Selected conferences, lectures, film screenings, exhibitions, and workshops 2017 - German Seminar Series An occasional series of talks by colleagues, PhD students and visiting speakers. Please note that speaker titles and universities, as listed, date from the time of the event and may have changed. Date Title Speakers 27 March 2019 Drama in the World: A.W. Schlegel, Walter Scott, and Two Takes on Theatre History Dr Michael Wood (University of Edinburgh) 28 February 2019 Die Waffen nieder!: Bertha von Suttner as Novelist and Peace Activist Dr Barbara Burns (University of Glasgow) 30 January 2019 German “Provincialism”, the World and Saša Stanišić’s Vor dem Fest Dr Frauke Matthes (University of Edinburgh) 21 November 2018 How German philosophy won the First World War: An Introduction to Viscount Haldane Richard McLauchlan 2 November 2018 Racing Back to the Future: Rosmer/Bernstein’s Neo-Classical Tragedies Dr Robert Gillett (Queen Mary, University of London) 5 October 2018 Cultural Learning in Interaction: Researching meaning-making processes in the foreign language classroom Julia Feike (University of Edinburgh) 23 March 2018 Emil Nolde: Landscapes of Loss Frances Blythe (University of Edinburgh) 2 February 2018 The history of learning and teaching German (and other modern languages) in Britain, 1500-2000 [hosted in collaboration with Cultural Encounters/Cultural Dialogues] Professor Nicola McClelland (University of Nottingham) 1 December 2017 The Disappearance of the Subject in Writing: The Essay Film Beyond Auteurism [hosted in collaboration with Film and the Other Arts] Dr Angelos Koutsourakis (University of Leeds) 3 November 2017 Digitally Distributing Liveness: Three case studies from the Berliner Theatertreffen (2017) Katie Hawthorne (University of Edinburgh) Conferences and symposia Haunted Landscapes of German Eastern Europe Image Dates: 4 to 6 August 2021 Venue: Online (Zoom) Keynote speakers: Dr Kristin Kopp (University of Missouri); Dr Kristin Rebien (San Diego State University); Lenny Ureña Valerio (University of New Mexico) In brief: A three-day conference focusing on Germany’s real and imagined relationships with the countries to its east and the connection between space and memory in German-language representations of Eastern European space. Comprising 14 papers over eight panel sessions, the event culminated in a roundtable discussion. Configuring ‘World Theatre’ Dates: 20 and 21 June 2019 Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh Keynote speaker: Professor Osita Okagbue (Goldsmiths, University of London) Organisers: Professor Julia Prest (University of St Andrews); Dr Michael Wood (University of Edinburgh) In brief: A two-day international conference on Gaining Global Perspectives on Transnational and Intercultural Drama and Performance funded by the AHRC Open World Research Initiative “Cross-Language Dynamics: Reshaping Community”. Comprising five panel sessions, a keynote lecture and a round table discussion, the conference also incorporated a visit to Boxed-In Theatre's performance of The Swallow and the Nightingale at Summerhall, followed by a post-performance discussion with cast and crew. Germany and Scotland: Translation, Transmission, Adaptation Image Date: 30 April 2019 Venue: The Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh Keynote speaker: Dr Howard Gaskill (University of Edinburgh) In brief: An afternoon symposium to launch Howard Gaskill's new translation of Hölderlin's 'Hyperion'. Comprising a keynote speech, book launch, and four expert talks over two panel sessions, the event brought together scholars from the universities of St Andrews, Harvard, Edinburgh, and California State. Lectures, talks, discussions and readings Tracing German Visions of Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century Image Date: 22 November 2022 Venue: Room G.02, 50 George Square Guest speakers: Dr Frauke Matthes (University of Edinburgh); Dr Karolina Watroba (University of Oxford); Dr Jenny Watson (University of Edinburgh); discussion chaired by Dr Hanna Schumacher (University of Edinburgh) In brief: The launch of the last volume of the Edinburgh German Yearbook 'Tracing German Visions of Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century', followed by an informal discussion on the 'Eastern European Turn' (Haines, 2008) in German literature and its relevance in the contemporary cultural space. The Politics of De-Integration Image Dates: 4 to 6 February 2020 Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh (Days 1 and 2); Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh College of Art (Day 3) Keynote speaker: Max Czollek In brief: A series of five events with the poet, writer and stage-performer Max Czollek, DAAD Writer-in-Residence. Supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), several of the events were co-hosted with Edinburgh University Jewish Society and The Research Network in Jewish Studies. Workshops for students focused on translation (German and English) and poetry, while talks, public readings and Q&A sessions centred on Max's collection of politically charged essays and historical reflections, ‘Desintegriert Euch!’ [De-Integrate Yourselves] and other writings. Brecht and the Art of Spectatorship Image Date: 15 February 2018 Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh Events series: Inaugural Lectures at the University of Edinburgh Speaker: Professor Laura Bradley (University of Edinburgh) In brief: A free public lecture marking Laura Bradley becoming Chair of German and Theatre at the University of Edinburgh. In the lecture, Professor Bradley made the case for the systematic study of Brecht and spectatorship using examples from The Mother and Mother Courage, and drawing on Brecht’s directing scripts, drafts, and rehearsal notes. Browse all recent Inaugural Lectures in LLC Textual Encounters: Rewriting Johannes Schiltberger’s Account of Eastern Captivity (1394–1427) Date: 21 October 2016 Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh Speaker: Friederike Wolpert (University of Oxford) In brief: An overview by a former MSc by Research in German Studies student of her recently-submitted doctoral thesis investigating the manner in which the captivity account of Johannes Schiltberger was transformed in transmission. Exhibitions, workshops and performances The German Play Typically organised by the DAAD-Lektorin, with a cast and crew of enthusiastic students of German, the German Play has been supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Goethe-Institut Glasgow and the German Consulate General Edinburgh. Date(s) Title Venue 28 and 29 March 2023 Andorra Assembly Roxy 23 April 2021 Aschenputtel - Das zieht dir die Schuhe aus Online 4 and 5 March 2020 Ab in den Container Assembly Roxy 18 and 19 March 2019 Wodka-Käfer Assembly Roxy 14 to 16 March 2018 Das Leben Assembly Roxy German at the summer festivals Every year, German staff and alumni get involved in events across the summer festivals in Edinburgh. Their events were open to the public, and they feature a multitude of themes relevant to the contemporary culture and society. Please note that this is as close to a complete list as possible, and that speaker titles and institutions may have changed from time of the event. Date Festival Venue Title German rep 1 to 26 August 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Summerhall Maz and Bricks Eva O'Connor (MA Hons German and English Literature) More exhibitions, workshops, film screenings and performances Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas: Why Monuments Should Lie Image Date: 10 August 2023 Venue: The Stand Comedy Club As part of: Edinburgh Festival Fringe In brief: A reflective and comedic show by Paul Leworthy (German Studies) on how and what monuments mean, the links between them and everyday metaphors, and how to tackle the issue of problem monuments. Conversation with Lars Kraume Image Date: 30 March 2023 Venue: Screening Room G.04, 50 George Square In brief: A conversation via web link with director Lars Kraume on his 2015 film, 'Der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer'. The event was chaired by Dr Paul Leworthy and held in a mix of German and English. German Colonialism – History, Memory, Controversy Image Date: 2 December 2022 Venue: Room G.05, 50 George Square Organisers: Second-year students of German In brief: A poster exhibition and reception curated by second-year students in German as the culmination of their independent research on topics relating to the history of German colonialism. There were activities to test your knowledge, interactive displays of facts and statistics, chances to give feedback, samples of previous years’ work, and a display of recent scholarship and literary works on the topic of German colonialism. The Big German Variety Show Image Date: 29 March 2022 Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh In brief: A showcase and celebration of the German language through creative sketches and performances. A pub quiz with a difference, with students showing off their language skills through acting, singing, poetry readings, German tongue-twisters, and much more. Das große Backen Image Date: 23 January 2019 Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh In brief: The German Bake Off - a fine array of German goodies baked by students and staff of German. Part of the DELC Festive Showcase, bringing staff and students together to celebrate languages and cultures from around Europe. This article was published on 2024-08-13
