Ekstase und Elend is an intermediate/advanced textbook for German studies courses that presents the cultural history of German-speaking Europe from roughly 1900 to the present. Compiled by a team of scholars of German studies, applied linguistics, and history, it offers the historical, political, and social context necessary for engaging with recent cultural products from German-speaking Europe while cultivating the vital skills for doing so in German. A companion website featuring an annotated interactive timeline, media from a variety of sources, and suggested research projects can be accessed via a link on the Ekstase und Elend webpage on the publisher's website. Features of the book: Inclusive cultural history of German-speaking Europe from ca. 1900 to the present Full-color illustrations of authentic cultural artefacts Chronological organization, with brief timeline for each chapter Glossary, comprehension checks, and vocabulary activities for each chapter subsection Discussion questions for each chapter and useful phrases for facilitating oral production
"I like the way Ekstase und Elend translates its 'ecstasy vs. misery' dichotomy throughout the volume. It engagingly conveys sociopolitical and even economic history by laying out sharp contraststhrough texts, images, and exercises that cover a range of topics, peoples, and events. A second major strength of the volume is its sociohistorical inclusiveness. I've not yet run across a German--language civilization textbook that (with the exception of the Jewish peoples, in the context of Nazi Germany and WWII) includes to such an extent the narratives of historically underrepresented groups and individuals. Strongly recommended." James Pfrehm, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, Ithaca College
"[ Ektase und Elend ] teaches culture while at the same time honing students' language skills, making it one of the most extraordinary German texts to be published in recent years and more than adequately fulfilling ACTFL's standards for advanced-low to advanced-mid competency. . . . This reviewer is a forty-year veteran of the profession and has seldom seen a more intelligent and pedagogically sound and educational textbook. Students have much to learn here about twentieth-century German history and society but also will greatly improve their language skills." Tom Conner, St. Norbert College, in The NECTFL Review
