Der Tag ("The Day"), a radio show produced by Hessian Public Broadcasting for the German ARD network, interviewed Prof. Ehrstine on the morning of the Rupublican caucuses in Iowa to get some local perspective on Iowa's "first in the nation" role in selecting the most competitive candidates for the nation's presidential elections. The hour-long podcast also features commentary in German from reporters and political scientists with expertise in U.S. politics and culture. Click the title of this posting to download or stream the show.

Past and current members of the UI Department of German played leading roles in hosting “Education for All,” the theme of this year’s International Day Human Rights Conference on campus. More than 250 middle-school students attended the event, which was sponsored by International Programs and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security. Will Coghill-Behrends, director of the UI Baker Teacher Leader Center and a graduate of the M.A. program in German, organized the conference, which highlighted the interdisciplinarity of global education across campus and the state of Iowa. Kirsten Kumpf Baele, a faculty member in German as well as recent recipient of an Outstanding Outreach and Public Engagement Award from the UI College of Liberal Arts and Science, organized breakout sessions with the help of advisory committee members of the Anne Frank Initiative. Middle-school students had opportunities to take a virtual tour of the secret annex in which Anne Frank took refuge or to visit the newly planted Anne Frank chestnut sapling on the Pentacrest.

Please consider donating to the Department of German as part of this year’s One Day for Iowa campaign. Last year’s donations helped to support student and faculty initiatives.

Prof. Elke Heckner has received a Global Curriculum Development Award from UI International Programs (IP) to create a new course on recent developments in international criminal law as well as non-juridical approaches to conflict resolution, providing students with up-to-date tools of critical analysis regarding war crimes. As Prof. Heckner notes on the IP website for these awards, “since the UN Security Council (due to Russia's and China's veto power) can no longer prosecute, stop, or effectively intervene in ongoing massive human rights abuses or near-genocidal conflicts, it is important for undergraduate students who are interested in the areas of international and humanitarian law to be aware of other avenues in which international criminal law can be effectively mobilized to prosecute aggressor states and perpetrators. The example of the invasion of Ukraine is [a] case in point. It is important for our students to understand the limitations and possibilities of current human rights interventions in the international arena.” The course is currently under development for Spring 2024. It will strengthen and expand the University of Iowa's existing engagement with international conflict zones such as Kosovo and serve as a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration with the School of Law and the UI Department of Political Science.

A new International Programs (IP) affinity group, the Anne Frank Initiative (AFI), launched last week, and its mission is to investigate Anne Frank’s literary contributions and her legacy in a more contemporary context. The initiative was conceived by Kirsten Kumpf Baele, a faculty member in the University of Iowa (UI) Department of German, who also serves as the director of AFI. Kumpf Baele was behind the planting of a descendant of Anne Frank’s chestnut tree on the University of Iowa campus in April 2022, which in turn inspired numerous events, including the Provost’s Global Forum: Teaching Anne Frank, a workshop, traveling exhibit, lectures, and film screening, which all focused on the continued importance of Anne Frank’s legacy.

The Department of German congratulates Prof. Kirsten Kumpf Baele on receiving one of three awards for Outstanding Outreach and Public Engagement from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for 2021-22. We are pleased that the College has recognized Prof. Kumpf Baele’s exemplary efforts to involve high school and college students as well as nationally and internationally recognized scholars in engaging with Anne Frank and her legacy in Spring 2022 during the Provost’s Global Forum and the Anne Frank Sapling planting.

A symposium organized by the Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (DWLLC) at the University of Iowa, supported by an International Programs Major Projects Grant. Following protests against racialized police violence, citizens, activists, artists, and academic communities across the globe have renewed efforts to reflect on and respond to issues of race, ethnicity, and discrimination. The Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures has joined these efforts.

Public screening, followed by discussion with Director Sabine Gölz. Wednesday, April 27, 2022 from 6:00-8:30pm in 1010 BCSB.

Join us for the 46th Annual Symposium of the Society for German-American Studies starting today through April 23rd. This three-day event is filled with engaging sessions, interesting exhibits, and dynamic panel discussions. For more information, please register online or in person at the Old Capital Museum starting at 4:30pm. University of Iowa faculty and students are welcome to attend this year’s SGAS presentations.

Kirsten Kumpf Baele discusses Anne Frank and the sapling tree planting at the University of Iowa on IPR's "Talk of Iowa"