Undergraduate Course Descriptions
Spring 2010
POL 323/HIS 331/ENG 281 Dangerous Books: Polish Literature in Translation
Wednesday 1:00 - 3:40, 102 Clemens
Instructor: Marta Cieslak
Click here to see the flyer of Dangerous Books
For a very long time books were in Poland as dangerous as any other political activity that could undermine a dominant political or social system. At different points of Polish history censorship was one of the biggest challenges for writers, poets, and journalists. Paradoxically, under the extremely complex conditions the greatest Polish texts were created by the most uncommon literary minds of the country.
Dangerous Books will look into social, historical, and political circumstances that have shaped different forms of artistic expression in Polish literature. Literary texts written between the period of Polish Romanticism and the present will help us investigate the interdependence between Polish literature and what it means to be a real Pole under different historical circumstances. We will try to answer such questions as: Why is a particular text considered dangerous? Who or/and what may be threatened? Who decides on the perils literature may provoke?
We will read novels, plays, poetry, and essays that have been banned, censored, or considered controversial under different political systems in Poland. We will also explore literary themes that have been of particular interest to Polish authors and compare them with other national literatures of the same periods.
POL 338/HIS 385 Poland in Europe
Thursday 3:00 - 5:40, 88 Alumni
Instructor: Marta Cieslak
Click here to see the flyer of Poland in Europe
Poland in Europe aims to examine the idea of how political and historical processes taking place in Europe has shaped Poland as a nation-state and, conversely, how Poland as a political entity contributed to the formation of Europe. This course will investigate the evolution of the concept of Europe and its relation to such notions as Eastern, Western, or Central Europe. The question of what it really means for a country to be part of Europe and to be defined as European and what factors decide whether a nation-state may be included in the idea of Europe will rest at the center of our investigation. The students will explore how shifting geographical borders as well as changing political and social concepts have influenced the idea of who may belong to the European heritage and who is excluded. They will also attempt to draw the borders of Europe and decide how they are different from the geographical boundaries of the European continent.
The course will focus on the place of Poland in Europe as seen and explored from the internal perspective of Polish authors as well as from the viewpoint of outsiders. The students will look into the question of how the concept of Europe has shaped the historical, social, and national consciousness of Poles and how Poles have contributed to the complex heritage of Europe. They will also investigate how Poland, one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse European countries, which was building its multicultural heritage for centuries, turned into a homogenous nation-state in only a few decades of the twentieth century. The course will also examine the place of today’s Poland in Europe and the European Union. The students will analyze the politics of the European Union and attempt to connect the principles of this politics with the foundations of the idea of Europe.
Fall 2009
POL 210: History of Poland
Dr Artur Grabowski, Jagiellonian University, Krakow
Tuesday/Thursday 5:00-6:20, 250 Park
The history of Poland is full of dramatic changes: splendid victories and tragic defeats. At its height, Poland's empire made it one of the largest and most powerful European states in the 15th and 16th centuries. In the depths of its national catastrophes, it lost its independence in late 18th century, suffered partition lasting for 123 years, and waged relentless, often bloody struggles with oppressors. The aim of the course is to introduce students to the main issues and controversies of Poland's history. We will identify the most important turning points and formative periods, beginning with adoption of Christianity in 966 and the establishment of Polish statehood under the Piast dynasty. The major developments of both the Piast (996-1370) and Jagiellonian (1385-1572) eras will be discussed as well as the characteristic features of the highly original Noble Republic (1569-1795) and the reasons of the loss of independence. We will also look closely at the era of partitions and struggles for independence (1795-1918), the mid-war period of the Second Republic (1918-1939), the main events of WWII affecting Poland (1939-1945), the formation and evolution of the People's Republic (1945-1989), the Solidarity revolution of 1980-1981, the role of Pope John Paul II, the martial law period and the eventual demise of the communist system in l989.
POL 410: Greatest Works of Polish Culture
Dr Artur Grabowski, Jagiellonian University, Krakow
Tuesday/Thursday 12:30-1:50, 213 Norton
A thousand years of Polish history, during which various nations, political interests and religions clashed, have created the unique Polish cultural heritage. That legacy has allowed the Polish people to survive the period of loss of international significance from the end of the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century and two bloody wars in the 20th century. It has also created an important inheritance for Poland in contemporary times. Poland, since its very beginning integrally connected to western European culture, has become a meeting point of West and East. That Polish culture, reflecting important trends as diverse as Italy, France and Byzantium, includes the several-hundred-year-old tradition of democracy, art, literature and science. Its contribution to the world, however, has often been underestimated and marginalized because of Poland’s complex history.
In this course, we become acquainted with the most important achievements of Polish culture throughout the centuries with reference to such domains as lifestyle, outlook and politics as well as various fields of artistic activity such as music, painting, architecture, theater and literature, situated in the broad European context. Students will learn about the most important people, see examples of the most characteristic artifacts, watch fragments of films referring to the most crucial subjects of Polish national symbols, become familiar with places connected to crucial events and read selections of literary woks that have shaped Polish national awareness. Special attention will be paid to the particularly characteristic, significant and renowned phenomena of Polish culture, including the Wawel Castle, the Royal Castle in Warsaw, the sanctuary on Jasna Góra, and the German concentration camp in Oświęcim (Auschwitz). We will also examine illustrations, small exhibits, and recipes.
POL 324: Poland Today
Marta Cieslak
Tuesday/Thursday 11:00-12:20, 126 Baldy
The course discusses the concepts and myths that are crucial to the understanding of Poland today. It aims to break common stereotypes about Poland by presenting the Polish experience through the lives of both important public figures as well as through the testimony of anonymous Poles whose lives were intertwined with crucial events in Polish history. The course covers the history, literature, politics, music and popular culture that provide an interdisciplinary perspective on what Poland is today and how different it is from the popular views present in American society.
The course will focus on twentieth century historical events such as the recreation of independent Poland in 1918, World War II, the communist system with emphasis on its influence on social structures, the Solidarity movement and the period of transformation after 1989. We will discuss the historical events focusing on individual figures whose personal experiences reflect the complex history of Poland. As the course attempts to offer a multidisciplinary perspective, we will read historical and literary texts as well as original records. The texts will be illustrated with works of art, documentaries, movies and popular music. Finally, students will be encouraged to provide their own understanding of the Polish experience by searching for links with their own cultural backgrounds.
