Germanic Languages

Anyone who thinks he may want to concentrate in Germanic Languages and Literature should acquaint himself with some German literature before he makes the plunge. Much of it is better studied than genuinely enjoyed by modern readers.

For those who do like it, the Department of Germanic Languages and Literature offers an attractive opportunity. The Department has a faculty staff of over twenty to accommodate less than two dozen concentrators. This mean each undergraduate can get all the tutorial or other personal attention he desires.

Honors candidates in the field must take eight courses within their concentration but four may be in related subjects--and the range is a broad one. If a candidate for a degree waives honors, he need grapple with but six courses in the department, two of them in related subjects.

Prospective concentrators in the field, which includes Scandinavian languages and literature, should not enter it with the object of gaining training in linguistics. Comparative Philology is the field for that. German concentrators, after several preliminary language courses such as German A, German C, or German H, will spend most of their time with literature. German 50 is the best introductory literature course for those unsure of their German. Students with confidence in their reading ability can go into German 75. The last course is less interesting than the first because of the material it covers, but it provides an excellent background in German Literature.

Professor Karl Victor's courses, German 120, 130, 135, and 150 on Goethe and various aspects of 19th century literature are the most popular in the department. The other five permanent appointees in the department also have won the respect of their students.

In any event, the German concentrator at Harvard can content himself with the knowledge that he is studying in one of the best developed university departments of the sort in the country.