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GLL’s Website

GLL’s new website was launched in December 2003.  We hope that you like it! Like all websites, ours is a work in progress, but it already contains a remarkable array of resources for alums, friends, teachers and students of German at all levels, such as Hartmut’s pages and the Goethe Institute Collection. Please let us know what you think!

News from and about Our Alums

New Endowments and Other Large Gifts

Heartfelt gratitude to our major donors!   DeVere and Zita Sturm of Pigeon, Michigan, have given another generous gift to the Sturm Family Endowment, which currently supports a large number of students pursuing summer language study.

Lynn and Mark Gendleman have establlished an endowment to support courses relating to the field of German medicine. The Department currently offer two courses; German 307, German for Medicine and German 325, Biological Sciences and Medicine in Context.

Please see "News from GLL" below to learn about other major gifts.

News from GLL

22nd Annual  German Day 

Warmest congratulations to Janet Van Valkenburg, who has organized this outstanding event for two full decades.  If you are going to be in the area, please come join us!  It’s always a thrill to see hundreds of eager students of German from all over Southeast Michigan.

Julia Hell and Johannes von Moltke, "The Germanic Review" Editors

Julia Hell and Johannes von Moltke have taken on editorship of THE GERMANIC REVIEW for a period of three years, from 2006 through 2008. The Germanic Review delivers the best of international scholarship in German Studies. With contributors representing leading research institutions in the United States, Canada, France, and Germany, the journal features peer-reviewed articles on German literature and culture, as well as reviews of the latest books in the field. Most articles appear in English, although each year a few are entirely in German. Recent issues discussed the works of Günter Grass, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Thomas Mann; German national character; German identity and historical memory; and the cultural logics of the Berlin Republic. German scholars and students appreciate The Germanic Review’s analyses of German literature, culture, and theory, as well as the lives of German authors. The journal continues to be based at Columbia University, where it originated; Michael Andre serves as the Editorial Assistant.

The Max Kade Program

Our German-language residence program (still the only such language house on campus) paid for in part by the Max Kade Foundation, continues to thrive.

Gender and History to Remain at U of M

Thanks to the generosity of LSA, the Institute for Reaseach on Women and Gender, and the Office of the Vice-President for Research, the North American office of the the prestigious journal Gender and History will remain at U of M for another five years.  It has been located here and co-edited, first by Kathleen Canning and more recently by Helmut Puff, since 1998.  The editors have just launched a new, three-year program entitled "Global Turns and Gender Returns" that will organize conferences, workshops, and collaborations in so-called developing countries. 

German and Engineering

German is now officially an option in the College of Engineering's Global Engineering Program. We expect great demand (German is already the second most popular LSA minor among engineers, trailing only Math.) You can learn more about this important, new dimension of our program by clicking here.

Dutch and Flemish Studies

Martijn Zwart and Ethel Grene’s Dutch Poetry in Translation: Kaleidoscope is now available together with a recording of the poems read in the Dutch original by Ton Broos, and in English by the professional actor Nicholas Rudall.  The price of the paperback plus 3 CDs is $35 + $5 S&H.  To purchase a copy, please call the Department or send a message to Ton Broos (tonbroos@umich.edu). All proceeds will be added to the Zwart Endowment for study abroad. Click here to read more about this outstanding set of publications.

Scandinavian Studies

Two anonymous benefactors have issued a challenge to other supporters of the Scandinavian Program by offering to match new donations up to a total of $50,000. Please consider taking advantage of this exceptional opportunity! The Signe Karlström Event for 2006 will feature Göran Therbörn, Uppsala University; Director of the Swedish Colloquium for Advanced Study in the Social Sciences and Professor of Sociology. Click for details.

U of M Hit by Massive Cuts in State Allocation

Over the past 12 months, the State of Michigan has stripped more than $250M out of its budget for public universities. According to U of M Provost Paul Cantor, the cuts amount to $1,400 per student at U of M, with an additional mid-year cut of 5% or $16.4M looming. The State allocation has fallen back to its level of seven years ago. More than ever, we are dependent on help from alums if we are to maintain the quality of our programs.