Courses and Workshops

In this interactive seminar, we'll explore selections from one of the twentieth century's most famous (West) German authors. Heinrich Böll (1917-1985) became well known for his short stories and novels, examples of Trümmerliteratur (rubble literature), after World War II, articulating the trauma experienced during the war. We'll discuss three of Böll's critically acclaimed short stories (1950s), as well as excerpts of his novels The Clown (1963) and The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum (1974). We'll watch the 1975 film adaptation of Böll's latter novel, portraying the destructive power of the tabloid press.

Faculty Bio

Marion Gerlind, PhD, is the founder and executive director of the Gerlind Institute for Cultural Studies, a community-based educational nonprofit in Oakland. With over 25 years of experience teaching German language and literature, Marion brings a wealth of knowledge to her classes. She values everyone's participation in her interactive classrooms.

This is an In-Person Course

• Classes will meet in person at the Golden Bear Center, Suite 365, at 1995 University Ave., Berkeley
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Monday, Sept. 16, and ends on Monday, Oct. 21
• Classes meet for 6 weeks, 2 hours per session (10–noon)
• All course materials will remain available to view and enjoy through Dec. 31

Member Praise for Marion Gerlind

Marion is very talented as a teacher. The readings were excellent, as were the lectures. Her way of leading class discussions was particularly effective.

It was an excellent course all around. The topic, readings, films were all fascinating. Had great discussions with a well informed group of classmates.