Rethinking German Studies through dialogue 28th German Studies Conference at TU Braunschweig
Braunschweig will become the centre of German Studies from 14 to 17 September. Technische Universität Braunschweig is hosting the 28th German Studies Conference. For many years, the conference has been a joint forum for German studies scholars from Germany and around the world. Around 600 participants will gather at the North Campus to exchange ideas. The conference will focus on the topic of ‘dialogue’.
“With this year’s focus on ‘dialogue’, we are turning our attention to a concept that uniquely permeates German studies and teacher training in research and teaching,” says Professor Jan Standke, spokesperson for the German Association of German Studies and professor of literature didactics at the Institute of German Studies at TU Braunschweig, who has been working intensively with his organisational team to prepare the conference for over a year. “Dialogue manifests itself in many forms – as a conversation between characters in literary texts, as an intellectual exchange between readers and writers, as an academic debate or as a reflection on social issues. In a time of social upheaval and new digital communication channels, the ability to engage in dialogue is becoming particularly important. Openness to other perspectives, critical reflection and linguistic sensitivity are skills that we teach and strengthen.”
The German Germanists’ Day is organised by the German Germanists’ Association (DGV) with its sub-associations ‘Gesellschaft für Hochschulgermanistik’ (GfH) and ‘Fachverband Deutsch’ (FV) and is the central event for many Germanists to exchange ideas and network.
Keynote speech: Do we engage in dialogue with chatbots?
The German Studies Conference will open on 14 September with a festive evening event in the Audimax of TU Braunschweig. Professor Sybille Krämer will give the keynote speech on ‘Do we engage in dialogue with chatbots? Reflections on dialogue, artificial intelligence and semantic understanding’.
On the following days of the event at Campus North, participants can look forward to five exciting keynotes (Prof. Dr. Susanne Günthner, Prof. Dr. Ulf Abraham, Prof. Dr. Dirk Werle, Prof. Dr. Miriam Morek and Prof. Dr. Nine Miedema) and more than 100 lectures and workshops. The topic of ‘dialogue’ will be examined from a wide variety of perspectives – from theories and concepts, forms and processes of dialogue to the actors and framework conditions to the functions and goals of dialogue. Representatives of all sub-disciplines of German studies as well as teachers will be present to engage in and stimulate numerous dialogues.
There will also be a publishing exhibition on the North Campus with well-known academic publishers presenting their latest publications. In addition, an education policy talk is planned for 16 September, at which experts will discuss the future viability of German studies.
28th German Studies Conference
Technische Universität Braunschweig, North Campus, Bienroder Weg 84/85
Registration is open until 31 August 2025 via the conference website:
Keynotes
15 September, 9:00–10:30 a.m.: Prof. Dr. Susanne Günthner – Dialogue, dialogicity and the constitution of social realities in interpersonal interaction
15 September, 2:00–3:30 p.m.: Prof. Dr. Ulf Abraham – Conversations in texts and texts in conversation. Towards a dialogical approach to teaching literature
16 September, 9:00–10:30 a.m.: Prof. Dr. Dirk Werle – Dialogue and Enlightenment: An Elective Affinity?
16 September, 2:00–3:30 p.m.: Prof. Dr. Miriam Morek – Classroom interaction as dialogue: How can (German) lessons promote discourse skills?
17 September, 9:00–10:30 a.m.: Prof. Dr. Nine Miedema – ir sprechet wol: ich spræche baz, / ob ich daz kunde, ân allen haz. Desiderata of medieval dialogue research