Mission Statement
Welcome to the Institute of German Studies at the University of Bern!
German Studies in Bern was founded in 1885 and is one of the oldest institutes for linguistics and literary studies in Switzerland. Around 450 students are enrolled in our BA and MA programs. A total of around 70 staff members are involved in research and teaching here. The department is divided into four sections: Linguistics includes the sections for Sociolinguistics and Systemic Linguistics, while Literary Studies includes the sections for Early German Literature and Modern German Literature/Comparative Literature.
Linguistics covers a broad spectrum from phonology and word formation to sociolinguistic variety research and cultural-analytical discourse linguistics. For example, we research the change in Swiss German dialects in connection with social factors such as gender and origin; the origin and spread of family and place names; or the question of how we communicate digitally today via smartphones or social media.
Literary studies in Bern provide an overview from the beginnings of German-language literature in the Middle Ages to current new publications. We combine basic philological research with cultural and media studies approaches, for example from intercultural research, film studies, or gender theory. One focus is on comparative studies, i.e., transnational and intermedial comparative literary studies, (digital) editorial philology, and global contemporary literature, for which a separate visiting professorship for world literature has been established.
For more information on the content of the program and career prospects, click here. Here, the institute's staff introduce themselves. And here, you can find information if you are already studying German language and literature and are looking for details on courses.
