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The Department at a glance

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Subject areas

Modern German Literary Studies

Older German Language and Literature

Old High German stylus gloss; Augsburg, Archive of the Diocese, Hs. 10, fol. 43r

German Linguistics

Didactics of German Language and Literature

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German as a Foreign Language

Orientation

The German Linguistics division is concerned with the theories, methods and findings of the scientific study of the German language. The historical development of the German language and the German literature of the Middle Ages are the focus of the field of Older German Language and Literature. Modern German Literature studies the history of literature, literary theory and literary culture from the early modern period to the present day. The division of German as a Foreign Language is dedicated to the theory and practice of teaching German to non-native speakers. The Department of Teaching German as a Foreign Language offers international students and academics courses to accompany their studies at the university. The field of Didactics of German Language and Literature is dedicated to the teaching of language and literature in the classroom.
Low German is researched as a regional language form both by the German Literary Studies division and, in particular, as part of the research focus on the Pomeranian dictionary. The Competence Centre for Low German Didactics (KND) focuses on training and further education in Low German. With the Koeppen Archive, the department houses the estate of the writer Wolfgang Koeppen.

Studies

The Department of German Philology offers eight (sub-)degree courses.
A degree course at the Department of German Philology focusses on German language and/or literature and, if applicable, its mediation. Beyond the boundaries of German Studies itself, the department is linked to other facilities of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, such as the Interdisciplinary Centre for Gender Studies (IZFG) or the Language Centre. By linking several subjects in the Bachelor's and teacher training degree courses, the Department of German Philology is connected to other departments of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and other faculties of the University of Greifswald. Interdisciplinary (research) projects and international exchange programmes complete the profile of the department.

CHE Ranking Label 2025/26 for German Studies [de]

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Virtual tour of the Department

History of the Department

1840

In 1840, the University of Greifswald was awarded the first ‘Extraordinariat’ for German philology (‘Professorship for Oriental Languages, Comparative Linguistics and Old German Philology’).

1876

A department of German philology was founded in 1876 under the name “Germanistisches Seminar”. The founder and first professor was the German philologist Wilhelm Wilmanns, who only taught in Greifswald for a few years (then in Bonn) - a memorial plaque can be seen on his former home, very close to the current department (Domstraße 30).

Famous professors at the Department included Gustav Ehrismann (1909-1924), Paul Merker (1921-1928), Wolfgang Stammler (1924-1937), Leopold Magon (1928-1950), Hildegard Emmel (1956-1958) and Bruno Markwardt (1952-1966).

1990

During the GDR era, the Department was dissolved and incorporated into the “German Studies, Art and Musicology Section”; in 1990 it was re-founded as the “Department of German Philology”.