German Background

Location: Bowdoin / German

German

  • English
  • German

The German Department offers a flexible German studies curriculum that embraces language and culture study as a humanistic endeavor while intersecting a range of academic, interdisciplinary, and personal interests; for example, art, history, and music, German film, politics and business, personal heritage, philosophy or world literature, European pop culture, study and work abroad. Students are strongly encouraged to study one or two semesters in a German-speaking country in order to further develop proficiency in the language and culture as well as to gain a better understanding of their own culture in a global context.

Welcome Letter to Incoming Class of 2016 »

Unsere Abteilung bietet umfassende und dynamische Kurse, die das Studium der deutschen Sprache und Kultur mit einem breiten Spektrum disziplinärer und interdisziplinärer aber auch mit persönlichen Interessen verbinden: z.B. Kunst, Geschichte und Musik, deutscher Film, Politik und Wirtschaft, Familiengeschichte, Philosophie und Weltliteratur, "Pop"-Kulturen Europas, Auslandsstudium und Auslandskarriere. Wir empfehlen allen Studenten, ein oder zwei Semester in einem deutschsprachigen Land zu verbringen, um ihre Sprach- und Kulturkenntnisse zu vertiefen - aber auch, um die eigene Kultur in einer zunehmend globalen Welt besser zu verstehen.

 

Student Spotlight

Julia Littlefield '11 I had always planned on spending a semester abroad from Bowdoin, as I believe that studying abroad greatly enriches what a college student can learn...

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Study Abroad

Study Abroad "My first priority for my study abroad experience was to improve my fluency in both German and Spanish, so it made sense for me to pick a country where each of those languages is spoken..."  

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Fellowships, Grants, & Prizes

Resources It doesn't take much digging to discover why Bowdoin students consistently win Fulbright fellowships for teaching and research overseas following their graduation.

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Events

Events The German Department sponsors and co-sponsors lectures and visits by writers, artists, filmmakers and scholars.

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At a Glance

 Sills Hall
Sills Hall
[ tour ] • [ map]

coordinate major Majorminor Minor

Courses offered in
2010-2011:   26

Contacts:

  • Department Chair:
    Steven R. Cerf
  • Department Coordinator:
    Tammis Donovan
    (207) 725-3782
  • Mailing Address:
    7700 College Station
    Bowdoin College
    Brunswick, ME 04011-8477

Department History
  • German at Bowdoin officially began when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was made the first professor of Modern Languages at the College in 1829. Learn more »