Faculty News

On February 27, Professor Verena Kick presented her research at the Newberry Library’s German Studies Seminar, sharing the introduction to her upcoming book, Photobook Politics: Design and Ideology in Germany 1915–1945. During the seminar, Prof. Kick introduced the concept of the “functional montage” to describe how German photobooks of the early 20th century integrated various elements, including covers, typography, and captions, into a cohesive whole to produce political meaning. Her work demonstrates that these books did not merely illustrate political ideas but actively enacted them through material and compositional strategies, shaping collective perception and national identity.

At the Graduate Student Awards Ceremony on April 27, Professor Friederike Eigler received the Gerald A. Mara Mentoring Award. This award recognizes a faculty member who exemplifies the spirit of cura personalis — or “care of the person” — in aiding the academic and professional development of graduate students. Congratulations to Professor Eigler on receiving this well-deserved honor!

Later this spring, Professor Eigler is invited to give a talk at the University of Lodz, Poland, on “Unerwartete Verbindungen: Jean Améry, Ruth Klüger, Martin Walser.”

At the end of May, Professor Peter C. Pfeiffer will present a talk on ”Körperwissen in Veza Canettis Die Gelbe Straße” at the Austrian Studies Association conference in Salzburg, Austria. He will then travel to Universität Würzburg where he will give a presentation on economic issues in Adalbert Stifter’s Der Nachsommer at the Schellingforum and hold a workshop on economic themes in the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale Hänsel und Gretel.