21F.055/CMS.

311
Media in Weimar & Nazi Germany
Professor William Uricchio
uricchio@mit.edu
E15-313 617 452-3182
meetins !" a##ointment
$his course addresses the intersection of t%o constellations& one !roadl" social and the other
!roadl" cultural. 't interroates the relationshi# !et%een #rofound #olitical& economic& and social
transformations and an e(uall" #rofound moment in the emerence of ne% media forms and a
ne% media culture. $his relationshi# is a resonant one& certainl" in our #resent. )ur focus %ill
!e *erman" in the first half of the 2+
th
,entur" -- close enouh that its social concerns and media
technoloies remain familiar& "et distant enouh that %e can !enefit from historical hindsiht.
-rom the ram#ant inflation of the earl" Weimar "ears& to the reorderin of the self and
mo!ili.ation of mass consensus& to the s"stematic atrocities of the /a.i death machine& *erman"
suffered the ra0aes of modernit" to an e1tent un#aralleled in other nations. $he *erman
e1#erience h"#er!oli.ed the contradictions of nationalism and industrialism& the clash !et%een
romanticism and modernism& and the reinin ideoloical #olarities of communism and fascism
more !roadl" dis#ersed throuhout the West. $he e1tremit" of the *erman situation %as a##arent
not onl" in its traumatic social histor"& !ut as %ell in its cultural #roduction and in the nation2s
thin3in a!out culture. 4t"listic trends such as E1#ressionism& neue Sachlichkeit 5ne%
o!6ecti0it"7& and so-called Nazi Sachlichkeit seemed to i0e form to e0er-chanin cultural
an1ieties& ma3in the *erman situation e1em#lar" of the !ase-su#erstructure notion of culture.
$he #eriod2s media& themsel0es in a state of u#hea0al& !oth sha#ed and reflected the #eriod2s
transformations. -ilm had 6ust emered as a true mass medium in *erman"8 am#lification not
onl" re0olutioni.ed film& !ut ena!led the e1tension of the 0oice throuh radio and louds#ea3ers8
tele0ision #romised to e1tend the e1#eriential %orld 5and for inha!itants of 9erlin& actuall" did so
for nine "ears78 illustrated maa.ines and ad0ances in tele#hon" all contri!uted to the formation a
radical ne% mediasca#e and communication infrastructure. Perha#s most stri3in a!out these
:media in transition; %as their fre(uent de#arture from our #resent da" assum#tions a!out media
identit" and modes of de#lo"ment. $hese earl" e1#lorations of ne% media s"stems often %or3ed
in tandem %ith the construction of ne% social loics and distri!utions of #o%er 5%hether in the
construction of the 0ie%in su!6ect or !od" #olitic7& ma3in them of #articular rele0ance to our
situation toda".
$his course %ill<
sur0e" the interaction of *erman media& culture and societ" durin the Weimar =e#u!lic
and the /ational 4ocialist 5/47 #eriod8
e1#lore the #eriod2s 0arious enaements %ith the :modern; in %ide ranin terms >
from the mass media& to the !od"& to the nation& to the recurrent narrati0e elements
e0ident in the arts and in state #olic"8
consider the roles #la"ed !" media as texts& as systems& and as elements in intertextual
and intermedial constellations8
and reflect u#on the #ractice of ?doin2 cultural 5and media7 histor"& as much !"
understandin the assum#tions of earlier enerations of scholarshi# as !" thin3in
criticall" a!out our o%n #ractice.
We %ill tr" to achie0e these oals !"<
e1aminin #rimar" #eriod te1ts 5readins& films& #hotora#hs& sound recordins& etc.78
criticall" assessin secondar" te1ts reardin the #eriod2s media& culture and societ"8
tracin a series of !roadl" social fiures and themes across Weimar and the /4 #eriod&
ma##in #atterns of re#resentation& tension and chane8
focusin on #atterns of media de#lo"ment& see3in a sense !oth of cultural s#ecificit"
and social im#lication in trans-media desin and use8
and !rinin into the o#en our assum#tions in %or3in %ith notions of media and histor"
that are encrusted %ith meanin< to %hat e1tent can %e enerate ne% entr" #oints and
ne% a0enues of understandin the interrelationshi# of culture and societ"@
A common !od" of readin& screenin& and discussion %ill form the core of the course& offerin a
!road chronoloical sur0e" of de0elo#ments in *erman media& culture and societ" 5!uilt around
#rimar" te1ts78 and a sur0e" of su!se(uent %a"s of understandin these de0elo#ments 5!uilt
around secondar" te1ts7. $his core& moreo0er& %ill suest different %a"s of a##roachin te1ts
and media s"stems 5inter#reti0e schemes includin close anal"sis& discourse anal"sis& interte1tual
#ositionin& rece#tion& etc.7. 'n addition to this relati0el" straihtfor%ard a##roach& %e %ill
e1#lore such themes as the body 5includin the face& se1ualit"& #erformance78 the mass 5the
#u!lic& mo!& audience78 nature, science and technology 5includin uto#ian and d"sto#ian senses78
society 5and its administrati0e s"stems78 and the modern 5in !oth #roressi0e and reactionar"
modes7. $his ?case stud"2 material %ill !oth dee#en and i0e s#ecificit" and di0ersit" to our
discussions.
$his is a ,'-B su!6ect& and thus must adhere to certain rules< :All ,'-B su!6ects must include< at least 5&+++
%ords of %ritin 5%here one #ae of 12 #oint $imes /e% =oman te1t that is dou!le s#aced and has one
inch marins e(uals 25+ %ords7 t"#icall" di0ided amon three to fi0e assinments& distri!uted reasona!l"
across the semester8 at least one assinment that is re0ised and resu!mitted8 and& an assessed oral
com#onent 5e.. #resentations& student led discussion& class #artici#ation& or a com!ination thereof7.
*radin %ill !e !ased on<
attendance, reading, and participation in discussions8 the course %ill succeed onl" to the
e1tent that each student contri!utes ener" and insihts into our collecti0e in0estiation8
each student %ill !e as3ed to lead one class discussion& in close consultation %ith the
instructor. 53+C7
preliminary writing assignments& one of %hich 51+++ %ords7 %ill reflect on the mid-
decade socio-cultural chane from E1#ressionism to /e% )!6ecti0it"8 and one of %hich
51+++ %ords7 %ill ser0e as a #reliminar" fora" into the to#ic of "our final #a#er or
#ro6ect. 53+C7
the final paper or project 53+++ %ords7 should include a re0ised 0ersion of the second
assinment in accordance %ith the uidelines that %ill !e circulated in class. Dou should
#lan to meet %ith the instructor to re0ie% "our #roress and discuss research strateies
and additional resources. 54+C7 Plaiarism %ill not !e tolerated and is su!6ect to E'$
sanctions.
=eadin< A. Faes& E. Ga"& E. Himend!er& eds.& The Weimar Republic Sourcebook 59er3ele"<
$he Uni0ersit" of ,alifornia Press& 1II478 unless other%ise noted& readins are from this
collection. 'f "ou are interested in findin additional literature on an" #articular issues& #lease
as3J $here are man" really useful studies on the de0elo#ments that %e %ill !e co0erin.
4creenins< Hue to time constraints& cli#s and occasionall" %hole films %ill !e screened in class
5toether %ith other 0isual material7. -ilms are as 0ital a com#onent of the course as readins&
and students are e1#ected to ma3e use of E'$2s collection to dee#en their e1#osure to the
#eriod2s #roduction. $his is a rich #eriod& and there is a lot to see > 6ust as3J A collection of
rele0ant films is a0aila!le in HKH and 0ideo format in the Bumanities -ilm 4tud" ,enter 514/-
4287.
schedule o !o"ics/readin#s/screenin#s Lsu!6ect to chaneM
Fe$ % in!roduc!ion& !he $i# 'ues!ions re#ardin# media( cul!ure and socie!y
Assessment of !ac3round 3no%lede and assum#tions
'ntroduction to the %or3 of the course
screenin< Lcli#M rankenstein 5Whale& 1I317
Fe$ ) *ays o seein#
screenin! "as #abinett des "r $aligari 5Wiene& 1I1I7 #lease ta3e a loo3 at some of the
latest restoration %or3 on this film& a0aila!le at htt#<NNdiastor.chN2+14N+1N27Nsi1-0ideos-
of-ne%-caliari-restoration-no%-onlineN %ichtspiel &pus series 5Walther =uttmann&
1I21-247 Nosferatu 5Eurnau& 1I227

Fe$ 11 roman!icism( *ar !rauma and re"resen!a!ion
Ernst 4immel& War /euroses and ?Ps"chic $rauma2; 51I187
Ernst $roeltsch& :$he Homa of *uilt&; 51I1I7
Ernst Guener& :-ire&; 51I227
Ber!ert 'herin& :An E1#ressionist -ilm&; 51I2+7
)s%ald 4#enler& :$he Hecline of the West;51I187
Oeo#old Gessner& :$o the Hirectors of the *erman $heater;51I187
4iefried Gaco!sohn& :$heater > and =e0olution@;51I1I7
$homas Wehrlin& :9erlin is 9ecomin a Whore;51I2+7
,arl Oud%i 4chleich& :,ocaineism; 51I217
-riedrich Eeinec3e& :$he )ld and the /e% *erman"; 51I187
Furt $uchols3"& :We :/a"-4a"ers; 51I1I7
Emil Gulius *um!el& :-our Dears of Political Eurder; 51I227
Fe$ 13 a!e
screenin< "er mude Tod 5Oan& 1I217 P cli#s from -ilm /oir e1am#les such as "etour
5Ulmer& 1I457
Fe$ 1+ no class > E'$ on Eonda" schedule
Fe$ 20 inla!ion( circula!ion( and cons"iracy
$om *unnin& :Ea!use& *rand Enunciator< ,ontrol and ,o-ordination&; in his The
ilms of ritz %ang! 'llegories of (ision and )odernity 5Oondon 2+++7< 87-116
Has $ae!uch& :Editorial on the )ccu#ation of the =uhr&; 51I237
-riedrich Froner& :)0er%rouht /er0es&; 51I237
Bans )st%ald& :A Eoral Bistor" of the 'nflation&; 51I317
Bans *eor& :)ur 4tand at the A!"ss; 51I217
Earot 4tar3e& :$he 9an3 ,ler3; 51I237
recommended< 9ernd Widdi& $ulture and *nflation in Weimar +ermany 59er3ele"&
2++17
Q screenin< Lcli#sM "r )abuse, der Spieler 5Oan& 1I2278 "er letzte )ann 5Eurnau& 1I257
Fe$ 25 ne* o$,ec!i-i!y and iconic s!a!us o .erlin
$he Ha%es ,ommittee =e#ort 51I247 Le1cer#tM
*usta0 Bartlau!& :'ntroduction to ?/e% )!6ecti0it"2< *erman Paintin 4ince
E1#ressionism&; 51I257
-ran. =oh& :Post-E1#ressionist 4chema; 51I257
4iefried Fracauer& :$he /e% =ealism&; in his rom $aligari to ,itler! ' -sychological
,istory of the +erman ilm 5Princeton& 1I477
Alfred Femen"i& :Photomontae as a Wea#on in ,lass 4trule&; 51I327
Al!ert =ener-Pat.sch& :Go" 9efore the )!6ect&; 51I287
,urt Eorec3& :We Will 4ho% Dou 9erlin&; 51I3+7
Gose#h *oe!!els& :Around the *edRchtnis3irche&; 51I287
Mar % screenin< .erlin, Sinfonie einer +rossstadt 5=uttmann& 1I277
Mar ) audio -isual cul!ure in Weimar
audio< Weekend 5=uttmann& 1I287
9. 9recht& :=adio as an A##aratus of ,ommunication&; 51I327
B.B.4tuc3enschmidt& :Eechanical Eusic&; 51I267
E.E. *ehr3e P =udolf Arnheim& :$he End of the Pu!lic 4#here&; 51I3+7
Arno 4chiro3auer& :Art and Politics in =adio&; 51I2I7
'0an *oll& :$he /eroes are ,on(uerin Euro#e&; 51I267
4. Fracauer& :Photora#h"&; The )ass &rnament! Weimar /ssays 5,am!ride& 1II57
Edlef Foe##en& :$he Eaa.ine as a 4in of the $imes.; 51I257
Furt Forff& :$he 'llustrated Eaa.ine&; 51I277
Gohannes Eol.ahn& :4to# readinJ Ooo3J; 51I287
Willi Warstat& :Photora#h" in Ad0ertisin&; 51I3+7
Mar 11 Weimar ilm cul!ure and social #eo#ra"hies
$. 4aunders& :Bistor" in the Ea3in< Weimar ,inema and /ational 'dentit"&; in Eurra"&
9. P ,. Wic3ham& raming the -ast! The ,istoriography of +erman $inema and
Tele0ision 5,ar!ondale& 1II27
4. Fracauer& :-ilm 1I28&; The )ass &rnament! Weimar /ssays 5,am!ride& 1II57
4. Fracauer& :$he $as3 of the -ilm ,ritic&; 51I327
E. Pommer& :Writers and the 4ound -ilm&; 51I317
-rit. Oan& :$he -uture -eature -ilm in *erman"&; 51I267
recommended< Oaurie Perr"& :A 4ur0e" of Oeftist -ilm Acti0it" in the Weimar
=e#u!lic&; in $. Plummer& et al.& ilm and -olitics in the Weimar Republic 5Einnea#olis&
1I827
Mar 13 !he dar/ side o !he ci!y
4creenin< Lcli#M The 1oyless Street 5Pa!st& 1I257
*a!riele $aerit& :-rit. Oan2s E< -ilmed 4adism&; 51I317
E. Enel!recht P Oeo Beller& :/iht -iures of the ,it"&; 51I267
E. E. Eunenast& :$he Eurderer and the 4tate&; 51I287
Artur Oands!erer& :$he 9erlin Under%orld&; 51I2I7
-ran. Ale1ander P Buo 4tau!& :$he ,riminal and Bis Gudes&; 51I2I7
4. Fracauer& :Eurders& $rials and 4ociet"&; 51I317
recommended< $om *unnin& :E< $he ,it" Baunted !" Hemonic Hesire&; in his The
ilms of ritz %ang! 'llegories of (ision and )odernity 5Oondon 2+++7< 163-1II
Mar 10
screenin< )etropolis 5Oan& 1I277
Mar 20
screenin< ) 5Oan& 1I317
Mar 25( 2+ s"rin# $rea/
1"r 1 Weimar2s cul!ural de$a!es
,li#s< The .lue %ight 5=iefenstahl& 1I327& #uhle Wampe! To Whom .elongs the World2
5Hudo%& 1I327
=udolf Faiser& :Americanism; 51I257
4te#han S%ei& :$he Eonotoni.ation of the Worlds; 51I257
Adolf Balfeld& :America and the /e% )!6ecti0it"; 51I287
Belene 4tTc3er& :Earriae as a Ps"choloical Pro!lem; 51I2I7
Alfred HT!lin& :4e1ualit" as 4#ort; 51I317
Elsa Berrmann& :$his is the /e% Woman; 51I2I7
1"r 3 mass cul!ure and dis!rac!ion
Walter 9en6amin& :$he Wor3 of Art in the Ae of Eechanical =e#roduction&; 51I367 in
Bannah Arendt& ed.& *lluminations 5/e% Dor3& 1I6I7
4. Fracauer& :$he Eass )rnament&; The )ass &rnament! Weimar /ssays 5,am!ride&
1II57
Bans 4iemsen& :$he Oiterature of /on-=eaders&; 51I267
4. Fracauer& :)n 9estsellers and $heir Audience&; The )ass &rnament
4. Fracauer& :$he Oittle 4ho#irls *o to the Eo0ies&; The )ass &rnament
4. Fracauer& ;,ult of Histraction&; The )ass &rnament
1"r 0 !hin/in# a$ou! !he 3
rd
3eich& his!orio#ra"hic "ers"ec!i-es
'an Fersha%& :Bistorians and the Pro!lem of E1#lainin /a.ism&; The Nazi
"ictatorship! -roblems and -erspecti0es of *nterpretation 5/e% Dor3& 1II37
1"r 10 Na!ional Socialism and cul!ural coordina!ion
Gose#h *oe!!els& :-ihtin Oeaue for *erman ,ulture&; 51I327
=o!ert Ber.stein& :;Wartime Pro#aanda and the Eass Eedia< $echni(ues of ,ontrol
and Hissemination&; The War That ,itler Won! +oebbels and the Nazi )edia $ampaign
5/e% Dor3& 1I877
Ha0id Welch& :$he Bistor" and )rani.ation of the /a.i ,inema&; -ropaganda and the
+erman $inema, 345673486 5)1ford 1I837
1"r 15 NS ilm cul!ure
Oinda 4chulte-4asse& :Oeni =iefenstahl2s -eature -ilms and the Uuestion of a -ascist
Aesthetic&; Eurra"& 9. P ,. Wic3ham& raming the -ast! The ,istoriography of
+erman $inema and Tele0ision 5,ar!ondale& 1II27
Ha0id Welch& :Educational -ilm Pro#aanda and the /a.i Douth&; in Ha0id Welch& Nazi
-ropaganda 59ec3enham& 1I837
1"r 1+ 45asso-er and Good Friday6
screenin< Triumpf des Willens 5=iefenstahl& 1I347
1"r 22 M78 holiday
1"r 2% NS 3adio& !he ne* 9ol/s/or"er and i!s "ro$lems
Hetle0 Peu3ert& :Doun Peo#le< mo!ili.ation and refusal&; *nside Nazi +ermany!
$onformity, &pposition and Racism in /0eryday %ife 5/e% Ba0en& 1I877
Borst 9ermeier P =ainer Oot.& :$he Ea3in of the *erman Einistr" of Pro#aanda;
and :Pro#aanda 4%in&; ,itler9s 'irwa0es! The *nside Story of Nazi Radio
.roadcasting and -ropaganda Swing 5/e% Ba0en& 1II77
Fate Oace"& :$he Eouth#iece of Eodernit"; and :All-,onsumin Pro#aanda; in
eminine re:uencies! +ender, +erman Radio, and the -ublic Sphere, 34;573486 5Ann
Ar!or< Uni0ersit" of Eichian Press& 1II67
1"r 2:
screenin< 1ud Suss 5Barlan& 1I4+7
May 1 com"e!in# -isions o !ele-ision
W. Uricchio& $ele0ision as Bistor"< =e#resentations of *erman $ele0ision 9roadcastin&
1I35-1I44&; Eurra"& 9. P ,. Wic3ham& raming the -ast! The ,istoriography of
+erman $inema and Tele0ision 5,ar!ondale& 1II27
=udolf Arnheim& :A -orecast of $ele0ision&; *ntercine 5-e!ruar" 1I357
E. Elsner& $. Eueller& P. 4#anen!er& :$he Earl" Bistor" of *erman $ele0ision< the
slo% de0elo#ment of a fast medium&; The ,istorical 1ournal of ilm, Radio and
Tele0ision 51II+7
May ) Nazi aes!he!ics and -isual cul!ure/ Nazi Sachlich/ei! and reac!ionary
modernism
screenin< Lcli#M .aron )unchhausen 51I437& Lcli#M The <hrer +i0es the 1ews a $ity
51I447
Gohn Bes3ett& :Eodernism and Archaism in Hesin in the $hird =eich&; in 9. $a"lor and
W. 0an der Will& The Nazification of 'rt! 'rt, "esign, )usic, 'rchitecture = ilm in the
Third Reich 5Bam#shire& 1II+7
9randon $a"lor& :Post-Eodernism in the $hird =eich&; in 9. $a"lor and W. 0an der Will&
The Nazification of 'rt! 'rt, "esign, )usic, 'rchitecture = ilm in the Third Reich
5Bam#shire& 1II+7
A. -leischer P -. FRm#fer& :$he Political Poster in the $hird =eich&; in 9. $a"lor and
W. 0an der Will& The Nazification of 'rt! 'rt, "esign, )usic, 'rchitecture = ilm in the
Third Reich 5Bam#shire& 1II+7
May 0 *ra" u" & course assessmen!
Final "a"ers are due no la!er !han May 20. 8hey should $e sen! !o
uricchio;mi!.edu< you *ill recei-e and ac/no*led#emen! *hen your "a"er is
recei-ed.