Literature and Aesthetics at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

<p>The course gives an insight into the period around the year 1900 with regard to literary and other aesthetic manifestations that characterize this turn of the century (fin de siècle) with a focus on geographic and linguistic variation. The course discusses the central debates and issues of the period (for example the advance of modernity, the role of science in society, women's liberation) and how these are expressed mainly in fiction but also in other cultural manifestations. Through its transnational and transcultural perspective, the course offers possibilities to reflect on how aesthetic ideas travel as well as how they are expressed through literary or artistic form. Another aspect that is examined is the role that the city and nature play in the aesthetic processes.</p>