DEPARTMENT OF GERMANIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

NEWSLETTER WINTER 2018

lsa.umich.edu/german TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the Chair 3 Events 4 - 5 Faculty Focus 6 - 7 Graduate Student Focus 8 - 9 Undergraduate Student Focus 10 - 11 In the Classroom 12 Staying Connected 13 Dutch Studies 14 Scandinavian Studies 15

2 Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

to the engagement and and lectures, working hard his students, and he has dedication of everyone to get their bearings in a commented on the outcome in the department, from world that is witnessing of both the German and our outstanding lecturers, newly emboldened white the Austrian elections for professors, and staff to the supremacists, threats to the press (see our website graduate and undergraduate democratic institutions, and for links to his articles). students who give back a tidal wave of populism. so much, and across In these ways and more, all three undergraduate That wave has engulfed many of which you’ll find programs: German, Europe as much as the detailed in the coming pages, Dutch, and Scandinavian United States. Here in we strive to help make Studies. Please take a the department, we have students aware of the culture moment to congratulate certainly been following and politics that surround your favorite member of this fall’s elections closely, them, whether close to Dear friends, lieve the department for this first in Germany and home or in the German-, vrienden, kära vänner— collective achievement! now in Austria, after the Dutch-, and Scandinavian- Netherlands had voted in speaking countries across Liebe Freunde At the same time, we March. These elections have the Atlantic. We do so in nah und fern remain keenly aware that brought the far right into the firm belief that cross- Wherever it finds you, I hope our work does not take the mainstream of national cultural encounters of the this newsletter finds you well place in a vacuum, but in politics, a development that kind enabled by language in these tumultuous times. the overlapping contexts long seemed unthinkable learning, study abroad, and I’ll get to what I mean by that make up our current after the end of Nazi literary and cultural studies tumultuous in a moment; cultural and political moment. Germany. Students had the remain key for navigating, but first, I’m pleased to This fall, I taught “Fascist opportunity to engage with and hopefully ameliorating, report that the Department Cinemas”—a course on the these portentous political these tumultuous times. of Germanic Languages and history of film in Germany, developments, whose Read on to see the many Literatures is bursting with Italy, Spain, and Japan from consequences extend to the ways in which we approach activity once again, from the 1920s through WWII. It is European Union and beyond, this task in our diverse the classroom to faculty a course I’ve taught several in their classes—including departmental activities. research, from our ambitious times, but this past semester, Silvia Grzeskowiak’s 4th- schedule of talks and events it felt different. A number of semester language course to our efforts at outreach students who signed up for on “News and Media in the Sincerely, and community engagement. the class back in April, mainly German-Speaking World,” We’re especially proud to because it helps them satisfy Peter McIsaac’s upper-level have received—for the second distribution requirements, seminar on “Current Events time already!—the College of have told me that in the Through German Media,” wake of Charlottesville, and Andy Markovits’s course, LSA's Department Award for Johannes von Moltke understanding the history cross-listed with Political Outstanding Contributions [email protected] to Undergraduate Education, of fascism and fascist Science, on “German Politics which was officially awarded culture has taken on a new in Europe since 1945.” at the beginning of the urgency; others are looking Andy even organized an semester. This is a tribute outward from our screenings election viewing party for

lsa.umich.edu/german 3 DEPARTMENT HAPPENINGS

As a leader in the field of Germanic Languages and Literatures, the department continues to attract world class artists, authors, and academics to the University of Michigan. We sponsored many events in the fall of 2017 which brought together an incredible amount of talent and a broad range of perspectives. Importantly, these events also provided exciting outside-the-classroom learning opportunities for students, faculty, and the broader university and southeast Michigan communities.

BeTroit. Berlin. Detroit. Places where devastation is still visible alongside new opportunities. Cities that are rough and at the same time interesting and beautiful. In October, author Merle In 2016, artists from both Kröger and filmmaker cities—poets, emcees, Philip Scheffner brought a singer/songwriters, beat fascinating collaboration to producers—came together Ann Arbor. Havarie (Collision), in Detroit and created an combines a web of stories entire album in just one in which worlds intersect week of rich collaboration. In and collide—refugees September, the department in the Mediterranean, a hosted many of those artists Miami-based cruise ship, in Ann Arbor for a screening Russian and Ukrainian of Philip Halver’s inspiring tankers, and a Spanish documentary about the maritime rescue crew are process alongside live artist set against a flood of news Top image: Still from film Havarie images about the refugee performances. We also (Collision) © Philip Scheffner. welcomed a delegation of Bottom image: Group shot © be-troit.com 2017 crisis. Havarie (Collision), social workers from Berlin Scheffner's film and Kröger's to the event for an evening novel, radically redirects that was an inspiring, cross- our imagination of Europe cultural and multi-media. to a set of coordinates in For more information visit the Mediterranean Sea. The http://be-troit.com/ novel is a maritime thriller by one of Germany’s most celebrated crime writers, building suspense through the eyes of a diverse array of memorable characters. The film premiered at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival and won the German Film Critics Award for Best Experimental Film of 2016.

4 Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures Global Cultural Encounters Germanic languages & between the Material and the literatures, and East Asian Immaterial, 1750-1950, was studies. Assistant Professor a three-day interdisciplinary Kira Thurman presented workshop in August which her paper on the musical explored our world’s diaspora, "Encountering interconnectedness since Beethoven in Rural Alabama: the modern era. It brought German Music and Black together scholars from Education in the United many disciplines, including States, 1870–1940." history, anthropology, religion, performance studies, German students from workshop for our language area high schools and classes. You can view their U-M enjoyed a live musical music videos in German performance by the Munich through Deutsche Welle hip hop group EINSHOCH6 in and the Einshoch6 Youtube November. This free concert channel. U-M students have was held at the Neutral been particularly enjoying Zone, Ann Arbor’s teen "Deutschlehrerin" and "Lass The Department of Germanic "Presence as Profanation: community center. The band uns reden." Languages & Literatures German Naturalism's also conducted an on-site 2017-2018 Speaker Series Anti-Apotheoses" with included many significant Erica Weitzman, Assistant names in the field and Professor Northwestern beyond, bringing together University. Weitzman’s students and professors to teaching and research explore: interests include German literature, philosophy, and "Weather as a Problem culture of the nineteenth and in Media Theory" with John early twentieth centuries; Durham Peters, the María aesthetics and poetics; Rosa Menocal Professor theories of the comic; realism The 2017 Annual Werner of English and Professor and naturalism; critical Grilk Memorial Lecture of Film and Media Studies theory, phenomenology, and on "Music, Work, Society: at Yale University. Peters is psychoanalysis; law and Speculations and Mediations an interdisciplinary media literature; fin-de-siècle and at the Jahrhundertwende." historian and theorist with World War I; and literatures was presented by Professor allied interests in cultural of Mitteleuropa and Celia Applegate, Vanderbilt and intellectual history, Southeastern Europe. University. Applegate studies anthropology, religious the culture, society, and studies, philosophy, sound politics of modern Germany, studies, and the history of with particular interest science and technology. in the history of music, nationalism and national Top image Einshoch6 performing. identity. She is the William Bottom image: Medieval blacksmiths illustration by R. Kenan, Jr. Chair of History Jost Amman, 1568. and Professor of History at Vanderbilt University and an Edward T. Cone Member in Music Studies.

lsa.umich.edu/german 5 FACULTY FOCUS

Bicentennial Celebration of U-M's Museums - Object Lessons Recollecting Museum Histories at Michigan

OBJEC T LESSONS October 13 - December 30, 2017

Exhibition dates: Kerstin Barndt, Associate Oct 13– cycle of collections, on points Professor of German and Dec 30, 2017 of origin and decline, and Museum Studies at U-M, Curated by on the shifting valorization teaches European and Kerstin Barndt of objects over time. U.S. museum history and in collaboration theory as well as twentieth with Richard Object Lessons draws Barnes and and twenty-first century Amanda Krugliak, on collections housed in German literature and with original the University's research culture. Together with Carla commissioned museums (Paleontology, Sinopoli, she co-edited the artwork by Zoology, and Anthropological Richard Barnes book Object Lessons and Museum of Natural History Archeology), as well as the the Formation of Knowledge. Recollecting Museum University Herbarium, the The University of Michigan Histories at Michigan A Bicentennial Exhibition with new Artworks by Richard Barnes Museum of Natural History, Museums, Libraries, and

Additional support provided by the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, Office of Research, MCubed, the Stephen S. Clark Map Collections 1817–2017. Institute for the Humanities, Museum of Natural History, Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures Library, the Stearns Collection of Musical Instruments, A visual and performance The history of the modern Showcasing original the Bentley Historical artist, Amanda Krugliak research university is objects dating from 1837 Library, and the University serves as the art curator unthinkable without to the present, Object of Michigan Library. at the U-M Institute for collecting. At the University Lessons affords visitors a the Humanities. of Michigan, the first objects synthetic look at 200 years The exhibition features brought to campus in the of collecting for science. photography and sculpture by The Museum of Natural late 1830s included a piece Museum specimens, New York-based artist Richard History is a partner for of copper from the Upper artifacts, and documents Barnes that engages with Object Lessons, providing Peninsula, bird skins, an from the archives bring specimens, taxidermy, and institutional support and Anishinaabe canoe and into focus the University tools from the collections. serving as the host of the pressed plants. Today’s Museum’s importance to Staging these images and exhibition in the rooms collections encompass early state history, its first sculptures in today’s campus of the former Ruthven over 25 million specimens global collecting expeditions, museum spaces, Barnes Museums Library. and artifacts. As the last the changing relationship offers an aesthetic reflection exhibition before the closing between culture and nature, of the histories on display. The project received of the Natural History science and religion, and the A recipient of the Rome generous funding from the Museum in the Ruthven transformation of research Prize, Barnes has had solo University of Michigan’s Museums Building, Object and collecting practices exhibitions of his work at the Bicentennial Office, College of Lessons activates the from the nineteenth to Carnegie Museum of Art in Literature, Science, and the memory of the museum's the twenty-first centuries. Pittsburgh, the Carpenter Arts, U-M Office of Research, building and richly illustrates Not all of U-M’s historical Center at Harvard University, MCubed, the Department of the University of Michigan’s collections survive; the the Boston Museum of Fine Germanic Languages and lasting effort to build exhibition reflects this fact Arts, and the Cranbrook Art Literatures, the Museum of collections in support by focusing also on the life Museum, among others. Natural History and Institute of its academic mission for the Humanities. and for the public.

6 Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures Dickinson awarded the Charles IFK Fellows: Thurman and Dickinson Bernheimer Prize

In the summer of 2018, defined clusters — this at this year’s ACLA both Kira Thurman and year’s theme is “cultures conference in Utrecht. Kristin Dickinson will be of translation” — and on Universities are only fellows at the IFK in Vienna. their own research. Both permitted to nominate The IFK (Internationales Thurman and Dickinson one dissertation per year Forschungszentrum will be in residence for in the field of comparative Kulturwissenschaften / several months, advancing literature, and the University International Research their research projects on of California, Berkeley Centre for Cultural Studies) black classical musicians nominated Assistant is currently in its 25th year in central Europe and on Professor Kristin Dickinson. as one of Austria’s premier the history of German- She won the award for her research institutions. Turkish connectivity through dissertation "Translation Fellows work on thematically translation, respectively. The Bernheimer Prize goes and the Experience of to the best dissertation Modernity: A History of nominated by a department German-Turkish Connectivity." or program. It was awarded

Thurman awarded the Berlin Prize Thank you, Kathleen Canning! Fellowship at the American Academy

A member of the U-M Fellows, who come from the faculty since 1988, humanities, social sciences, Canning recently stepped public policy, and the arts, down from her post pursue independent projects as chair of History, a in a residential community department with 81 faculty at the Hans Arnhold Center, members that has been a historic villa on Lake ranked in the top seven Wannsee. They share their nationally during the work with German colleagues last decade. At U-M, she and audiences at lectures, was the Sonya O. Rose readings, discussions, Collegiate Professor of concerts, and film screenings, History and the Arthur which form the core of the Each year, the American Kathleen Canning, our F. Thurnau Professor Academy’s rich program of Academy awards two dozen long-time colleague in of History, Women’s public events. semester-long Berlin Prize the German and History Studies and German. fellowships to outstanding Departments, will become The German magazine scholars, writers, and artists dean of humanities We thank Canning for her Der Spiegel calls the from the United States. Kira at Rice University passion in reinvigorating American Academy "the Thurman, Assistant Professor January 1st, 2018. the humanities, teaching, most important center for and leading the way of History and German, was American intellectual life in her research. awarded this prestigious prize outside of the United States." for Fall 2017.

lsa.umich.edu/german 7 GRADUATE STUDENT FOCUS

"Mediating the Modern" Graduate Student Conference by Emily Gauld, current PhD graduate student

Graduate students from literary and cultural histories 1800/1900/2000; Violent participants worked institutions across the of mediation, remediation, Images, Auditory Objects; together to interrogate the country and abroad joined and intermediation, on and Intermediations: Film, meaning of modernity, how the University of Michigan's the other. Preceding the Literature, Photography. it is represented, and how Department of Germanic conference, students took Presentations addressed it is experienced, on both Languages and Literatures part in a workshop led by topics ranging from 18th- collective and individual on September 29th and 30th Professor Celia Applegate century Parisian street levels. The conversations for the graduate student (Vanderbilt) discussing criers to Kittler’s musical and ideas generated by conference “Mediating the selections from her most proclivities, from insect the conference attest to Modern: Sound/Image/ recent publication The experiments to Japanese the vibrancy of a rising Text.” Both borrowing from Necessity of Music: Variations Manga, and from Nazi generation’s innovative and looking beyond the work on a German Theme. A architecture to feminist work within our individual of German media theorist keynote address by Professor filmmaking. Discussions disciplines and fields as well Friedrich Kittler, conference Sean Franzel, Associate navigated from aesthetic as an interdisciplinary and participants spent two Professor of German at humanism to cybernetic post- intermedial approach to days exploring productive the University of Missouri, humans and back, bringing German studies. points of contact between kicked off the conference, participants’ ideas and contemporary media theory, which included four panels: questions into conversation on the one hand, and the Theorizing Sound; Materiality with one another. Conference

Dissertation Defenses Samuel Heidepriem Fichte and Büchner. Sam successfully defended accepted a three-year his dissertation on Friday, postdoctoral research Congratulations July 14, 2017. Sam's fellowship in the Department submitted dissertation is of Foreign Languages and on successful titled Aesthetics, Politics, Literatures at Tsinghua Revolution: Concepts of University in Beijing, China. dissertation Representation in Schiller, defenses!

Elizabeth (Biz) Nijdam term. Biz is in Berlin, where successfully defended her she has joined the Program dissertation, 'Drawing for Me for Advanced German Means Communication’: Anke and European Studies as Feuchtenberger and German a postdoctoral fellow. Art Comics after 1989, during the Spring/Summer 2017

8 Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures Welcome New Students!

Giovanni Doveri Erin Johnston-Weiss Hannah Lichtenthäeler Özlem Karuc Giovanni earned his B.A. Erin received her B.A. Hannah is the current Özlem earned her in German Language (honours) from the University exchange student from Freie Staatsexamen I, the and Literature and Arts of Manitoba, and an M.A. Universität Berlin, where equivalent of an MEd, and Letters magna cum in German Studies at the she is pursuing her M.A. in with majors in English and laude from Portland State University of Manitoba. North American Studies. German from the University of University. Thereafter, he Erin's current research Her majors are culture and Dortmund and in Turkish from completed his MA at the focuses on the comparative sociology; she is mostly the University of Duisburg- University of Colorado, representation of ‘difficult interested in television, Essen, Germany, in 2013, Boulder. Giovanni is knowledge,’ genocide and film, serial narratives and and her Staatsexamen II, interested in how modernist mass atrocities in German feminisms. Hannah received a professional teaching literature critiques and North American her B.A. from the Freie certificate, in 2015. Özlem’s existing social conditions Museums, as well as Universität Berlin in North current research interest and gives glimpses of Holocaust representation American Studies in 2016. focuses on the intersections of dreams of a better life. and pedagogy. motion pictures and culture.

Hannah McMurray Kurt Schwitters. Hannah successfully defended her is working at the Musée dissertation on Tuesday, de l'Elysée in Lausanne, May 23, 2017. Hannah's Switzerland - one of Europe's submitted dissertation is leading photography Winning New Freedom: museums - on a 6-month Intersections of Text and internship in the department Image in the Montage, of External Affairs as part of Typographical, and the Museum Studies Program Graphic Design Work of at the University of Michigan.

lsa.umich.edu/german 9 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT FOCUS

Department Awarded for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education Award

Each year, one LSA The department’s outreach teaching unit receives the reaches well beyond the Department Award for University; impressively, the Outstanding Contributions to department’s approach to Undergraduate Education. For German Studies has become the 2016-17 academic year, known as the 'Michigan the Department of Germanic Model,' and a comprehensive Languages and Literatures website of resources is won this prestigious college available to users around the award. The following world. Likewise, educational excerpt from Associate accomplishments of members Dean Angela Dillard's of the department, and announcement lists some of the reflections of former the many reasons why the undergraduates, speak to department was recognized: the vision and leadership of the Department of Germanic "The Department of Languages and Literatures Germanic Languages and in undergraduate education. Literatures has demonstrated The department reflects a a thoughtful and coherent strong commitment to the collective approach to College’s priorities in diversity, undergraduate education equity, and inclusion: through and has also created a caring its designated R&E courses; and welcoming atmosphere through its emphasis on around the department. thinking about diversity, The selection committee ethnic difference and minority was impressed with the identities; and through other pedagogical leadership of opportunities, such as hosting the department, including an minority German authors extensive set of resources through the writer-in-residence for highly engaging language program inaugurated this past learning and a variety of academic year. The success The University of Michigan courses on topics including of the Scandinavian and Department of Germanic business, science and Dutch programs is impressive Languages and Literatures' engineering, and law, without in its own right, and student photo contest was open to all shortchanging opportunities comments reflect a healthy Photo students affiliated with the to engage with grammar, and helpful general department through research, literature, and other aspects atmosphere throughout the Contest study, or an internship of culture. The philosophy of department: a close-knit abroad completed between “culture from the beginning community with extraordinarily May 1-August 31, 2017. We and language until the active, friendly, and received over 40 submissions end” seems to provide a knowledgeable faculty and and photos were judged on remarkably engaging and advisors, all with a strong subject matter, composition, successful model. commitment to excellence in technical quality, creativity, undergraduate education." and originality by a select

10 Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures panel of U-M staff and of a Sturm Scholarship for Anne-Elizabeth Jones, Kiera Soraghan, Chemical faculty members. Award Goethe-Institut Study. German BA (2020), Engineering BSE, German winners received monetary “Right as I reached the top Summer 2017 recipient Studies Minor (2018). prizes and bragging of a mountain after a hike, of a Sturm Scholarship for “Heiliggeistkirche located rights. The winners are: there happened to be people Goethe-Institut Study. in München, Bayern. There paragliding off the top. It was “The children of Schwäbisch was a special art exhibit on First Place, $100. a spectacular convergence Hall release balloons on display, of white paper doves The Top (See cover, of man and nature.” the steps of St. Michael's descending on the altar.” upper left, for photo). Church during Kinderfest.” Obertsdorf, Bayern, Germany. Second Place, $75. Along with the first Robert Fenton, Mechanical Kinderfest at St. Michael's Third Place, $50. place winner, additional Engineering BSE, German Church (Above left). Heiliggeistkirche submissions can be Studies Minor (2019), Schwäbisch Hall, Baden- (Above right). München, found on the cover. Summer 2017 recipient Württemberg, Germany. Bayern, Germany.

lsa.umich.edu/german 11 IN THE CLASSROOM

German 346 - Media Matter by Tyler Whitney, Assistant Professor

How can German Left image: Film still from the literature, philosophy, and documentary Halfmoon Files (2007), dir. Philip Scheffner. cultural history help us to Below image: Student-produced, Dada- make sense of our own inspired photomontage thematizing media environment and contemporary German politics. technological present? What do the histories of reading and writing, film and sound recording, teach us about the social, political, and aesthetic implications of a still unfolding media revolution, one marked by seminar “Media Matter: From at Amazon warehouses and the rise of digital computing, Print to Screen Culture,” the Disneyland theme park, data aggregation, which explores this complex online book clubs, ‘genetic automation and tracking? history and the critical art’ and biological design. insights it has engendered. In addition to engaging German-speaking Europe Cross-listed with American with scholarly articles, occupies a unique and Culture and Screen Arts & literary texts, films and troubled place in the history Cultures, the seminar also audio recordings, students of media, the site of both moves beyond the German- are asked to create their speaking context to examine own politically oriented groundbreaking technical Finally, the course utilizes the parallel developments in photomontage in the style of innovations and some of their department's own speaker the United States, thereby the German Dadaists. most nefarious applications series, which regularly making it of interest to – from Gutenberg’s invention features lectures on related students from a variety of Each semester, the seminar of the printing press, topics by prominent scholars majors and minors. mines the remarkable through the extensive use of media from around the reservoir of resources on of radio and film for political world. In the past, students The seminar’s emphasis campus and in the Ann Arbor propaganda during the attended a presentation on interdisciplinarity and community. Students visit Third Reich, to elaborate by the media preservation Transatlantic exchange is the Orson Welles Archive at networks of state-sponsored specialist, Patrick Feaster reflected in the range of the Hatcher Graduate Library surveillance in former East (Indiana University), who, topics covered over the with Film Studies Field Germany. Not surprisingly, among other things, was course of the semester, Librarian, Philip Hallman, Germany has also produced involved in playing back including German print to sift through boxes of some of the most influential the world’s earliest sound culture around 1800, the archived letters from Welles’ theorists of media and recording. This coming typewriter and female infamous 1938 radio play played an invaluable semester the course will tie labor, German colonialism “War of the Worlds." Other role in the development in with lectures on nineteenth and phonographic sound events have included visits of media studies as an century ‘paperwork’ and archives, Nazi radio, to Duderstadt’s Computer academic discipline. Nazi technoscience by Afrofuturism and the and Videogame Archive on contemporary media theorists development of techno music North Campus, exhibitions This winter semester the Petra McGillen (Dartmouth) in Detroit and Berlin, data and sound installations at Department of Germanic and Geoffrey Winthrop-Young aggregation on social media, UMMA, and film screenings Languages and Literatures (U. of British Columbia). will once again offer the surveillance and tracking on media-related topics at the Ann Arbor Film Festival.

12 Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures STAYING CONNECTED

My Time in the Max Kade Haus by Sean Moberg, '08 A.B.

Encountering German and Austrian culture, with the foundation in conversational German that the Kade program was able to provide was an unmatched experience that I have carried with me ever since.

Since leaving Michigan, I have gone on to complete a Master’s degree at the I first laid eyes on the Max Building as many of my University of Notre Dame Kade German Residence, housemates, but this just and a PhD at the Catholic back in its previous location made the Kade house all University of America, both in Baits II, as a high school the more valuable to my in the area of Early Christian senior. I was trying to decide experience. The opportunities Studies. I work especially on where to live on campus in to practice my German the development of Christian the fall, and scheduled a brief around the dorm and to monasticism in the fourth tour with then-head resident engage more deeply with and fifth centuries, and love Stacy Swennes. Stacy showed German culture helped me nothing more than teaching me around the building, engage with my German undergraduates about the introduced me to a few of studies in a much deeper history and thought of the the other residents, and told way than most people early Church. I still use my Left top image: Back on campus for me about the study abroad get with their minor. the Penn State game with my dad. German skills in research Photo credit: Bertley Moberg. trips to Germany. By the time from time to time, but the Left bottom image: Photo credit: I walked out of the building, Best of all, though, were the bigger imprint my experience Laura Kingman. my mind was made up, and study abroad trips to Europe. in the Kade program left Right image: Photo credit: no amount of dire warnings My freshman year the trip Ryan McKown on me lies in the way I from my older friends about fell through, but after that, learned to understand and the horrors of living on North we went to Berlin, Munich, appreciate a foreign culture Campus could deter me. and Vienna in successive and country. Both as a years. I still tell friends historian and as citizen, I After I moved in the following stories of getting stranded can think of few skills that fall, I soon met people who with friends at Ostbahnhof seem more practical to me would become some of my in Berlin after the trains today than that. I am deeply best friends throughout stopped running (the words grateful to the Kade program college, and even to the “nicht einsteigen” have a very for providing me with a present day, through the sinister feel in the wee hours community dedicated to Kade program. The Kade of the morning, several miles developing that appreciation. Haus gave me both a social from the youth hostel!) and I hope that it will continue to and an academic network the time we got forty or fifty do so for new students for from day one. I only ended people in the Hofbräuhaus many years to come. up minoring in German, so I in Munich to start singing did not spend as much time “Hail to the Victors!” in the Modern Languages

lsa.umich.edu/german 13 DUTCH STUDIES

22nd Annual De Vries – Van der Kooy Memorial Lecture with Gea Sijpkes by Annemarie Toebosch, Director of Dutch Studies

In the past decade or two, where they can do good over She explained how the home, Above image: Dutch studies program the term “helicopter parent” jobs with higher paychecks. in the face of budget cuts, director Annemarie Toebosch, Gea Sijpkes, and Wendy Woods, MCSP has gained popularity in U.S. receives companionship for Associate Director, with students. higher education to describe In the Netherlands where the elderly from students. a generation of overprotective the achterbankgeneratie Subsequently, the elderly a real shift in their thinking parents. Their children, who (the “back seat generation”) have a renewed zest for away from recruiting students are now our students, are has received similar life and connection to the in health-related fields. This often criticized for being criticism, one program has world, and students report a Dutch program explicitly “coddled,” “overly-sensitive,” turned the notion of youth, deeper sense of life, death, warns against student- and “dependent” young dependence, and care on calm and civic engagement. elderly health care-based adults. The generalization its head. Students in the relationships. The strength ignores the fact that many town of Deventer have been Ms. Sijpkes’ visit extended of the program, it argues, students have grown up in living in an elderly home, beyond the lecture to is in old and young sharing households with a parent essentially living with their classroom visits and life and becoming friends. who had neither the time grandparents in exchange meetings with members of nor the resources to hover for room and board. On the local elderly and elderly Streaming of the lecture can over them. What’s more, the October 12, Gea Sijpkes, care community. Dutch be found on the Germanic labels ignore the possibility CEO of Humanitas Deventer, program students, especially Languages and Literatures that there’s an upside. Maybe explained the social and those in the Michigan website, www.lsa.umich.edu/ helicopter-parented students societal power of her program Community Scholars Program german, search on Sijpkes. have been shown a model to an audience of over 100 (a residential program that We thank all our many donors of an important level of university and community focuses on community at U-M, in the community, altruism, of care for others. members as she presented service) considered how the and in the Dutch national Concerned about others, the 22nd De Vries – Van Humanitas Deventer program corps for their generous our current postmillenial, or der Kooy Memorial lecture could work on campus. Local support of the event. “Generation We,” students “Aging and Engaging: Dutch professionals who are setting are reported to value jobs Pragmatic Innovation in the up student-elderly programs Care for Old and Young.” stated that the visit caused 14 Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures SCANDINAVIAN STUDIES

Learning from Living in Scandinavia by Johanna Eriksson, Director of Scandinavian Studies

In September, four Stockholm for anyone looking children raised by wolves, area, under the supervision 2016-17 second-year for a big city experience to stories of sailors jumping of two group leaders and Swedish students who and a change of pace from onto the moon at high tide. myself.” Caroline enjoyed had recently returned student life in Ann Arbor.” The writing we produced living in a studio apartment from study abroad and was even more varied, and in downtown Malmö, which internships in Scandinavia, Thomas Brooks studied even more magical.” Lars has a young, progressive and discussed their experiences Norwegian during his winter found the environment artistic feel. “I felt like I was in the introductory class semester at Oslo University. breathtaking, and a perfect experiencing Sweden as a “Scandinavian Civilization.” “My seven months in place for budding writers: resident might - I’d come to Norway were, as clichéd as “Reykjavik is cradled by think of my neighborhood Elisabeth Benham studied it sounds, life-changing. I majestic mountains on one and apartment as home. I at Stockholm University learned so much from being side, and a shimmering don’t think that could have in the winter semester. “I immersed in a culture, ocean on the other. Every happened through any means lived in a student dorm language, and environment corner of the countryside besides total immersion.” where we each had our that somehow managed had a glacier or a waterfall own rooms and shared to be both similar and or a volcano, each more Other study abroad and a kitchen and common different from my own. At the beautiful than the last.” internship opportunities area,” Elisabeth told us. “I University of Oslo, I was able to Scandinavia are offered really enjoyed Stockholm to make connections with Caroline Rothroth spent through the School of University because of its like-minded students and eight summer weeks in the Engineering and the LSA close proximity to downtown experience life as a college south of Sweden, interning Opportunity Hub. In addition Stockholm, a beautiful city student 4000 miles away.” for a Malmö-based youth to Stockholm University, CGIS that offers great food, music, magazine called Gatans offers academic programs and nightlife.” Elisabeth In a group of 20 University Röster. The magazine focuses at Uppsala University and was able to travel to other of Michigan students, Lars on providing a platform for DIS Copenhagen and parts of Sweden while there. Johnson participated in a young immigrants to Sweden Stockholm. The Scandinavian “One of my favorite trips creative writing course in to share their personal Studies endowment along was with the student union Reykjavik, Iceland. “The class stories and perspectives with funding through the when we went to Lapland to was all about Fairytales, both on political events. “It was Highfield Foundation see the northern lights and reading and writing them. We almost entirely youth-run: provides scholarships to meet the indigenous Saami read a wealth of fantastical articles were written and students participating people.” She concludes, “I narratives, from ancient photographed by a group of in these programs. would definitely recommend Norse myths, to tales about students from the Malmö

Left image: Scandinavian Activities put on by the Scandinavian Club Club Soccer Team The Scandinavian Club is participated in the World run by co-presidents Sofia Soccer cup. The weekly Ackermand and Christian “fika”, coffee hour, is held Neubacher. One warm in the Michigan League at 3 September afternoon, the PM on Fridays. Join the club club played the Swedish for Swedish conversation, lawn-game “kubb” on Scandinavian foods, the Diag. On September games, movie nights and 30, an enthusiastic team many other activities. lsa.umich.edu/german 15 Cover Photos

Top image: The Top. Obertsdorf, Bayern, Germany. Robert Fenton, winner of the GLL photo contest. Bottom Left image: Eis auf Theaterplatz. Dresden, Germany. Jasmina Purtell. Bottom Right image: Friedrich- Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark. Berlin, Germany. Sebastian Lyos. Table of Contents Image Detail from Rackham Graduate School, Sarah Nesbitt.

Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures 812 East Washington Street 3110 Modern Languages Building Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 -1275 (734) 764-8018 • www.lsa.umich.edu/german

Chair: Johannes von Moltke Hermann F. Weiss, Professor Emeritus Asst. Editor & Layout: Jennifer White & Nina Barraco Hermann Weiss, who taught 50 were dragged out of The Regents of The University of Michigan in the Department from Auschwitz-bound trains from Michael J. Behm 1968 to 2000, celebrated Belgium, France, and the Mark J. Bernstein his eightieth birthday in Netherlands to be dispersed Shauna Ryder Diggs June 2017. He has been to forced labor camps. On Denise Ilitch blessed with good health September 2, 2016, the Andrea Fischer Newman and continues to lead an former freight station in the Andrew C. Richner active life. His work on two city of Cosel was dedicated as Ron Weiser under-researched systems a memorial site. Katherine E. White of forced labor camps for Mark S. Schlissel (ex officio) Jews in Silesia and adjoining In 2010, Hermann Weiss and areas is continuing. In his wife Becky moved from addition to writing numerous their rural home to Great Oak entries on individual camps Cohousing on the west side for the Encyclopedia of of Ann Arbor, where both take Camps and Ghettos (United an active role in community States Holocaust Memorial life. They regularly travel to German Day: Museum), he occasionally Oregon to enjoy that beautiful publishes detailed papers state, and to Germany to March 23, 2018 on some of these almost visit with family and friends. unknown camps. Two of Hawaii continues to be one these appeared in Poland of Hermann Weiss’s favorite in 2016 and 2017. Among destinations. He would be DichterInnen his more recent discoveries happy to hear from former und DenkerInnen is the actual place in Upper students (734-663-9673; Silesia where approximately [email protected]). 9000 men between 15 and