Welcome to Our Department!
Our mission is to teach German and Russian, and to research and teach the rich cultural history and present of the people who speak these languages, no matter where they may live. About a decade ago, the Report of the Presidential Humanities Commission of the University of California noted that the humanities “can help … students learn how to negotiate our culturally diverse contemporary world in ways that are both knowledgeable and sensitive.” We believe that studying past and present cultures—with all their contradictions and complexities—can influence our lives in the present, and that studying foreign languages, films, literatures, philosophy, and visual arts can help us better navigate our own globalized world. We passionately believe that studying foreign languages in particular is and remains vital in our hyper-connected world, both professionally and for our own personal growth and enrichment.
Sven Spieker, Chair, Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies
GSS News & Events
February 25, 4.30-5 pm: GSS faculty participate in Leap Into Languages, an exciting campus-wide event designed to highlight the many opportunities attached to language study. Everybody is welcome! (Library Room 1312).
February 26, 2-4 pm: First GSS Undergraduate Student Research Day. GSS undergraduates share their research with students and faculty (Phelps 6230). Everybody welcome! Refreshments will be provided. To sign up, go here.
February 27, 3.30-5.30pm: Annual Maslenitsa celebration for the arrival of Spring on the SRB lawn with members of the Russian Speaker's club. Everyone is welcome!
March 2, 5-7 pm: Book presentation by Andreas Bernard (Leuphana University, Lüneburg). Bernard will discuss his recent book publication on the history of the pinball machine. Everyone is welcome! (Phelps 6206C).
The video you can see below was created by our student Yaqi "Lucy" Wang for a class on the famous Bauhaus school of design, taught by Prof. Christina Vagt (GER 117/Bauhaus (Special Topics in German Culture). Enjoy!