NEW COURSE
GERMAN 167 – Contemporary German-Jewish Art and Literature
Semester: Spring
Offered: 2026
Instructor: Simone Stirner
Meeting Time: M 3:00-5:00pm
This course introduces students to contemporary German-Jewish culture, its specificity and inherent plurality through a range of literature, visual art, film, and non-fiction. How do authors, artists, and filmmakers articulate Jewish self-understanding in contemporary Germany? How do migration (including from Eastern Europe and Israel) and diasporic belonging shape German-Jewish culture? What role does the enduring legacy of National Socialism and the Holocaust play in contemporary German-Jewish art and literature? What intersections exist between German-Jewish experiences and that of other minorities (including queer, Muslim, and migrant discourses)? What are the connections and counterpoints between Jewish culture in Germany and other national contexts? From Yael Bartana’s installation art to Benyamin Reich’s photography, and from Katja Petrowskaja’s autobiographical writing to the poetry of Max Czollek, this course opens a window to the multiplicity of contemporary German-Jewish artistic and literary production in a transnational and historical perspective. Guest speakers include contemporary writers and artists.
For more details please visit the Harvard Course Catalog.