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Join us for Lunch & Connect: German and Yiddish Open House, a fair-style event showcasing the programs and opportunities offered by the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures. The Open House will feature multiple table stations where you can explore our academic programs, international opportunities, and student experiences. Faculty members, staff, and students who have previously participated in these programs will be on hand to share detailed information and answer your questions. Complimentary pizza, drinks, and Black Forest cake will be available throughout the event! Date: Thursday, January 29Time: 1–4 PMLocation: Romero Room, Loretto College Residence, 1st Floor, 70 St. Mary Street Featured Booths German Undergraduate StudiesGerman Graduate StudiesYiddish StudiesiPRAKTIKUM Internship ProgramSummer Abroad CoursesDAAD Programs More details about each booth can be found in the event flyer. Questions about German and Yiddish Studies are welcome, even if they are not specifically listed. Everyone is warmly invited to stop by, connect with our community, enjoy some food, and spend a pleasant afternoon with us! Read More »

We are pleased to announce the publication of a new book by Professor Willi Goetschel, Difference and Alterity in La Boétie, Montaigne, Spinoza and Mendelssohn. This study redirects our attention to a group of thinkers whose project of rethinking difference and alterity assumes new critical significance at the current juncture. Spanning from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, the interventions of La Boétie, Montaigne, Spinoza and Mendelssohn are not just history, albeit one problematically assimilated to canonical views, but offer new resources for moving past the politics of tolerance, charity, and recognition. Rather, these thinkers argue for an understanding of otherness that renegotiates the terms of difference and alterity more radically as the conditions of our own existence. From La Boétie’s exposure of ‘voluntary servitude’ as the mechanism behind the tyranny of despotic authority that ultimately rests on a pyramid scheme of dependency sustained solely by the agreement of those who willingly submit, to Montaigne, Spinoza, and Mendelssohn, these thinkers argue for the critical importance of the deep constitutive nexus between self and other, identity, difference, and otherness. Published by Edinburgh University Press, the book is now available. Visit this site for more information. Read More »

Deadline extended to Thursday, January 15th, 2026 Read More »

Dear undergraduate and graduate students, staff, and faculty of the German Department: I’d like to invite all of you to our Kaffeestunde (coffee hour), the German Department’s social gathering of faculty, graduate and undergraduate students. Let’s meet and mingle over coffee, tea and Keksen for an informal chat in German. The Kaffeestunde will take place every first Thursday of the month at 1-2pm, and every third Friday of the month from 2-3pm in the Lounge of the German Department, Odette Hall 301. Please note that due to Reading Week (February 17–20), the Kaffeestunde originally scheduled for February 20 has been moved to February 13. 📅 Winter 2026 Dates: January 16, 2:00–3:00 PMFebruary 5, 1:00–2:00 PMFebruary 13, 2:00–3:00 PMMarch 5, 1:00–2:00 PMMarch 20, 2:00–3:00 PMApril 2, 1:00–2:00 PM 📍 Location:Lounge, 3rd Floor, Odette Hall *Please help us protect the environment and bring your own reusable cup* Stefan SoldovieriChair Read More »

Application Deadline: Thursday, December 18, 2025 Read More »

Application deadline: 9 January 2026 Read More »

The German Studies Student Union is proud to present you with the 2025 edition of Zeitgeist! Our authors and editors have put their hearts and souls into this work, and we hope you enjoy reading it. Read More »

Welcome to the latest edition of The View From Here, the 2025 newsletter from the Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures at the University of Toronto. READ THE NEWSLETTER This issue celebrates the vibrant energy of our community – highlighting student achievements, faculty creativity, and our shared commitment to exploring language and culture. It brings together a diverse range of contributions from across the department, including work by Stefan Soldovieri, Angelica Fenner, Hang-Sun Kim, Brian Finn, Elisabeth Lange, Emily Glass, Enrica Piccardo, John Zilcosky, Stefana Gargova, and Walker Horsfall. We hope you enjoy reading about the inspiring work that continues to keep our department thriving. Read More »

Are you considering graduate study in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures? Join one of our online information sessions to learn more about the MA and PhD programs in German and Yiddish Literature, Culture, and Theory at the University of Toronto. Our sessions will introduce the program’s distinctive interdisciplinary strengths, funding opportunities, research areas, and faculty expertise. Participants will also have the chance to ask questions about the application process and student experience. Online Information Sessions Monday, November 10, 2025 – 1:00 p.m. (EST)Join via ZoomFriday, November 14, 2025 – 2:30 p.m. (EST)Join via Zoom For detailed information about applying to the 2026–2027 graduate program, please visit our Graduate Admissions page. Read More »

Find out if teaching is your thing! Deadline 12 Dec 2025 Read More »