Fall 2023 UW German Studies Newsletter

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Dear Alums and Friends of German Studies:

It is a pleasure to share our latest news in this fall edition of the newsletter. We are decidedly feeling the loss of our long-time chair and colleague, Professor Sabine Wilke, whom we wish all the best on her new adventures in retirement. The department is especially proud to welcome two new faculty members this fall! Assistant Professor Rafael Balling comes to us from Stanford. His explorations of German and Yiddish trans narratives impressed everyone at his job talk so much that we never wanted the conversation afterwards to end. Now it can continue and deepen over many years! We were also able to lure Assistant Teaching Professor Andre Schütze away from Tulane. He will be offering an enticing line-up of courses, including ones on German film and East German literature and culture.

In the newsletter you’ll also read about the exciting new research of both faculty and graduate students. The grad students had a particularly stand-out year as they presented their work at conferences in four different countries. We’re tickled pink to add to their ranks and introduce the two new Kade Fellows who are beginning their studies at UW this year: Arpit Samuel and Martin Schwarz.

You will also be hearing from our amazing undergraduates, There’s a report and student testimonials from our transformative study abroad programs, Spring in Vienna and Summer in Berlin. And we’re very proud of our alum, Alex Minami, who is offering an amazing public online course at the Seattle Opera.

During this season, I am inviting you to make a donation to our fund, Friends of German Studies, which supports students and faculty who present papers at conferences, guest speakers in courses or Zoom webinars, scholarly publications, student awards, and many other activities that are so vital in a small department.

We strive to create enriching and memorable experiences for our students, and it’s only your donations that make this possible. This quarter we bonded together as we cheered on Megan Rapinoe in one of her last games for the OL Reign. Students also were thrilled by a production of Alcina by Georg Händel at the Seattle Opera. Their impassioned discussions of the production afterwards were a joy to join in on. The students paid for their own opera tickets this year, however, which is a mark of how much they value these communal cultural encounters. This is an example of the kind of experience we would love to make accessible to more students in future quarters with your donations.

Thank you so much for your help and your continued support of the Department and its programs. The faculty joins me in wishing you a very pleasant holiday season, robust health, and a great start into the New Year!

Best wishes,

Ellwood