B2/C1+ Fall Vergnügen ~ Tatort: Investigating Grammar & Verbs (in-person)

Course Description:

Join Valentin as he takes students through an exhilarating 5-week short course based on the beloved German TV show Tatort. Designed for advanced German learners who are currently at the B2/C1+ levels, students will investigate a more detailed approach as to how modal verbs, subjunctive, or passive modes, add to the nuanced meaning of the sentence. This Tatort-themed course will push students to apply this knowledge in creating their own crime or mystery-themed stories. You won't want to miss out on this thrilling class!

What is Tatort?

Source: 2025 Deutsche Welle

It is the most popular German crime TV series – and also the oldest: It's been running since 1970! Millions of people watch the cult TV show every week – with their family, in a shared apartment or the local pub!

The idea behind the series is for different teams of investigators, each with unique characters, work in different regions of Germany. One week the episode of Tatort is set in Cologne, the next week in Bavaria and the following week, perhaps, on the Baltic Sea island of Rügen. This creates a multi-faceted image of the country, incorporating regional features and dialects. In terms of content, the series addresses current issues. Subjects range from drugs to homicide to corporate crime. Nowadays, there is even a radio version of Tatort, also weekly, based on the same idea and equally successful: "Tatort" is simply a cult show!

Meeting Times:

This is an in-person class that meets for 5 weeks on Thursday mornings from 10:30AM to 12:00PM at the Germanic-American Institute (301 Summit Ave., St. Paul).

Class dates are as follows:

1.) 11/13

2.)11/20

*11/27(NO CLASS -Thanksgiving)**

3.)12/04

4.)12/11

5.)12/18.

Course Materials:

There is no textbook for this short course. Materials will be provided by the instructor, Valentin!