Unit 1 focuses on the story of Hilde and Roland in the Spring of 1938. Officially, Germany is still at peace. Sometime in April 1938, Roland was reassigned to teach in a village school on the other side of Saxony. After hearing of his departure during choir practice at church, Hilde resolved to write him in person to confess her love and initiate a correspondence in the hope of arranging a private meeting. Over the course of the Spring, they begin a courtship, get to know one another, their hopes and dreams, and their attitudes about love and family. In this unit, students will explore the identities of protagonists, their social context, the setting of the play, and the letters as sources for history and as a trope in the play.
Written by Drew Bergerson and Deborah Parker, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 ©2019.
General/English
I. Unit Resources
- The Introduction to Act 1 and Act 1, Scene 1 from historical drama, Love in the Time of Hitler: a Courtship in Letters, 1938–40, available:
- in pdf format in English and in German
- as a digital recording of the premier performance from 20 May 2017 in English
- as a digital recording of the second performance from 04. June 2017 in English
- Selected images projected on the screen on the set for this scene:
- The T&S website, including complete descriptions of the project and the protagonists (toggle language for English) including family photographs and a map of Germany and Saxony
- The T&S Blog, including transcriptions of all of the letters that appear in this scene of the play (toggle language for English) and associated historical images:
- T&S Horbüch 1.05 (05.1938), including German audio recordings of all of the individual letters (here with English instructions)
- T&S Horbüch 1.13 (1938), including the German radio program for the month of 05.1938 (here with English instructions)
- The introductory lecture by Dr. Andrew Stuart Bergerson, “About this Project.”
- A glossary of German vocabulary for this unit.
- Secondary literature in German and English including both general reading and scholarly publications on T&S specifically.
II. Unit ActivitiesGeneral
Background for Unit 1
Teachers should read the website project descriptions and watch the introductory video by Dr. Andrew Stuart Bergerson, “About this Project.” These may also be assigned to students or teacher may provide this information themselves.
Activity Nr. 1: Identify the Protagonists (45 Minutes)
Read and watch the first scene of the play, links to which can also be found on the Resources Page:
- Read the description of the stage setting for Act 1 as well as Scene 1.
- Watch the premier performance of the Act 1, Scene 1 from 20 May 2017.
- Read the maps of Saxony and Germany.
- Discussion Questions:
- Identify the two protagonist. What do we know about them from this scene in terms of their age, class, gender, occupation, race, religion, and residence?
- In what ways are they similar or different? How do you see these differences in the way they express themselves?
- Where do these identities place them in German society in terms of wealth and status? Remember that we are talking here about the Third Reich in 1938.
Activity Nr. 2: Explore the Setting (20 minutes)
- Draw the “visible” set of the stage as if you were looking at it from above. Identify each of the people and things.
- Discussion Questions
- What does each represent?
- How do the characters and objects move on the stage? What does this tell us about their everyday life?
- What about the “invisible” elements of their social context like family relations, attitudes about work, gender roles, and sexual norms?
- What can you infer about their historical context from their actions?
Activity Nr. 3: Think about the Sources (30 minutes)
- After each line in the text of the play, there is a number in square brackets [ ]. What do the numbers mean?
- Calculate: how long does it take for a letter to get from Hilde to Roland and back. Go to the website and, using the search function, look up one of the letters from the blog that appears in this scene.
- Identify the conventions in their letter writing.
- Think about the mail in terms of the words of the letter, the letter as material culture, the postman, and the railroad. How does this medium influence their courtship? The play?
Activity Nr. 4: Find the Drama (15 minutes)
Drama is often created when the protagonists have to overcome challenges in the world around them or in themselves. Read Act 1 Scene 1 out loud with a partner “performatively”. Try to express:
- What do Hilde and Roland each want or value?
- What do they dislike or fear?
- What do their actions tell us about their personalities?
- What do you think will be the dramatic tension of the play?
DaF
In dem Theaterstück sehen wir und eventuell lesen wir, wie Hilde und Roland ihren Briefwechsel miteinander anfangen.
I. Ressourcen
Sie werden die folgenden Ressourcen von der Ressourcen Seite benutzen:
- Video: Einführung von Dr. Andrew Bergerson — Einstieg in das Thema
- T&S Teaser
- Performance Video of Scene 1
- Deutsche Version der Inszenierung des 1. Akts
- Deutsche Version der 1. Szene des 1. Akts
- Glossar zu Szene 1 des 1. Akts
- Landkarten und Bilder
- Der Blog: Briefe 380504–2‑1 und 380504–2‑1
- Hörbuch Bd. 1.5 (05.1938) und 1.13 (1938) Teaser.
II. Aktivitäten
Sie werden Hilde und Roland beschreiben und ihre tägliche Ereignisse/Erfahrungen identifizieren können.
Aktivität Nr. 1: Hören (5 Minuten)
Hören Sie das T&S Teaser bei dem Hörbuch Bd. 1.13 (1938) an. Inhalt besprechen.
Aktivität Nr. 2: Lesen (20 Minuten)
Lesen Sie die Inszenierung des 1. Akts. Lesen Sie 1. Akte, Szene 1 in Gruppen von drei Personen laut vor. Drei Rollen: Erzähler, Hilde und Roland.
Aktivität Nr. 3: zum Inhalt (5 Minuten)
Sind die folgenden Aussagen wahr oder falsch. Schreiben Sie W(ahr) oder F(alsch) in die Lücken.
- A. Hildes Eltern sind reich. _____
- B. Roland ist dreizehn Jahre älter als Hilde. _____
- C. Die Bühne ist in vier Spielflächen geteilt. _____
- D. Roland wußte schon immer, dass Hilde ihn liebte. _____
- E. Hilde und Roland schreiben Briefe an einander. _____
- F. Religion ist für Hilde und Roland sehr wichtig. _____
Aktivität Nr. 4: Grammatik (20 Minuten)
Schreiben Sie in die folgende Tabelle, worauf sich die unterstrichenen Wörter beziehen.
| Im Satz | bezieht sich das Wort … | auf … |
| die den Alltag (Zeile …) | „die“ | |
| um ihn Roland abzuliefern (Zeile …) | „ihn“ | |
| über Sie nachgedacht (Zeile …) | „Sie“ |
Aktivität Nr. 5: Wortschatz (10 Minuten)
Finden Sie im Glossar zu Szene 1 diejenige Wörter, mit denen man die Wörter oder Beschreibungen unten sinnvoll ersetzen könnte.
- der Briefträger ______________________________
- die Fläche, worauf ein Theaterstück gespielt wird ______________________________
- darauf wird ein Film gezeigt oder gemalt ______________________________
- eine chronologische Reihenfolge ______________________________
- die Karriere; die Arbeit ______________________________
- jemand, der ein Gedicht schreibt ______________________________
- wenn man ganz alleine ist und es sehr spürt ______________________________
- wo man geboren ist oder herkommt ______________________________
- was morgen bringt ______________________________
- Gottes Haus ______________________________
- die Wahrheit sagen ______________________________
- etwas in Frage stellen ______________________________
Aktivität Nr. 6: Hören die ganze Briefe an (30 Minuten)
Hören Sie die ersten Briefe von Hilde (04. Mai 1938) bzw. von Roland (08. Mai 1938) in dem Hörbuch Bd. 1.5 (05.1938) an. Lesen Sie die Briefe (380504–2‑1 und 380504–2‑1) gleichzeitig mit.
Oder für Fortgeschrittene: Hören Sie das erste T&S Hörspiel 1.13 (1938) an. Lesen Sie die Briefe am Blog gleichzeitig mit.
Aktivität Nr. 7: Fragen zu Szene 1 (20 Minuten)
Beantworten Sie die folgenden Fragen.
- Beschreiben Sie Roland Nordhoff. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- Beschreiben Sie Hilde Laube. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- Was symbolisiert der Bahnhof im Hintergrund auf der Bühne?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- Beschreiben Sie die Rolle des Briefträgers?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- Warum schreiben Hilde und Roland ihre Briefe ohne Absender?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- Was ist Hildes Beruf? Was wollte sie mal werden?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wortschatz zu Lehreinheit 1
Inszenierung des 1. Akts
der Anspruch claim; entitlement
bezeichnen to describe
der Brief letter
die Bühne stage
entfalten evolve; unfold
das Ereignis event; occurance
die Gesellschaft society; company
die Hauptrolle leading role
die Nebenrolle supporting role
der Hintergrund background
die Leinwand screen; canvas
die Öffentlichkeit public
der Postbote mail carrier
stören disturb; bother
die Verbindung connection; relation
die Zeitleiste timeline
Szene 1
der Altersunterschied age difference
der Beruf occupation
der Betrug fraud
die Bildung education
der Chef boss
die Dankbarkeit gratitude
der Dichter poet
die Ehe marriage
die Ehrbarkeit respectability
die Ehrlichkeit honesty
die Einsamkeit loneliness
die Ferien vacation
die Freiheit freedom
das Gedicht poem
das Gefühl feeling; emotion
das Geständnis confession
das Glauben belief; faith
das Glück happiness; luck
der Gott god
die Heimat home; native land
die Hoffnung hope
die Kirche church
die Krankheit illness
das Leid pain; suffering
das Lied song
die Liebschaften love affair
das Schicksal destiny; fate
der Schmerz pain
die Sehnsucht desire
die Sittlichkeit morality
der Stand level; state
der Trost comfort; consolation
das Unglück unhappiness; disaster
die Vergangenheit past
das Vertrauen trust
die Zukunft future
der
Zweifel doubt
Both
III. Application with Assessment/Anwendung mit Bewertung
In this unit, you have acquired some initial familiarity with Hilde and Roland, the motives which inspire them and the challenges that they face, the world of the Third Reich in which they lived, the ways in which the play represents their story, and their letters as an historical source and as the main trope of the play. (In the following applications and assessments, DaF students should strive to express themselves in German.)
Application/Anwendung Nr. 1 (20 Min.)
Select one of these questions and respond to it in a well-articulated and grammatically correct paragraph:
- How do you communicate with a new friend or love interest? Compare your way of communicating to that of Hilde and Roland in terms of media, technology, and culture associated with them.
- The year of 1938 was full of major political events for Germany and the world. From Hilde and Roland’s letters in the Spring of 1938, how interested do you think they were in those events? What other reasons might there be for them not to discuss politics in their letters?
Application/Anwendung Nr. 2 (25 Min.)
In small groups, reflect on and discuss these questions:
- What do you think might happen next in the story? What would you like to know more about?
- Do you worry about or hope for any of the same things as Hilde and Roland? How do you address those fears or aspirations? What has changed since then?
- Is the story of Hilde and Roland relevant today [here in .…]? If so, how/why?
- What can we learn about ourselves from them?