This course introduces students to German literature that 
addresses topics from occult sciences and philosophy, such as 
magic, alchemy and Cabala. In class discussions and in essays 
students will improve their German language skills as they 
learn about the cultural significance of occult philosophies 
and secret societies, such as Freemasonry, from the 18th to 
early 20th centuries and how authors used these themes in their 
creative works. Students will also learn how some of the 
monsters in these works embody the occult philosophies.

Students will read a variety of fictional texts and text 
excerpts, poetry and secondary literature in English 
translation that address topics such as Magic, witchcraft, 
secret societies (e.g., Freemasonry), occult science (e.g., 
alchemy), occult philosophy, Cabala, Tarot, and monsters (e.g., 
the vampire and the golem), including some or all of the 
following works and organized in thematic units:

1. Magic 

• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Faust. Der Tragödie erster Teil 
(excerpts)
• Film: Peter Gorski: "Faust" (1960).

2. Witches, witchcraft, witch hunts

• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Faust. Der Tragödie erster Teil 
(excerpts)
• Heinrich (Institoris) Kramer and Jakob Sprenger: Malleus 
maleficarum (excerpts)
• Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim: De occulta philosophia 
(excerpts)

3. Monsters and sorcery

• Gustav Meyrink: Der Golem (excerpts)
• Paul Wegener: "Der Golem" (1920)
• Ernst Benjamin Salomo Raupach: Lasst die Todten ruh’n! 
• Film: F.W. Murnau: "Nosferatu: eine Symphonie des Grauens" 
(1922)
• Film Werner Herzog: "Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht" (1979)

4. Occult sciences, Alchemy, elemental Magic

• Paracelsus – selected essays on alchemy
• Rudolf Steiner: An Outline of Esoteric Science (excerpts)
• Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué: Undine
• E.T.A. Hoffmann: Der Sandmann; Der goldne Topf

5. Secret societies, Freemasonry

• Friedrich Schiller: Der Geisterseher (excerpts)
• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Der Groß-Cophta
• Film: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's masonic opera "Die 
Zauberflöte"

The university's academic honesty policies will be enforced. 
The UGA Office of the Vice President for Instruction defines 
academic honesty as follows: “Academic honesty means performing 
all academic work without plagiarism, cheating, lying, 
tampering, stealing, receiving unauthorized or illegitimate 
assistance from any other person, or using any source of 
information that is not common knowledge.”  All academic work 
must meet the standards contained in “A Culture of Honesty” 
accessible at 
http://www.uga.edu/honesty/ahpd/culture_honesty.htm