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NEWS AND EVENTS
Congratulations!
The German Department would like to congratulate the recipients of this year's book prizes. Brigid Garvey presented Audrey Sawyer with the German Embassy Book Prize and Shane McCracken with the Austrian Embassy Book Prize.The President of the German Canadian Association of Nova Scotia, René Botzenhardt awarded Nicholas Foran the Swiss Embassy Book Prize and Hilari MacLeod the German Canadian Association Book Prize. Kyle Woolner-Pratt was the recipient of the German Department book prize.
And special congratulations to Nicholas Foran, who is this year's recipient of the University Medal in German.
The family of Marjorie Mader established an endowment in her name in the German Department and this is the first year there is funding available to award to students who
participate in a departmentally approved international programme by taking courses in Germany or other German-speaking country and working towards a Dalhousie German degree.
Katherine Strynatka and Kaitlyn Boulding were this year's recipients. Two members of the Mader family attended our year-end reception on April 10, 2012 and presented the award.
The Marjorie Mader Award will be awarded every year.
Jane-Curran-Memorial-Lecture 
The German Department welcomes Prof. Franz Wassermann, Director of Music from the University of Heidelberg. For more information about his lectures on Franz Schubert's Winterreise and unknown scores starting Feb. 6, 2012 click here to see the poster.
Film Screening
The German Department in cooperation with the Atlantic Jewish Council is hosting a film screening of "Saviors in the Night" on October 26, 2011 at 7.00 pm in the McMechan Auditorium in the Killam Library. For more information see poster here
OktoberFASS
Dalhousie Homecoming 2011 - a celebration for students, alumni and friends of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, co-presented by the Dalhousie German Society and FASS Alumni Relations October 21, 2011.
click here to see the poster
IN MEMORIAM
It is with deep sadness that the Department of German at Dalhousie University announces the death of Dr. Jane V. Curran, a wonderful, committed academic, and also a proud, devoted supportive mother. Jane joined the Faculty of the Department of German in 1992 after obtaining her BA (1975) and two MA degrees (1978, 1984) at Dalhousie University and her Ph.D.(1992) from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. During her career at Dalhousie University she was a dedicated Professor and Researcher. She chaired the Department from 1996-2008, became Graduate Coordinator in 2006 and Coordinator of the European Studies Programme in 2008. Since 2009 she held the Alexander McLeod Chair in Modern Languages. Her research interests included 18th-century German literature, the reception of antiquity and the history of the novel.
All students, faculty, staff and friends will miss her quiet, friendly, generous and determined nature. She was a valuable, helpful friend, full of grace.
A Burial Office and Requiem Mass will be presided by Dr. Gary Thorne on Thursday, August 4th 2011 in King’s College Chapel, 6350 Coburg Road, Halifax. Jane’s designated charity is King’s College Chapel Choir c/o The University of King’s College, Halifax, NS, B3H 2A1.
Online condolences: www.cruikshankhalifaxfuneralhome.com .
New Courses in 2011-12
Starting Winter 2012, Dr. Sidler will offer a new course on "German Culture Through Film". This course is for students of Literature, European History, Philosophy, or any students with an interest in German and/or the film medium. We will use German cinema as a lens through which to examine the twists and turns of 20th century Germany. Please note: no knowledge of the German language is necessary, all films are subtitled and all discussion is in English.
Click Poster to enlarge.
Starting in Fall 2011, Dr. House will offer a course on "Modern German Philosophy" which will survey the history of German philosophy. The first semester will tackle German Idealism, looking Kant, Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel. In the second semester we will look at the complex appropriation and rejection of this tradition in the works of Nietzsche, Heidegger, Arendt, and Habermas.
Click Poster to enlarge.
In Winter 2012, Dr. House will offer a course on "German Environmentalism" that explores Germany's role in forming the idea of ecology in 19th and 20th centuries. 
Click Poster to enlarge.
In Fall 2011, Dr. Schwarz will offer a Special Topics Class on "Goethe's West-östlicher Divan and Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal".
A Warm Welcome to the Incoming MA Students!
The German Department would like to welcome our impressive international body of graduate students, who will be joining us this coming fall: Marta Bertran Montserrat, Barcelona; Mirjam Döpfert, Freiburg; Lindsay Hebert, Rhode Island; Burak Kalelioglu, Freiburg; Petra O'Toole, Toronto. We all look forward to working with you!
New DISC Working Group Announced
Michael House (German) and Estelle Joubert (Music) are excited to start a DISC Working Group in 2011-2012 on the theme "Ecology and the Humanities." The multidisciplinary group is made up of graduate students and faculty from across FASS and will meet once a month to discuss salient texts that explore the role of the humanities in the formation of ecology and ecological ways of thinking. For more information--or if you are interested in joining us--please click here.
Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy. July 07-10, 2011
The German Department is proud to sponsor the 2011 Atlantic Canadian Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy. International scholars will gather to discuss the thought of Leibniz, Wolff, Spinoza, and Kant among others. For a schedule of talks, please click here.
Congratulations!
The Department would like to congratulate the recipients of this year's book prizes. The Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany for Nova Scotia, Anthony L. Chapman,Q.C. presented Alexander Somerville with the German Embassy Book Prize and Amara McLaughlin-Harris with the Austrian Embassy Book Prize.The President of the German Canadian Association of Nova Scotia, René Botzenhardt awarded Kyrie Stoll the Swiss Embassy Book Prize and Nick Foran the German Canadian Association Book Prize. Audrey Sawyer was the recipient of the German Department book prize.
And special congratulations to Lindsay Hebert, who was this year's recipient of the Gold Medal at Convocation. Lindsay will continue her studies with us as an M.A. student.
Tag für Deutsch 2011
Once again, the German Immersion Day (Tag fuer Deutsch) on March 12 was a great success. About 40 people, including 10 from Acadia University, came together in the beautiful house at the water's edge in Purcell's Cove. After a tasty lunch, the games and activities began, which included various Theatre Sports, the return of the Giant Twister competition, cookong of course, and the building of some lovely paper hot air balloons, which were launched to great success and raised glasses on the balcony, just as the sun set. Then came the feast - yum! - followed by a hilarious session of German Bingo. Many thanks to all who helped, especially the German Student Society executives!
Dr. Douglas Moggach: German Idealism and (Early) Modernity
The University of King's College and the Early Modern Studies Programme present a lecture by Dr. Douglas Moggach on Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 7:30pm in the KTS Room, 2nd floor, New Academic Building, 6350 Coburg Road.
The lecture is entitled "German Idealism and (Early) Modernity," and is co-sponsored by the Contemporary Studies Programme and the Department of German at Dalhousie University.
See Poster for details
Tag für Deutsch 2010
The German Society will be hosting its annual Immersion Day on March 13, 2010. This is a great opportunity for everyone to come out and practice their German speaking with native speakers and fellow students!
For more information click here
Guest Speaker at the German Department
The Department of German will host Prof. Dr. Vinzenz Brinkmann from the
Liebieghaus Sculpture Collection in Frankfurt (longtime director of the Glyptothek in Munich) on October 6, 2009. The topic for the public lecture is: “Gods in Color: New research on painted Greek marble sculpture”. Prof. Brinkmann is the undisputed expert on Greek sculptures. His exhibition “Gods in Color: Painted Sculpture of Classical Antiquity” has toured the world since 2003 when it opened at the Glyptothek in Munich.
see Poster for details
Guest Speaker at the German Department.
The German Department presents a public lecture with Prof. Dr. Gertrud Roesch from Ruprecht-Karls-University in Heidelberg and Max Kade distinguished professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: "Jewish Identity, the Weimar Republic and Joseph Roth's Das Spinnennetz" Monday, March 23, 2009.
see Poster for details
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Lecture / Workshop
in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut Montréal in celebration of the 60th birthday of the Bundesrepublik Deutschland (held in German). Wednesday, March 11, 2009 16:30 - 19:30, Room 2184, McCain Arts & Social Sciences Bldg.
For more information (in German) click here
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German Immersion Day, March 7, 2009 in Halifax. Meet with students of German from other Universities and with native speakers for a day of fun, food and entertainment.
For more information (in German) click here
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Dr. Wassili Lepanto, Painter and Philosopher from Heidelberg will speak about "Ökologische Kunst" March 5, 2009.
The lecture will be held in German.
see Poster for details
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Bookprize Reception at the German Department
During a reception at the German Department on May 28, 2008 three students were awarded with a bookprizes for their outstanding work in German.
The bookprizes were sponsored by the German, Austrian and Swiss Embassies. Jessica Wyss, Jessica Kressebuch and Benjamin Mitchell were the recipients and had graduated with their B.A. from Dalhousie and King’s College earlier in the month.
The reception was followed by traditional „Kaffee und Kuchen" in the Department’s lounge.
Elisabeth Mann Borgese collection attracts researcher
In Germany, the family of literary lion Thomas Mann attracts the same kind of public fascination that the Trudeau family commands in Canada, or the Kennedys in the United States. You can never really know too much about them. But when German student Julia Poertner wanted to find out more about the Mann family, or about Thomas Mann’s youngest daughter Elisabeth in particular, she had to come to Dalhousie. Read more...
Professors' books launched
The annual Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences book launch celebrates the publication of books written by its faculty members. Among the titles launched in 2006 is: Schiller's "On Grace and Dignity" in Its Cultural Context : Essays and a New Translation (Rochester, NY: Camden House 2005). Jane V. Curran and Christophe Fricker are the editors. Read more... Hans-Günther Schwarz's Fenster zur Welt: Deutsch als Fremdsprachenphilologie was launched at the 2005 event. Read more...
Teacher honoured
Each year, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences recognizes a faculty member who has made an outstanding contribution to teaching and serving students and faculty. The award recognizes and underlines the fundamental importance of first-rate and innovative pedagogy. Brigid Garvey, an instructor in the Department of German, was given this prestigious honour in 2003-04.
Exceptional scholarship lauded
Dr. Judith Sidler’s dissertation entitled "'Das Abtauchen ins Irrationale': Einheitsphantasien in Hermann Brochs 'Tierkreiserzählungen'" (Queen's University, 2002) was chosen as Best Canadian Dissertation in German Studies in the academic years 2002 to 2004. According to the Canadian Association of University Teachers of German, "the intellectual rigour with which Dr. Sidler deals with her topic is stunning. Her grasp of philosophy, psychology and sociology is remarkable." Read more..