Dr. Angelica Browne's German 233 Student Projects
Fall 2019
Kollagen der Vergangenheit
“You win! Now what? A central coast California tribute to the fairytale “Hans im Glück” brings back the true meaning of life.”
Kollagen der Vergangenheit [Collages of the Past]: Inspired by the art techniques of Dadaist artists, Karlee Gailey and Levi Schmitt created collages of four German literary periods: Hochmittelalter, Barock, Aufklärung and Klassik [High Middle Ages, Baroque, Enlightenment and Classicism]. “If you can’t understand the past, you can’t create the future. This project explores past events through a modern interpretation.”
--- by Karlee and Levi
Das sonderliche Bilderbuch sonderlicher Wörter [The Odd Picturebook of Odd Words]
“What do ‘your inner pig-dog’ and surrealism have in common? Read our comic collection to find out! Our project is meant to combine multiple different aspects of art in the form of 9, 4-panel comics. Our original goal was to contextually teach readers of the comics new German words they might never have heard before; specifically, German words which are difficult to translate or lose some meaning through translation. In order to tie this in with German 233, we decided to illustrate each comic in a different style based on the art styles of the different literary periods we studied in the course. Each word was tied to the most relevant literary/artistic period, e.g. Weltschmerz -> die Romantik. This makes the comic-reading experience both a good way to learn new vocabulary and practice your knowledge of the characteristics of period art. We wish to impact our audience by doing just what we intended; to help them learn new and exciting vocabulary, illustrate the differences between different literary periods, connect humor, art, and wordplay together, and create an overall pleasant reading experience. Learning should be fun and visually appealing so that a wide audience has its attention captured and is intrigued.”
--- created and drawn by Carlin Liang, Rita Yu and Ben Trust
Die Acht Epochen in Bildern [The Eight Eras in Pictures]
“Eight eras. Eight pictures. Infinite possibilities. For this project, I have painted one picture for each literary era, attempting to reflect the themes and literature of the era in each painting. I am communicating that art is 4 universal and the themes we have learned about transcend their timeframes and can be communicated in different mediums.”
--- by Sarah Stütz
Ein informatives Zeitreise-Abenteuer
Ein informatives Zeitreise-Abenteuer [An informative time travel adventure], a short absurdist film created by Sarah Samora, Sarah Lamp and Hannah McDonnell. “We want communicate that German literature is fun and exciting. In our film, Goethe makes a time machine. He goes on an accidental journey through time and meets famous authors from many eras. He asks them about their works and what motivates them.”
--- by Sarah Samora, Sarah Lamp and Hannah McDonnell
Die Kleine Fabel
Die Kleine Fabel [The Little Fable], a short film inspired by our class discussion of Kafka’s short story, The Little Fable, created, narrated and performed by Anika Chambers, Anneke Talke and Louis Tran.
--- by Anika Chambers, Anneke Talke and Louis Tran
Fall 2018
Stummfilm “Die Brücke der Browne:” [Silent Film: "The Browne Bridge"] .
“Adventure and bridge trolls, deception and trickery: will the true answers ever be revealed? Our project is a German silent film variant of the bridge scene in Monty Python and the Hole Grail. There is no single answer to most questions. In the case of the last question, the answer was too subjective and the bridge guardian paid dearly for it. We mostly hope to entertain the audience. We also hoped to spread the word of how funny and creative Monty Python skits are.” --- by Tatjana Ellis, Tom Schalow and Hunter Ethington
Please watch it on Youtube
Musical Interpretations of Poetry: students wrote and performed music inspired by Goethe’s poem, Das Veilchen [“The Violet”].
“We are hoping to create music that reflects the pain and joy of unrequited love.” --- by Samuel James und Tyler Hentges
"Das Veilchen,“ by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Ein Veilchen auf der Wiese stand,
Gebückt in sich und unbekannt;
Es war ein herzigs Veilchen.
Da kam ein’ junge Schäferin
Mit leichtem Schritt und muntrem Sinn
Daher, daher,
Die Wiese her, und sang.
Ach! denkt das Veilchen, wär ich nur
Die schönste Blume der Natur,
Ach, nur ein kleines Weilchen,
Bis mich das Liebchen abgepflückt
Und an dem Busen matt gedrückt!
Ach nur, ach nur Ein Viertelstündchen lang!
Ach! aber ach! das Mädchen kam
Und nicht in Acht das Veilchen nahm,
Ertrat das arme Veilchen.
Es sank und starb und freut’ sich noch:
Und sterb’ ich denn, so sterb’ ich doch
Durch sie, durch sie,
Zu ihren Füßen doch.
Das arme Veilchen
Es war ein herzigs Veilchen!
“The Violet,” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
A violet was growing in the meadow,
Unnoticed and with bowed head;
It was a dear sweet violet.
Along came a young shepherdess,
Light of step and happy of heart,
Along, along
Through the meadow, and sang.
Ah! thinks the violet,
if I were only The loveliest flower in all Nature,
Ah! for only a little while,
Till my darling had picked me
And crushed me against her bosom!
Ah only, ah only
For a single quarter hour!
But alas, alas, the girl drew near
And took no heed of the violet,
Trampled the poor violet.
It sank and died, yet still rejoiced:
And if I die, at least I die
Through her, through her
And at her feet.
The poor violet!
It was a dear sweet violet!
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005) English Translation © Richard Stokes
“Acceptance. Unity. Friendship. Two boys cross the boundaries of politics, family ties, and comfort to realize they aren’t as different as they seem.”
Die 3. Roten Handschuhe [The red mittens] is written, drawn and designed by Dina Alarian (EE), Kathleen Kalejian (BUS), Valerie Rose (BUS), and Evelyn Vasarhelyi (BUS). This is a story “of two boys growing up as friends in Germany. Their experiences are extremely different as one boy is a native German and the other is a Syrian refugee. The story represents unity across cultures.” The students were inspired by the ethics and philosophical ideas behind the Humanist movement and wanted their project to be based on “the benevolent ideas towards one’s own fellow humans.”
Fall 2017
“Ein moderner Hans im Glück,” [a modern-day fairytale, ‘Hans in Luck’].
“You win! Now what? A central coast California tribute to the fairytale “Hans im Glück” brings back the true meaning of life.”
“Our project is a modern take on the fairytale “Hans Im Glück” of the Brothers Grimm. The goal of our project is to create a funny modern version of the original story from 1812 yet still have a moral to the story that surprises the reader at the very end. The film might just seem fun and silly at the start but it also has a more important moral message it wants to deliver. The moral of the story is that material things, such as the money Hans wins or the car he buys for it, do not matter as much as spending time with your loved ones and that solely focusing your life on one thing, such as a triathlon in our modern interpretation, also does not guarantee happiness even if it leads to success.” --- by Mark Schefter, Scott Sibley, Patrick McCabe, Alex Saalberg, and Sherry Saroufeem
Please watch it on Youtube
For the Love of Color, a short film
“Our project illustrates the significance of language as a catalyst for passion and inspiration. Johann, having suddenly lost his father, loses his ability to see the world in color, leaving him void of inspiration for his paintings. He meets a young writer who, despite her quirky and initially off putting personality, helps him regain his sight through her work. Lotte’s poem that she writes for Johann embodies his individual passion, allowing Johann to not only revive his ambition, but also to see his world in color once again. Through Johann and Lotte’s love, we learn how crucial it is to remain aware of one’s inner passions and one’s identity, simultaneously recognizing that the power of love is necessary to do so.”
“Keep an open mind; you never know where a path will lead until you have walked it.” --- by Anna Reck, Lisa Bertholdt, Nicole Neumayr, Marc Hermann, Bryce Fauble
Please watch it on Youtube
Fall 2016
The final project for German 233 literature course in the Fall 2016 required students to use the knowledge they have gained in the course and their own lived experience to produce an original, creative work, their very own Wortkunstwerk auf Deutsch (word-works of Art à la German) while working in a team. Below are some delightful examples.
Inspired by German myths and fairy tales, Sebastian Seibert von Fock (CSC) and Tobias Ziegler (PSY) created two wonderful animated features for Dr. Angelica Browne’s German Literature and Culture Class.
“Can one be such a good thief that even the authorities are too impressed to be angry with you? This is the remarkable tale of der Meisterdieb (The Master Thief).”
Please watch it on Youtube
König Lauren
König Lauren (King Laurin), a mediaeval story about King Laurin, the ruler of a thriving race of dwarves and his secret rose garden.
Please watch it on Youtube
“Schläfst du? Bist du dir sicher? Bei uns wachst du auf!” [Are you asleep? Are you sure? You’ll wake up!]
Was ist Dada? (What is Dada?) is a thought-provoking artistic magazine designed, drawn and created by Kristen Whalen (ANG), Jessie Fauria (GRC), Jose Quintero (ECON), Julian Trevizo (HIST) and Will Peischel (JOUR). The students wished “to encourage people to put in the extra effort to think critically about the world around them, to open their eyes, regardless of how daunting it may seem.”
“Acceptance. Unity. Friendship. Two boys cross the boundaries of politics, family ties, and comfort to realize they aren’t as different as they seem.”
Die 3. Roten Handschuhe [The red mittens] is written, drawn and designed by Dina Alarian (EE), Kathleen Kalejian (BUS), Valerie Rose (BUS), and Evelyn Vasarhelyi (BUS). This is a story “of two boys growing up as friends in Germany. Their experiences are extremely different as one boy is a native German and the other is a Syrian refugee. The story represents unity across cultures.” The students were inspired by the ethics and philosophical ideas behind the Humanist movement and wanted their project to be based on “the benevolent ideas towards one’s own fellow humans.”
“Eine Ukulele. Eine Stimme. Zwei Mittelmäßige Musiker machen ein Lied nach Stunden der Umarbeitung. [One ukulele. One voice. Two mediocre musicians make a song after hours of reworking it.]
Verflochtene Hände – Mittelmäßige Musiker [Interwined Hands – Mediocre Musicians] by Birch Gwynn (WLC) and Sarah Vandevert (CE). Fascinated by German love songs through the ages, such as Minneslieder and Balladen from the Romantic times, Gwynn and Sarah took an old idea the love song -- and made it modern. Moreover, they wanted to “inspire people to create art if they enjoy it, even if they don’t feel particularly artistically oriented."
“Lawsuits, lasers, and the quest to counterfeit a master.”
Einen Meister zu imitieren: Imaginieren den Holzschnitt Druckprozess mit modernen Technologien [Imitating a Master: Imagining the Woodcut Printmaking Process with Modern Technologies] is an innovative and original project by Eric Dreischerf (ME) who explored the use of modern technology to reconnect with the old methods of creating Art via woodcut prints. Eric’s “inspiration comes from interest in the artwork of Albrecht Dürer and the complexity of the woodcutting process.” He hoped to share an appreciation and respect for the skill of the artists and craftsmen that used this medium to create their impressive and remarkable works.
Fall 2015
Das Bärenritterlied (The Song of the Bear Knight)
An early medieval epic poem by Laura Borovilos that was inspired by Das Niebelungenlied (Brunhilde) and pagan beliefs, this epic poem tells a story of a female bear knight. It is a feministic twist on themes from pre-Christian Germany. The poem communicates: independence can be lonely, but love can be worse.
Die Geschichte von der Prinzessin und dem Drachen (The Story of the Princess and the Dragon)
A creative children's story of love and adventure with an unusual ending meant to inspire us all, by Lindsay Otto, Laura Tomlinson and Daniel Henry
Die Weite Reise von Assel und Elyas [The Journey of Elyas and Assel]
by Victoria Scherpel, Alina Schwenk-Mueller, Elina King and Tobias Bleisch
“Hexen, Magie, U-Boot Reise, tausende Kilometer und eine einzige Kette, das ist die Reise von Elyas und Assel“ [Witches, magic, traveling by boat for thousands of kilometers and a single chain – this is the journey of Elyas and Assel]
The poem tells a story of two Syrian children who lose their family and set out on their journey to Germany. The inspiration came from the first-hand accounts of Victoria’s father who has been working with Syrian refugees in Germany. We wanted our readers to think about the current situation in Europe and the hardships that refugees are going through. In addition, we wanted to communicate that the children’s perspective of the world is quite different from the adults’ perspective.
Der Nachtfalter [The Peppered Moth]
A poem and a sculpture by Taylor Best, Alexander Esser and Colin Smith. A single case study that summarizes humanity’s interaction with the natural world over the past two hundred years.
The project is about the visible impact of humanity on nature.
It uses the case study of the peppered moth in Great Britain during the industrial revolution. It shows how the industrial revolution scale pollution affected the habitat and eventually the appearance of the peppered moth.
Winter 2014
Enjoy these five delightful short films written, filmed and acted by the students of German 233 Introduction to Literature Class, Winter 2014. Explore genres ranging from fairy tales, to drama and comedy.
Heinrich, der Einsame Soldat [Heinrich the Lonely Soldier]
A powerful expressionist film, dramatically acted.
Unerwartete Freundschaften [Unexpected Friendships]
A charming fairytale with an unexpected ending.
Fahrgemeinschaft [Ride-sharing]
Wonderfully acted and professionally filmed commentary on our modern lifestyle.
Poseidon [adapted from Kafka's short story]
Witty and original adaptation of Kafka’s brilliant piece of prose about the sea god Poseidon presented as a disgruntled manager and bureaucrat of the waters.
Geistes und Seeles Suche nach der Erkenntnis [Spirit and Soul: The Search for Knowledge]
Funny and original allegory about twins’ search for truth.