Past events
Selected conferences, lectures, film screenings, exhibitions, and workshops 2017 -
German Seminar Series
An occasional series of talks by colleagues, PhD students and visiting speakers.
Please note that speaker titles and universities, as listed, date from the time of the event and may have changed.
| Date | Title | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 27 March 2019 | Drama in the World: A.W. Schlegel, Walter Scott, and Two Takes on Theatre History | Dr Michael Wood (University of Edinburgh) |
| 28 February 2019 | Die Waffen nieder!: Bertha von Suttner as Novelist and Peace Activist | Dr Barbara Burns (University of Glasgow) |
| 30 January 2019 | German “Provincialism”, the World and Saša Stanišić’s Vor dem Fest | Dr Frauke Matthes (University of Edinburgh) |
| 21 November 2018 | How German philosophy won the First World War: An Introduction to Viscount Haldane | Richard McLauchlan |
| 2 November 2018 | Racing Back to the Future: Rosmer/Bernstein’s Neo-Classical Tragedies | Dr Robert Gillett (Queen Mary, University of London) |
| 5 October 2018 | Cultural Learning in Interaction: Researching meaning-making processes in the foreign language classroom | Julia Feike (University of Edinburgh) |
| 23 March 2018 | Emil Nolde: Landscapes of Loss | Frances Blythe (University of Edinburgh) |
| 2 February 2018 |
The history of learning and teaching German (and other modern languages) in Britain, 1500-2000 [hosted in collaboration with Cultural Encounters/Cultural Dialogues] |
Professor Nicola McClelland (University of Nottingham) |
| 1 December 2017 |
The Disappearance of the Subject in Writing: The Essay Film Beyond Auteurism [hosted in collaboration with Film and the Other Arts] |
Dr Angelos Koutsourakis (University of Leeds) |
| 3 November 2017 | Digitally Distributing Liveness: Three case studies from the Berliner Theatertreffen (2017) | Katie Hawthorne (University of Edinburgh) |
Conferences and symposia
Dates: 4 to 6 August 2021
Venue: Online (Zoom)
Keynote speakers: Dr Kristin Kopp (University of Missouri); Dr Kristin Rebien (San Diego State University); Lenny Ureña Valerio (University of New Mexico)
In brief: A three-day conference focusing on Germany’s real and imagined relationships with the countries to its east and the connection between space and memory in German-language representations of Eastern European space. Comprising 14 papers over eight panel sessions, the event culminated in a roundtable discussion.
Dates: 20 and 21 June 2019
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Keynote speaker: Professor Osita Okagbue (Goldsmiths, University of London)
Organisers: Professor Julia Prest (University of St Andrews); Dr Michael Wood (University of Edinburgh)
In brief: A two-day international conference on Gaining Global Perspectives on Transnational and Intercultural Drama and Performance funded by the AHRC Open World Research Initiative “Cross-Language Dynamics: Reshaping Community”. Comprising five panel sessions, a keynote lecture and a round table discussion, the conference also incorporated a visit to Boxed-In Theatre's performance of The Swallow and the Nightingale at Summerhall, followed by a post-performance discussion with cast and crew.
Date: 30 April 2019
Venue: The Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh
Keynote speaker: Dr Howard Gaskill (University of Edinburgh)
In brief: An afternoon symposium to launch Howard Gaskill's new translation of Hölderlin's 'Hyperion'. Comprising a keynote speech, book launch, and four expert talks over two panel sessions, the event brought together scholars from the universities of St Andrews, Harvard, Edinburgh, and California State.
Lectures, talks, discussions and readings
Date: 22 November 2022
Venue: Room G.02, 50 George Square
Guest speakers: Dr Frauke Matthes (University of Edinburgh); Dr Karolina Watroba (University of Oxford); Dr Jenny Watson (University of Edinburgh); discussion chaired by Dr Hanna Schumacher (University of Edinburgh)
In brief: The launch of the last volume of the Edinburgh German Yearbook 'Tracing German Visions of Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century', followed by an informal discussion on the 'Eastern European Turn' (Haines, 2008) in German literature and its relevance in the contemporary cultural space.
Dates: 4 to 6 February 2020
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh (Days 1 and 2); Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh College of Art (Day 3)
Keynote speaker: Max Czollek
In brief: A series of five events with the poet, writer and stage-performer Max Czollek, DAAD Writer-in-Residence. Supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), several of the events were co-hosted with Edinburgh University Jewish Society and The Research Network in Jewish Studies. Workshops for students focused on translation (German and English) and poetry, while talks, public readings and Q&A sessions centred on Max's collection of politically charged essays and historical reflections, ‘Desintegriert Euch!’ [De-Integrate Yourselves] and other writings.
Date: 15 February 2018
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Events series: Inaugural Lectures at the University of Edinburgh
Speaker: Professor Laura Bradley (University of Edinburgh)
In brief: A free public lecture marking Laura Bradley becoming Chair of German and Theatre at the University of Edinburgh. In the lecture, Professor Bradley made the case for the systematic study of Brecht and spectatorship using examples from The Mother and Mother Courage, and drawing on Brecht’s directing scripts, drafts, and rehearsal notes.
Date: 21 October 2016
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Speaker: Friederike Wolpert (University of Oxford)
In brief: An overview by a former MSc by Research in German Studies student of her recently-submitted doctoral thesis investigating the manner in which the captivity account of Johannes Schiltberger was transformed in transmission.
Exhibitions, workshops and performances
The German Play
Typically organised by the DAAD-Lektorin, with a cast and crew of enthusiastic students of German, the German Play has been supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Goethe-Institut Glasgow and the German Consulate General Edinburgh.
| Date(s) | Title | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 28 and 29 March 2023 | Andorra | Assembly Roxy |
| 23 April 2021 |
Aschenputtel - Das zieht dir die Schuhe aus |
Online |
| 4 and 5 March 2020 |
Ab in den Container |
Assembly Roxy |
| 18 and 19 March 2019 | Wodka-Käfer | Assembly Roxy |
| 14 to 16 March 2018 |
Das Leben |
Assembly Roxy |
More exhibitions, workshops, film screenings and performances
Date: 10 August 2023
Venue: The Stand Comedy Club
As part of: Edinburgh Festival Fringe
In brief: A reflective and comedic show by Paul Leworthy (German Studies) on how and what monuments mean, the links between them and everyday metaphors, and how to tackle the issue of problem monuments.
Date: 30 March 2023
Venue: Screening Room G.04, 50 George Square
In brief: A conversation via web link with director Lars Kraume on his 2015 film, 'Der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer'. The event was chaired by Dr Paul Leworthy and held in a mix of German and English.
Date: 2 December 2022
Venue: Room G.05, 50 George Square
Organisers: Second-year students of German
In brief: A poster exhibition and reception curated by second-year students in German as the culmination of their independent research on topics relating to the history of German colonialism. There were activities to test your knowledge, interactive displays of facts and statistics, chances to give feedback, samples of previous years’ work, and a display of recent scholarship and literary works on the topic of German colonialism.
Date: 29 March 2022
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
In brief: A showcase and celebration of the German language through creative sketches and performances. A pub quiz with a difference, with students showing off their language skills through acting, singing, poetry readings, German tongue-twisters, and much more.
Date: 23 January 2019
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
In brief: The German Bake Off - a fine array of German goodies baked by students and staff of German. Part of the DELC Festive Showcase, bringing staff and students together to celebrate languages and cultures from around Europe.