Spring 2025 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 spring edition of the newsletter. This winter and spring have been a non-stop kaleidoscope of inspiring events.  We engaged in expeditionary learning with field trips to music both in nature and in opera halls. Visiting scholars challenged our thinking and enriched our understanding of everything from the history of German Obedience (Martin Wagner, U. Calgary) to the cultural exchanges between Germans and Muslims (Pardis Dabashi, Bryn Mawr and Mohammed Rafi, UC Irvine). Beloved Professor Diana Behler was honored in a memorial lecture by Dorothee Ostmeier (U. Oregon). The Graduate Student Invited Lecture officially became an annual event with its second iteration: Christopher Wild (U. Chicago) offered a workshop on Hannah Arendt and a lecture on Baroque Tragedy. The pedagogy series continued to push our curriculum in new directions: in winter, David Gramling (UBC) diagnosed the “linguistic indifference” plaguing higher education, and in spring our own alum Gabrielle Stork returned to talk about anxiety in language learning.

We’re especially proud of our students’ accomplishments. PhD candidate Martin Schwartz published a feature on Art and Antisemitism in Germany today, about which he led a workshop in the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies. Another PhD candidate, Inga Schwemin, won two competitive fellowships to undertake archival research on eighteenth-century women dramatists in Germany. Our graduating class is small but vibrant this year, and we look forward to congratulating them—as well as the recipients of the Sammy McLean Awards for excellence in Language, Literature, and Culture—in our commencement ceremony on June 12.

All of these wonderful events, and indeed the ethos and spirit of our German Studies community at UW, we owe to the tireless but unsung efforts of our amazing staff. Our department would be unthinkable without Stephanie Welch and Misha Neininger. As chair, I rely on both of them daily to carry out the many invisible but essential tasks that keep the department running. Their efforts provide vital support for students in their classes and faculty in their research.  Not only are they effective and dedicated administrators, but they are indispensable thought partners in the creative and intellectual work that makes German Studies an exciting place to think and learn. Stephanie Welch, for instance, is the artist behind our scintillating course posters, which are the envy of departments across the College. Misha Neininger is hoping to launch an innovative new podcast that takes listeners along on the intellectual and cultural adventures of German Studies at UW.

During these difficult times of uncertainty at the university, I am inviting you to make a donation to our fund, Friends of German Studies. Support for this fund is crucial, as it enables us to create innovative content such as podcasts, public events, and other engaging media. The fund also supports students and faculty who present papers at conferences, guest speakers in courses, 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.

We are especially grateful to Lee Scheingold, who—when the UW froze non-essential spending this year—stepped in to make sure our winter events were supplied with delicious spreads of food and drink. Lee truly keeps the Humanities nourished at this university.

Thank you so much for your help and your continued support of the Department and its programs. 

Best wishes,

Ellwood