Editor's Note: April 19, 2023 Since this article was first published on March 6, 2023, Engelstein has been selected as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar for 2023-2024 for Germany. Fulbright Scholar Awards are prestigious and competitive fellowships that provide unique opportunities for scholars to teach and conduct research abroad. She has also been named to this year's cohort of Guggenheim Fellows, which recognizes exceptional mid-career scholars and artists working in any field of… read more about NEH Fellowship Supports Engelstein’s Research on the Formation of Language and Ideas About Sex »
There will be an information session about Duke in Berlin study abroad opportunities next Wednesday, January 25th @ 5:00 p.m. in Old Chem. 119. Come meet our Resident Director, Tin Wegel, enjoy some pizza and hear about all the life-changing experiences you could have in Germany with fellow Duke students, whether you’re interested in going away for a semester, a summer, or a full year! You’ll find out about application deadlines, the application process, and what awaits you when you get there. Come join us! … read more about DUKE IN BERLIN INFO. SESSION & PIZZA! »
Dr. April Henry, the departmental Language Program Director, has been named one of the top 5% of undergraduate teachers in Trinity College. Based on student evaluations, Dr. Henry scored this top percentile in at least two of the following three categories: Overall Quality of Course, Overall Quality of Instructor, and Intellectual Stimulation of Course. However, Dr. Henry’s dedication to excellent teaching and to leading the German language program has long been a “Geheimtipp” (insider tip) among Trinity students… read more about Dr. April Henry Named a Top Teacher »
GERMAN 89S: Ethical Dilemmas in Philosophy and Literature Mon/Wed 10:15-11:30am Prof. Henry Pickford GERMAN 210: Intermediate Conversation Practice Tues 7:00-8:15pm Prof. Nick Jones Develop speaking skills for everyday language interactions, including expressing opinions and formulating arguments. Grade based on participation, vocabulary quizzes, role plays. Prerequisite: German 101 and 102 (or equivalent). Enrollment in… read more about Featured Courses for Spring 2023 »
Come and enjoy hearty German-themed food and drink to stave off autumn’s chill! Download Herbstfest! (pdf - 4.9 MB) read more about Herbstfest! »
Carolina-Duke student Tim Ellison has won the German Quarterly Graduate Student Paper Award for his Writing Proficiency Review essay, “Historical Rhapsody: Citation and Pseudo-Citation in Herder’s Auch eine Philosophie der Geschichte zur Bildung der Menschheit”. His WPR essay will also be published as an article in the German Quarterly. Previously, Tim has also been awarded the Ria Stambaugh-Frank Borchardt Award for the Best Writing Proficiency Review Essay for the 2021-22 academic year. We have asked Tim… read more about Tim Ellison wins the German Quarterly Graduate Student Paper Award »
The 46th annual German Studies Association (GSA) took place in Houston Texas from Sept. 15- 18. Carolina-Duke student Tako Takamura, currently in his sixth year of the program and working on his dissertation with Dr. Gabriel Trop (UNC Chapel Hill) and Dr. Stefani Engelstein (Duke), won an honorable mention in the GSA prize competition for Best Essay in German Studies by a Graduate Student. We have asked Tako to share a few words about his essay: I’m very glad to have received an honorary mention at the German Studies… read more about Tako Takamura Wins Honorable Mention at GSA »
Duke in Berlin is now accepting applications for the spring 2023 semester. The spring semester program offers tracks for both for Trinity and Pratt undergraduates. This program’s curriculum is hybrid, and students earn Duke credits and transfer credits from either Free University or Technical University in Berlin. The spring 2023 deadline for application is October 15th. We encourage interested students to attend an upcoming information session for Duke in Berlin on Friday, October 14th… read more about Duke In Berlin Information Session »
After teaching Romantic Fairy Tales: Literary and Folk Fairy Tales from Grimms to Disney for many years, Professor Jakob Norberg became fascinated with the Brothers Grimm not only as folklorists but as members of a particular generation of German nationalist scholars and thinkers. His new book, The Brothers Grimm and the Making of German Nationalism, presents his research about two of history’s most famous storytellers. Through historical analysis, Norberg reveals how the Brothers Grimm used their writing —… read more about Q&A with Jakob Norberg: The Brothers Grimm, Fairy Tales, Family and Political Identity »
LA-based software engineer Matt Hambro graduated from the Carolina-Duke Graduate Program in German Studies in 2019. During a recent online event entitled “Life After Grad School,” Matt spoke to current CDG graduate students about his experiences adapting to the world of software engineering and offered advice to students considering careers outside the university. Following the event, Matt kindly agreed to the following short interview in which he summarized key topics from his talk. You’ve done a lot… read more about CDG Alum Matt Hambro Discusses Career Experiences After Duke »
Congratulations to our German Major and Minor graduates. We wish them all much success in their future endeavors! read more about Congratulations 2022 German Studies Graduates! »
Meet the new Resident Director of Duke in Berlin, Tin Wegel! Founded at the Free University of West Berlin in 1988, just before the fall of the Berlin Wall, the global education program Duke in Berlin offers unique opportunities for Duke students to experience Germany’s bustling capital first-hand while learning German and taking full Duke credit courses. There are programs both in the fall and spring semesters, special programs for students at the Pratt Engineering School, and a 6-week… read more about Teaching the City »
Usually dismissed as the most apolitical of German philosophers, the pessimist Schopenhauer was in fact a contrarian acutely aware of the defining debates of his time and consciously opposing both conservatives and socialists, orthodox Christians and secular radicals, political Hegelians and historicists. A closer look at Schopenhauer's writings in their context reveal a paradoxical figure: a reactionary anti-nationalist, elitist anti-aristocrat, anti-socialist advocate of compassion. Denying that politics could ever be the… read more about Jakob Norberg, “Schopenhauer’s Politics” »
Have you ever wished you could live and study in the incredible city of Berlin? If not, why not? If so, now you can! There will be an information session about Duke in Berlin study abroad opportunities next week on Thursday, Sept. 23, from 12-1 pm, on Zoom. Come and hear about all the life-changing experiences you could have in Germany with fellow Duke students, whether you’re interested in going away for a semester, a summer, or a full year! You’ll find out about application deadlines, the… read more about Duke In Berlin Information Session »
The Duke German Department deeply mourns the passing of Dr. Jochen Wohlfeil, the beloved resident director of the Duke in Berlin program. For 33 years, Jochen was the face, heart, and soul of this inspirational and important study abroad program. He was a stupendous people person, a creative and devoted team leader, a patient and inspiring teacher, a kind and witty colleague and friend. He helped shape the lives of thousands of students. He will be greatly missed. Below you will find the kudos link, with lots of photos and… read more about Remembering Jochen Wohlfeil »
If you don’t think a laboratory is the ideal place to explore complex themes and methodologies like valuing care, ethnography, urbanism or games and culture, you may need to expand your definition beyond beakers and microscopes. Labs are hives of communication, cooperation and active collaboration. They are driven by a commitment to curiosity and exploration that often produces unanticipated paths and solutions. And utilizing those features for research in the humanities – a scholarly area that has traditionally focused on… read more about Innovative, Interdisciplinary Labs Reshape Humanities Research and Teaching »
Four visiting humanities scholars from historically Black colleges and universities and liberal-arts institutions arrived at Duke this August to collaborate with Duke students, faculty and staff. Their projects will cover commemoration practices, early Christian manuscripts, a 17th century Mexican philosopher and the ephemeral nature of digital projects. The fellows are part of Humanities Unbounded, an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation-funded initiative designed to nurture collaboration and inventive expressions of the… read more about Duke Welcomes New Cohort of Visiting Humanities Scholars from HBCUs and Liberal-Arts Schools »
Global Jewish Modernism is a Humanities Unbounded Collaborative Project in German and Romance Studies at Duke University. The Lab aims to bring together scholars, students, and community members who want to discuss modern Jewish literature, film, art, music and culture from a variety of disciplines and perspectives. The Lab will feature a dialogue series on keywords, lectures and readings by prominent translators, a reading/working group, and numerous affiliated graduate and undergraduate courses. We invite you to… read more about Gellen to co-lead Humanities Unbounded Lab on Global Jewish Modernism in 2021-2023 »
Endings and Beginnings In this issue, we celebrate our undergraduate students, who have persisted in learning during a very unusual year. We're especially proud of our graduating German majors! For this issue, we've also interviewed some of our German 101 students, who've just started their language-learning journey, on their experiences in the program. Download Duke German Newsletter Spring 2021 (pdf - 8.25 MB) read more about Duke German Spring Newsletter »