German Department Newsletter
Spring 2026
Happy Retirement to Prof. Astrid Weigert!
Willkommen!
The academic year 2025-2026 has been a time of welcomes and and also goodbyes for the Georgetown German Department. First, the welcomes: In the fall, I began a three-year term as chair of the department, and we were lucky enough to welcome two new PhD students, a Master’s student, and two exchange students from the Universität Trier and the TU Dresden. In the spring, we were also pleased to welcome as our Max Kade Writer-in-Residence the German-Austrian writer Alexander Schimmelbusch, who taught a graduate seminar on the author Peter Handke.
However, this year also had its share of goodbyes, as our beloved Professor Astrid Weigert announced her retirement at the end of the spring semester 2026. On April 22, we raised a glass to Astrid at the Alumni House, together with alumni, friends, and colleagues from throughout the University. We will miss Astrid deeply but we wish her the best for her next adventure, and we are grateful for her for her many years of excellence in scholarship, teaching, and mentoring of students and younger colleagues.
Such changes inspire us to reflect about where Georgetown and the German Department might be headed as we navigate a time of enormous challenges to higher education as we know it. In this turbulent climate, both the undergraduate and graduate programs continue to uphold the department’s tradition of excellence. Undergraduate research continues to be a particular focus of our department, with undergraduate students presenting their work at regional and national conferences. Our graduate students continue to distinguish themselves: over the past year, for example, three of our students were awarded prestigious scholarships from organizations such as the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) and the American Friends of Marbach. And our faculty continue to inspire with new publications, teaching initiatives, and honors; this spring, for example, Professor Friederike Eigler received the Gerald A. Mara Faculty Mentoring Award for her many years of excellence in mentoring graduate students.
Our department has also been at the forefront of campus-wide discussions about the role of AI in language learning. We were one of the first departments at Georgetown to craft a comprehensive AI policy for undergraduate students, and are in the process of drafting a policy for the graduate program. In the fall, Professor Joe Cunningham will offer a new first-year seminar on language and AI as part of the College’s initiative for “First-Year Seminars for All.”
As always, I am grateful to be a part of this unique academic community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni. As we say goodbye to beloved members of our community and welcome new ones, the Georgetown German Department will continue to have a vital impact on the field of German Studies and language teaching throughout the United States. Please keep in touch and enjoy these updates!
Mary Helen Dupree
German Department Chair
Newsletter – Spring 2026
All News
Past Events, Spring 2026
Department Events: Spring 2026
Alexander Schimmelbusch On February 20, Max Kade writer-in-residence Alexander Schimmelbusch read excerpts from his book Hochdeutschland in German. The reading was followed by a Q&A in which…
May 14, 2026
