page for German Studies at the University of Leeds. We're on Twitter and Instagram too
If you choose to study German at Leeds you will be joining one of the best centres for the subject in the country. The German Department at Leeds enjoys a first class national and international reputation for its teaching, facilities and the quality of its graduates. What you can expect from us:
•Excellent and enthusiastic teaching by top researchers in contemporary German culture, history and f
05/01/2026
German@Leeds alumna Jacqui Oatley MBE is returning to campus to speak at our Leeds Alumni Voices event on 26 January 2026.
Jacqui Oatley The first female commentator on Match of the Day has paved the way for women in football.
12/12/2025
Congratulations to our former DAAD Lektor Björn Kasper, whose first book „Freiheit“ in Musikvideos und YouTube-Kommentaren - Eine kulturwissenschaftliche Deutungsmusteranalyse im Fach Deutsch als Fremdsprache has just been published (open access):
https://www.nomos-shop.de/de/p/freiheit-in-musikvideos-und-youtube-kommentaren-gr-978-3-7560-1877-2
Freiheit“ in Musikvideos und YouTube-Kommentaren explores how the highly contested cultural value of freedom is articulated, negotiated, and recontextualized in German-language music videos and more than 36,000 YouTube comments. Combining multimodal metaphor analysis, discourse-analytic approaches to topoi, and a cultural-studies-based interpretation pattern analysis, the book develops an innovative framework for analysing digital cultural data across modes and platforms.
Building on long-standing interpretive traditions of freedom, the study reconstructs a dense network of metaphors and topoi that shape contemporary understandings of freedom—ranging from emotional and existential dimensions to identity discourses, ideological framings, and political conflicts. The analysis demonstrates how music videos function as discursive artefacts that condense, reinforce, or contest social meanings, while online comments dynamically reframe these meanings in response to current events.
The monograph highlights music videos as an underexplored yet powerful resource for cultural learning, multimodal literacy, and foreign language education.
„Freiheit“ in Musikvideos und YouTube-Kommentaren Eine Fallstudie untersucht im Rahmen einer kritisch multimodalen Diskursanalyse tradierte Wissensbestände und Neudeutungen von Freiheit – ein Beitrag für ein Fach, das sich gegenwärtig mit Wertevermittlung in der Unterrichtspraxis und kritischerer Ausrich
30/10/2025
German@Leeds Prof Stuart Taberner talks about why he researched the new wave of German literature by Jewish authors in this author Q&A.
Redefining Identity: The Revival of German Jewish Literature Stuart Taberner tells us about why he researched the new wave of German literature by Jewish authors in this author Q&A.
05/08/2025
Congratulations to the German@Leeds graduates of 2025! You did it, and we are proud of you.
26/06/2025
German@Leeds Professor Sascha Stollhans makes the case for learning German
Learning German has many benefits for young people – and it’s not as hard as its reputation suggests Learning a language gives you unique insights into different cultures, societies and perspectives.
19/05/2025
That’s a wrap! German@Leeds Finalists celebrate the end of their oral exams. See you in July for Graduation!
07/05/2025
Redefining Identity: The Revival of German Jewish Literature. Read German@Leeds Prof Stuart Taberner's Q&A blog about his new book here:
Redefining Identity: The Revival of German Jewish Literature Stuart Taberner tells us about why he researched the new wave of German literature by Jewish authors in this author Q&A.
28/04/2025
Congratulations to german@leeds Professor Sascha Stollhans and Lecturer Judith Eberharter on their jointly edited special issue of the academic journal GFL (German as a foreign language): 'Cultural and linguistic diversity in German language teaching'.
GFL Journal Teaching and Learning German in an Intercultural Context An Internet Journal for German Studies ISSN 1470-9570 Current Issue 2025 Issue 1 Article Cultural and linguistic diversity in German language teaching and learning: an introduction By Judith Eberharter & Sascha Stollhans (Leeds) Article „Di...
Politik:Perspektive is looking for writers!
Politik:Perspektive is a collaborative student-led journal from the University of Leeds’s German Department. The project aims to give students from all over the UK the opportunity to freely explore their interests in German studies, and to gain valuable experience in journalistic writing.
In previous volumes, students have contributed wonderful articles ranging in topics from Fashion and Sustainability to Identity Politics – however there are still many more topics to explore!
We are looking for writers who are willing to contribute articles for our 9th Volume. These articles must be written in English and between 800-1500 words. There is no limit on the topic as long as it is linked to culture, politics, and/or society in the german-speaking world (i.e. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland)
This opportunity is completely beginner friendly as all contributors will be supported the whole way through. It will be a fun way to build critical writing skills and a fantastic addition to your CV!
The deadline for article proposals is fast approaching, so email article proposals to [email protected] by Friday 11 April to secure your spot!
In the meantime, feel free to check out previous volumes at Issuu.com or to follow the Instagram page for more information.
10/03/2025
Congratulations to German@Leeds Professor Stuart Taberner on the publication of his new book 'The New German Jewish Literature. Holocaust Memory, Solidarity, and Worldliness'. It is available open access here: https://openaccess.boydellandbrewercms.com/?id=-290265
07/03/2025
Congratulations to German@Leeds Associate Professor Anne Buckley whose article 'Business education in First World War captivity: German officers as unrecognised pioneers' has just been published:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/02619288.2025.2464623?needAccess=true
06/03/2025
📢 Calling all UK MFL teachers!
The Linguastars Languages Residential is back at the University of Leeds! This free three-day residential (24th–26th June 2025) is designed for Year 12 students studying German, French and/or Spanish A-Level, offering them an exciting insight into university-level language learning.
🌍 What’s in store for students?
✅ Interactive language workshops led by university tutors
✅ The chance to explore new languages like Italian and Korean, plus subjects such as Linguistics and Translation
✅ A real taste of student life—staying in university accommodation and meeting current language students
Encouraging students to explore languages beyond the classroom can be a game-changer for their confidence and future opportunities. If you know a student who would benefit from this experience, share this with them!
Find out more & apply 👉
Linguastars Languages Residential | Arts and Humanities Outreach Team At Linguastars, you will take part in engaging and interactive workshops designed to give you a taster of studying languages at university, and explore the career opportunities available to graduates. There will be the opportunity to discover new languages, meet our current languages students, stay....