News & Events

German and German Studies is hosting a talk by Dr. Claire Scott (Vanderbilt University) on Thursday, October 10 at 5:00 pm in Naylor Auditorium in Gailor. Dr. Scott will present on solidarity within groups of girls and women in two contemporary German-language films. The lecture will be in English and all are welcome. 

A two-year odyssey takes a Sewanee history and German major from Tennessee to Berlin to navigate a web of archives and emotional revelations as she uncovers the lost stories of Holocaust victims.  Read more to find out about her journey.

Thursday, February 8 at 5:00PM

Gailor Auditorium

The German and German Studies department is pleased to welcome Dr. Didem Uca, Assistant Professor of German Studies at Emory University, to campus for a lecture tomorrow at 5 pm in Gailor Auditorium. Prof. Uca's research takes an intersectional approach to contemporary post/migration cultures. She will present work from her book project on the transnational Germanphone Bildungsroman. 

This event is co-sponsored by Women's and Gender Studies, International and Global Studies, and the Russian Department. The talk and all quotes from the text will be in English

Kaffee und Kuchen im Deutschen Haus! 
Join us for cake and coffee at the German House on Saturday, Jan 27 at 3:00
Alle sind willkommen!

On December 6 at 7:00, The German Department is hosting their annual traditional German Lessons & Carols service in St. Augustine's Chapel, the side chapel of All Saints.  The short service will be followed by a party at the German House with a flaming punch bowl and other traditional German fare.

Students worked hard practicing their songs in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Latin, Russian, and Spanish.  There was food from around the world and prizes for best solo, small group, and whole class acts.  Read more to find out who won and hear a bit of their songs.

There will be a screening I am my own woman (Ich bin meine eigene frau) as part of Trans Awareness Week.  Dr. Liesl Allingham will introduce the film.  This event is sponsored by the German Dept, the Q & A House, The Film Club, ADT, and ATZ 

Veranstaltungen in Oktober 2023

11. Oktober: Mittagstisch 11:30 @ McClurg
18. Oktober: Mittagstisch am Abend 7:00PM @ Das Deutsche Haus
21. Oktober: Oktoberfest 3:00PM-5:00PM @ Das Deutsche Haus
25. Oktober: International Karaoke Night 7:00PM-9:00PM @ Tiger Bay Pub
28. Oktober: Halloween Tshirts 3:00PM-5:00PM @ Das Deutsche Haus

Stephanie McCarter, professor of Classics and Rachel Reynolds, German translator will speak about their experiences translating foreign texts-both ancient and modern.

Saturday, February 18
3:00PM-5:00PM

Experience how Carnival is celebrated around the world by touring the language theme houses.  In no particular order, you may drop in on all or just some of the language theme houses. 

Come to a traditional German Christmas service with prayers and hymns in German on Wednesday, December 7 at 7:00PM at St. Augustine's Chapel followed by a festive Christmas party at the German House at 7:30PM with a flaming punch bowl and other traditional German customs and treats.

At International Karaoke Night, students of all levels sing songs in the language that they are studying.  It's a night of fun, food, music, prizes, friendly competition, and learning about other cultures and their music.  Read more to see video highlights and find out who won!

The German and German Studies department is pleased to present "Found in Translation: Literary Translation as Profession and Vocation" on Saturday, October 29 from 3-5 pm in Gailor 225. The workshop will be conducted in English by Rachel Reynolds, C'98 who will speak about her work as a translator and lead students in translation exercises

GRMN 103 A and B visiting the exhibit "Stay Healthy and Strong" by artist Natalie Miebach" at the campus art gallery. Only seven weeks of German, and they are already conversing about art, its impact, and environmental issues! As a follow-up activity, they co-wrote a brief mock article for the "Sewanee Purple." The exhibit can be viewed until the end of this week

Join us for a night of fun, food, music, and prizes! Brave students will sing in the language that they are studying at Sewanee. Get your name on the roster to sing by contacting Helen Stapleton hfstaple@sewanee.edu.

Meet at the German House for Oktoberfest!  There will be food, games, and fellowship.

Date & Time TBA

Come for the final fling of the year at the German House on a beautiful sunny day for food and fun.  All are welcome!
Wednesday, April 27
5:00PM-7:00PM

Students had the opportunity to meet  Sewanee grad, Rachel Reynolds, about her work as a literary translator working between German and English on Tuesday, April 26 at the German House

Students gathered at the German House to beautify the lawn on a beautiful spring day in April.

Keisha Phillips is set to graduate this spring majoring in German and Politics.  Read more to find out how this renaissance woman has grown as a scholar and embraced her identity by being a German major.

Congratulations to the winners of Sewanee’s 2022 Faculty Awards, including (from left to right): Ben Mangrum, Liesl Allingham, Jennifer Matthews, and Julian Ledford.  Dr. Allingham received the award for Excellence in Academic Advising.  The awards were handed out during a reception in Guerry Garth on April 14.

Sewanee student, Rebecca Cole is among the 2022 Appalachian College Association Scholars.  Each year, outstanding students are provided funding to help them to pursue research projects over the summer.  Ms. Cole will work under faculty mentors, Dr. Liesl Allingham and Dr. Shana Minkin on her project, Bridging the Gap between Representation and Interpretation in German and Eastern European Holocaust Commemoration.  Cole will present her work in the fall of 2022.

All are invited to an interactive lecture by Cade Archer, student of theology and German, entitled Rebel with a Cause: Dietrich Bonhoeffer-Theology and Resistance during the Nazi Era on Wednesday, April 20 at 4:00pm in Gailor Auditorium.

Students gathered at the German House over the weekend of April 1 to paint nightscapes.  They also watched the movie, Kebab Connection.

Experience how Carnival is celebrated around the world by touring the Language Theme Houses on February 25.
-Try King Cake, make crafts with Mardi Gras beads, and play bead toss at the French House!
-The German House will offer Faschingskrapfen (jam-filled donuts) and face painting!
-Decorate masks at the Italian House!
-Enjoy bliny (thin pancakes), a  bonfire, tug-o-war and other games at the Russian House!
-Foam fight, piñatas, and other games at the Spanish House!
Whether it's Mardi Gras in the Francophone world, Fasching in Germany, Carnevale in Italy, Maslenitsa in Russia, or Carnaval in the Hispanic world, Europeans welcomed the return of the sun and the approach of the Spring Equinox with celebrations involving pancakes and other traditional foods, games, bonfires, costumes, parades, and role reversals.  With the arrival of Christianity, these celebrations evolved into one last indulgence before the austerity of the Lent.

Dr. Corinna Kahnke talked on February 16 about how German society engages [with] people with disabilities.  Interactive activities help you to gain empathy and insight. And on 2 Saturdays, students got to join German actress, Sissi Zängerle to participate in a 2-part theater workshop to gain insights into being disabled.

Dr. Corinna Kahnke will talk about how German society engages [with] people with disabilities.  Interactive activities help you to gain empathy and insight.  The event is on February 16 at 4:00 in Convocation Hall.

Join German actress, Sissi Zängerle to participate in a 2-part theater workshop to gain insights into being disabled. Part 1: Saturday, Feb 19, 2022 1:30-3:00pm Gailor Aud
Part 2: Saturday, Feb 26, 2022 1:30-3:00pm Social Lodge

The German House & the Interfaith Alliance are hosting a traditional German Christmas service with musical performances by German students on December 8. The service will be followed by a Feuerzangenbowle Party with flames, festive foods at the German House. All are welcome

On December 4, students from the different language theme houses, set up an international Christmas market at the Bishops Common.  There were traditional Christmas foods, music,  and arts and crafts

Thanks to a mini-teaching grant from the Center for Teaching, the German Department was able to acquire a button maker. A button maker? Yes! They created personal pronoun / gender buttons, to know how to address each other in class correctly with sie, er and xier. The sunny day even allowed us to complete the project outside.

The 7^th Annual International Karaoke Night was held on October 27 and featured acts in all the modern languages that Sewanee offers: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish. There was fun, food, music, and incredible talent on display. Read more to find out which German acts won.

On November 3, 2021, Dr. Corinna Kahnke led a discussion about how people with visible and invisible disabilities are seen and treated in Germany.

Join the German House for this annual tradition of music, games, brats, vegan options, and outstanding company and conversation.  BYOB for 21+. Saturday, October 2 3:00-5:00

Meet at the German House on Wednesday, September 29 at 7:00pm to talk about study abroad in Germany.

Sunday, Sept 26 finds us breathlessly following the counting of votes and results for the Bundestagswahl. Who will be Germany's next chancellor? Fill out your own ballot, enjoy snacks and coffee... Special guest Dr. Reinhard Zachau, professor emeritus of the German department, will join us for political insights and Q&A.

Meet at the German House this Friday at 3:00 to plant a garden that will attract butterflies and other pollinators.  It will be a beautiful day!

The German Embassy is generously funding our German Campus Weeks again this year. The first event, as part of the unit on environment and sustainability, started on Saturday, September 11.  Scotty Holland, student of German and intern on the campus farm, gave us a tour - in German.

All are welcome to a cookout on the lawn of the German House on Saturday, May 8 from 3:00pm-6:00pm.  There will be games, food, and fun.

Dr. Didem Uca, Assistant Professor of German Studies at Emory University will deliver a talk entitled, "Family Albums, Visual Archives: Migration, Genocide, & the Third-Generation Storyteller in Contemporary German Culture." By example of three texts by hyphenated German authors, Dr. Uca's talk will investigate more broadly how Migration Studies can help us better understand and come to terms with the past. More specifically, Uca explores how Germany can better navigate its National Socialist past and the problematic process of Vergangenheitsbewältigung ("overcoming" the past). You may watch over Zoom at the link below or come to Gailor Auditorium to watch  the talk.  Passcode: 734375

This workshop, led by German actor, Sissi Zángerle, is designed for all learners of German: beginning, intermediate, and advanced
"War doch nicht so gemeint (I didn't mean anything by it)"
Based on the works by Afro-German poet, May Ayim, we engage with issues of everyday racism and transgressions. We aim to give voice to those denied a say, and visibility to those deprived of representation.

We meet on Saturday, March 24 in Gailor Auditorium, 2:30-4:00 pm.
The premiere of our project is on Saturday, May 1 in Gailor Auditorium, 2:30-3:30 pm.

Students enjoyed an afternoon of arts and crafts on the lawn of the German House to make little animals, their favorite little animal or Lieblingstier.

Students posted their best photo from Carnivals past on our Photo Contest Wall by March 20.  All 3 top prizes were awarded to students of German: Stella Wiswall, Sarah MacKinnon, and the German House

In many parts of the world, some form of Carnival is celebrated, combining Christian and pre-Christian traditions indigenous to the region. This celebration goes by many names: Maslenitsa Масленица in Russia; Mardi Gras in the Francophone world; Carnaval in Spain/Latin America, Carnevale in Italy, Fasching in Germany-to name a few. Common threads include celebrating the end of winter darkness, sometimes parades, often outrageous costumes, role reversal, consuming pancakes, or marking the beginning of Lent.  We include the Lunar New Year in this category since it honors the end of winter and the return of the light.

As part of the yearlong celebration of "30 Years of German Unity-Immigration-Integration," Dr. Faye Stewart will discuss German rapper, Lady Bitch  Ray in a talk entitled "Pussy Deluxe": Porn Rap Performance, Politics, and Poppthority in the Music of Dr. Bitch Ray.

To mark the 30th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, there is a poster exhibit in the atrium of Gailor about immigration and integration in the new Germany.  The exhibit will be up during October and November, 2020.

Students gathered at Cravens Hall for the The 6th Annual International Karaoke Night on Saturday, October 24.  It was a little different from past International Karaoke Nights when students sang live in front of a panel of judges and an audience.  Instead,  they submitted videos of themselves singing in the language that they are studying.  The videos representing Chinese, French, German, Latin, Russian, and Spanish were screened at the event, and students and faculty were able to view the videos and vote online in person or remotely.

   This talk cum workshop is part of German Campus Weeks 2020, a series of events on campus, sponsored by a grant from the Embassy of the FRG, Washington. At the 30-year anniversary of German Unity, Sewanee's iteration of Campus Weeks focuses on the topic of Immigration and Integration. October 7 at 4:00.

This semester, the German Table meets every Wednesday between 11:00am and 1:00pm on the lawn of the German House (corner of Louisiana Ave & University Ave). You don't need to be fluent to attend; you just need to share a love of the German language and the culture of Germany.  Bring a blanket or a folding chair! Movie Night is every Sunday night.  Read more to find out the tutoring hours and the dates for German language yoga classes at the Language Resource Center.

Sewanee is hosting the 45th Annual Women in German Conference for the third year in a row October 15-18, 2020, but due to COVID-19, the conference will be virtual.  Learn more about the Women in German Conference.

"As If They Had Met: Historic Facets of Knoxville and East Tennessee through the Artistic Lenses of Annemarie Schwarzenbach, Cormac McCarthy, and Buddy and the Huddle."

In celebration of International Women's Day on March 8, 50 years of co-education at Sewanee, 100 years of Women's Suffrage in the US, and 102 years of Women's Suffrage in Germany, German House presents a poster exhibit on Women's Rights in Germany. It is located on the 2nd floor of Gailor Hall and can be viewed from March 1-11, 2020.

Dr. Richard Apgar's article, "Flooded: Periodicals and the Crisis of Information around 1780" has been published as part of the larger collection, "Marketing Strategies and German Literature in the Long Nineteenth Century."

A portrait of Dr. Corinna Kahnke, German Co-Curricular Activities Director, is featured in an exhibit in duPont Library called "Faces of Sewanee." Dr. Jessica Wohl's portrait painting class curated this exhibit, inspired by Mandy Moe Pwint Tu C'21, who wanted to know what it would look like if the University community were represented more broadly in Sewanee's public spaces. Sewanee student, Laura Heath, C'23 chose Dr. Kahnke because she embodies the notion that people can be true to themselves and still be successful in academia.

The German House Residents have planned fun events for the spring semester of 2020

The German House wants YOU! You've been to German House events, you love all things German/Swiss/Austrian, you want to be part of it all and more? You are our wo/man! Live in the beautiful German House, be an active and integral part of the Germanophile Gemeinschaft, and host cultural events for the house, the department, and the campus community. Want to find out more? Contact German House faculty advisor Dr. Kahnke cokahnke@sewanee.edu and/or speak to any of the fabulous current residents at Mittagstisch (Wednesdays, 11:30-1:00). Application deadline is March 25, 2020

The German House hosted a number of events during the Fall Semester of 2019. The semester began with a Kaffeeklatsch in September, an Oktoberfest in October, a lecture about race relations in a reunified Germany in November, a Weinachtsfest service and party in December.

The German Department celebrated the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 13 with a lecture by Dr. Michelle Eley entitled, "When Unity Sows Division: Reunified Germany and the Return of Racialized Identity Borders" and an informative poster display in the atrium of Gailor Auditorium.

The 5th Annual International Karaoke Night took place on November 7, 2019 at the Tiger Bay Pub. There were songs in 8 different languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Latin, Russian, and Spanish.

Dr. Liesl Allingham, Dr. Richard Apgar, and Dr. Corinna Kahnke attended the Forty-Third Annual Conference of the German Studies Association, held in Portland, Oregon on October 3-6. The annual conferences of the German Studies Association bring together over one thousand scholars in the areas of German history, literature, culture, and politics. Presentations range over the period between the Middle Ages and the present.

For the second year, Sewanee is host to the annual conference of the Coalition of Women in German. Dr. Liesl Allingham, a longtime member of Women in German, is organizing this conference for German scholars from all over the United States and the world, who call themselves "Wiggies." Dr. Richard Apgar and Dr. Corinna Kahnke will also participate in the conference taking place at the Sewanee Inn October 17-20.

The German Embassy in Washington D.C. has generously offered to fund Campus Weeks activities to learn about German culture and the German language.  Stay updated!