Course content and focus areas
The four-semester master's program in German Literature builds upon and deepens the knowledge of literary history and aesthetics acquired in a bachelor's program in German studies or a comparable degree program. It enhances skills in text, literary, and cultural theoretical reflection, as well as analytical and argumentative competencies. The program covers the entire spectrum of German-language literature, from its beginnings to the present day. Based on the shared disciplinary framework of German literary studies—Older German Literature (ÄDL) and Modern German Literature (NDL)—it provides a clearly structured approach to the advanced study of history, theory, and aesthetics. Particular attention is given to the historicity of texts and their historically appropriate interpretation. The program sharpens the ability to recognize epochal transformations in both practical and discursive conditions of literature and enables a nuanced understanding of the gradations of historical otherness.
Teaching benefits from numerous internal and external collaborations with the Research Center for Historical Humanities, the Research Institute for Human Sciences, the Cornelia Goethe Center, local publishing houses, Hessischer Rundfunk, institutions such as the Jewish Museum, the Fritz Bauer Institute, the Freies Deutsches Hochstift, the Literaturhaus Frankfurt, and the Cultural Office. These partnerships are reflected in joint events (workshops, conferences, readings, literary festivals) and research-oriented, practice-focused teaching formats.
The master's program equips students with the skills needed to take on challenging positions in fields such as media, cultural mediation, publishing, and public relations. It also provides the foundation for further academic qualification through doctoral studies.