Brief description
A survey of the political, social and cultural developments of modern Germany from World War I to the present day. The module includes a series of lectures and seminars on the German language from a sociolinguistic perspective. The module is divided into three sections, as follows:

1. The principal historical events from 1914 onwards (5 lectures)
2. The characteristics of German politics and society after Unification (5 lectures)
3. Evolution of the German language; the present sociolinguistic situation in Germany (5 lectures)

This module is intended primarily as a background course for students pursuing the ab initio German language course GE10740 at Level 1, whose knowledge of the cultural context of their language study may be minimal. It is, however, also available to post A-level students of German and to other students outside the German Section who possess a minimum qualification of AS-Level in German (or its equivalent). Outcome: the acquisition of context to the language/literature modules studied in parallel as discrete courses of study.

Learning outcomes
By the end of the module students should have acquired the cultural context to complement their study of German language and literature studied in parallel. Those who have taken only this module will have been introduced to some of the most important forces to have shaped modern German society. All should have developed their powers of analysis and expression by writing an essay.