German Language and Culture

Degree: Master of Arts in German Language and Culture
Mode of Study: Full-time
Duration: 1 year
Start date: September, February
Language of instruction: German
Specialisations:
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The MA in German Language and Culture is taught in German and offers you the opportunity to explore in-depth the rewarding fields of German language, literature and culture. The department’s research is particularly strong in the fields of historical linguistics, modern literature, and cultural studies. Thus Leiden offers a programme that strongly focuses on an intercultural perspective.

Run jointly by Leiden University’s Department of German, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Utrecht and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, you will be able to take advantage of a broad range of specialised courses on the programme, and will benefit from each university’s specific teaching and research methods.

The information about this programme is available in the following languages:

The German Language and Culture master’s offers specialisations in Literature and Cultural Studies and Linguistics. You will not just focus on one of these specialisations, but also take courses compiled out of the broad range of other courses on offer.

Reasons to Choose German Language and Culture in Leiden

  1. Research in the Department of German Language and Culture is particularly strong in the fields of historical linguistics modern literature and cultural studies. The Chair leads a contract-funded programme on The Literary Construction of Cultural Identity in Germany after the ‘Wende’.
  2. The programme is offered in collaboration with Universiteit van Amsterdam, Utrecht University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This allows students to benefit from the other universities’ focal points in teaching and research (medieval studies, early modern literature).
  3. The department is relatively small, which allows for frequent and inspiring contacts between students and researchers working in fields of expertise closely related to the students’ interests. Specific wishes of individual students are easily accommodated.
  4. The department has links with a number of German universities, including Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düssseldorf; Universität Leipzig; Westfälische Wilhelmsuniversität Münster; Freie Universität Berlin. There is close co-operation in research with the Institute for Cultural German Studies at the Universität Bremen.

Prof. Visser

“Germany is an exciting country with a fascinating history.”

“My specialist area is modern German literature, in particular poetry, intertextuality, cultural theory and cultural science. I have recently been awarded a research subsidy by NWO (the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research), which I will be using to conduct research, supported by a PhD student and a post-doc, into how identity
issues are handled in literature. We in the Netherlands believe we have our hands full with integrating newcomers into our society; Germany also has newcomers, but has the additional problem of integrating East and West Germany.

Germany is an exciting country with a fascinating history. It is also our biggest neighbour. Knowledge of the language and culture of Germany is important for acquiring a better understanding of our own Dutch identity. Our identity is interwoven with that of the German people, although today the Dutch look more towards the West.
Leiden University has a long research tradition from which we can benefit in this programme. There are many courses which complement our own research programmes. Students can also approach me with a proposal for a tutorial. As lecturer, I want to support and facilitate the research role of students.

Leiden works closely with the Vrije Universiteit, the University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University. This co-operation allows us to combine our areas of expertise.”