Testimonials:
What the 2018 participants said about the Notre Dame Berlin Seminar:
“The 12 day residential seminar was a model of good organization, with a well-designed mix of meetings, events, field trips, and opportunities for extended small group discussions during daily shared breakfasts, and several lunches and dinners. The open Saturday/Sunday period, together with wonderful suggestions for well known, but also favorite local attractions, which we then visited in smaller groups, deepened the growing friendships between the attendants of the seminar, and helped build the trust for honest discussions about literary research and the state of the German Studies field.”
“Several of the more junior colleagues commented that watching the care with which each session was held was an inspiring form of mentoring, and an invaluable professional development opportunity.”
-Heidi Madden, Librarian for Western European and Medieval Renaissance Studies, Duke University
“Several of the more junior colleagues commented that watching the care with which each session was held was an inspiring form of mentoring, and an invaluable professional development opportunity.”
-Heidi Madden, Librarian for Western European and Medieval Renaissance Studies, Duke University
"Participating in the Notre Dame Berlin Seminar has been one of the most enriching experiences of my professional career. The rigorous program that featured well-known authors as well as an impressive lineup of high-profile representatives from the various sectors of Germany’s literary scene has significantly expanded my understanding of how the books we teach come into being and what distinguishes Germany’s literary institutions, particularly in comparison with the US."
-Eva Revesz, Visiting Assistant Professor of German, Denison University
-Eva Revesz, Visiting Assistant Professor of German, Denison University
"The intellectually stimulating and inspiring environment encouraged participants and guests to raise important questions about their labor as producers, critics, and consumers of cultural products. Together with authors, artists, entrepreneurs, and some of the key players at Berlin’s cultural institutions (e.g. Gorki Theatre, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Suhrkamp Verlag, etc.) conversations evolved that went far beyond the mere logistics of Germany’s Literaturbetrieb, but tirelessly tackled questions of literature’s role, its challenges, and opportunities in the 21st century. "
-Anne von Petersdorff, Doctoral Candidate, Michigan State University
-Anne von Petersdorff, Doctoral Candidate, Michigan State University
"Each invited guest brought with them a uniquely seasoned and informed perspective, and it was always exciting to experience each expert lift the veil behind their work and invite us to think along with them about the questions about the forces that shape the present and future states of cultural life in Germany."
"Apart from constructing a program that is carefully curated, engaging and well organized, they are also incredibly generous, down to earth and genuinely care about the participants’ overall sense of well being, which they demonstrated in myriad ways, not least of which was keeping us well fed and hosting some fabulous dinners at some of Berlin’s most sought out restaurants."
-Elena Mancini, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Queens College, New York City
"Apart from constructing a program that is carefully curated, engaging and well organized, they are also incredibly generous, down to earth and genuinely care about the participants’ overall sense of well being, which they demonstrated in myriad ways, not least of which was keeping us well fed and hosting some fabulous dinners at some of Berlin’s most sought out restaurants."
-Elena Mancini, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Queens College, New York City
“The wide variety of invited speakers (Theresia Enzensberger, Nikolaus Merck, Daniela Seel), as well as the many visits to various vital institutions such as the Deutsche Literaturinstitut or the Gorki Theater, have turned out to be an invaluable experience for my academic development as a PhD Student.”
-Adeline Bauder, Doctoral Candidate, Washington University in St. Louis
-Adeline Bauder, Doctoral Candidate, Washington University in St. Louis
“The seminar gave the participants an unparalleled opportunity to speak not only with authors who are currently publishing in Germany (Theresia Enzensberger, Jan Wagner, Daniela Seel, and Werner Fritsch), but also with literary agents (Karin Graf), literary and theater critics (Jan Wiele from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and Nikolaus Merck of nachtkritik.de), dramaturgs (Ludwig Haugk of the Gorki Theater), publishers (Suhrkamp Verlag and Kookbooks), faculty from creative writing programs (Michael Lentz of the Deutsches Literaturinstitut at the Universität Leipzig), and even owners of local bookstores in Berlin (Christian Koch of the Hammett Kriminalbuchhandlung).”
"It was one of the most informative and interesting scholarly programs I have ever been a part of. And it was certainly the most fun that I have had so far in my academic career."
-James F. Howell, Adjunct Lecturer, University of Arizona
"It was one of the most informative and interesting scholarly programs I have ever been a part of. And it was certainly the most fun that I have had so far in my academic career."
-James F. Howell, Adjunct Lecturer, University of Arizona
“By fostering these personal as well as professional relationships the organizers enabled us to become a tight knit group and gave us the platform to ask questions and discuss difficult topics such as the future of the German literary field and the political implications associated with it eye to eye. The amazing learning experience during the two-week seminar was thus not limited to the seminar room in the Literaturhaus but all-encompassing.”
-Lydia Heiss, Doctoral Candidate, University of Arizona
-Lydia Heiss, Doctoral Candidate, University of Arizona