerpts)

WEEK X (November 6)

Topic: Coming to Terms with the Past - The Second and Third Generation ‣ Fractured by the Holocaust - The Impact of Transgenerational Trauma

Viewing Assignment (the DVD is available at the library’s Music and Media Desk): The Invisibles. Directed by Claus Räfle (2017).*

* Please complete the Film Analysis Worksheet at home and submit it at the beginning of the class.

‣ Film Analysis & Discussion: Farewell, Herr Schwarz (2011)

Reading: Liat Steir-Livny, Remaking Holocaust memory: documentary cinema by third-generation survivors in Israel (2019; excerpts)

WEEK XI (November 13)

READING BREAK - NO CLASS

WEEK XII (November 20)

GROUP PRESENTATIONS

WEEK XIII (November 27) ๏ “What is past is not dead; it is not even past. We cut ourselves off from it; we pretend to be strangers.”

Christa Wolf

Topic: The Past is Not the Past - Teaching and Learning About the Holocaust in a Human Rights Framework ‣ The Evian Conference ‣ Canadian and US Responses to the 1930 Refugee Crisis ‣ Attitudes toward Allowing German, Austrian, and Other Political Refugees into the United State

(July 1938) ‣ The ‘Universe of Obligation’ Concept (Helen Fein)

WEEK XIV (December 4)

Topic: The Past is Not the Past - Teaching and Learning About the Holocaust in a Human Rights Framework (cont.)

‣ Film Analysis & Discussion: Transit (2018) ‣ The Holocaust/Shoah, Social Media and Memory Activism

Reading: Lily Rothman, The Story Behind a Viral Message About the Holocaust and Refugees (2017)

FINAL TAKE-HOME EXAMS ARE DUE ON DECEMBER 13.

In-class Film Viewing: Transit. Directed by Christian Petzold (2018)

In-class Film Viewing: Farewell, Herr Schwarz (Directed by Yael Reuveny, 2013)