German Advising Contact Information With Office Hours From Tuesday, April 1 - Wednesday, April 9

You can reach the German advisors through a general email: germanadvising@umich.edu

We have two advisors for German undergraduates:

* Mary Rodena-Krasan (MLB 3128; mkrasan@umich.edu)

Her office hours this week are:

Tuesday, April 1: 2-4:30 p.m.,

Wednesday, April 2: 2-4 p.m.,

Thursday, April 3: 2-4:30 p.m.,

Tuesday, April 8: 2-4:30 p.m.,

Wednesday, April 9: 2-4 p.m.,

and by appointment

Mary's Link for Office Hours: https://umich.zoom.us/j/92765512004

* Karl-Georg Federhofer (MLB 3422; kallimz@umich.edu)
My office hours this week are:

Tuesday, April 1: 9-10, 11-12 p.m., 

Wednesday, April 2: 1-3 p.m.,

Thursday, April 3: 9-12,1-2:30, 3:30-5 p.m.,

Friday, April 4: 9-11:30, 1-2, 4-5 p.m.,

Monday, April 7: 1-5 p.m.,

Tuesday, April 8: 9-1 p.m.,

Wednesday, April 9: 1-5 p.m.,

and by appointment

My Zoom Link for Office Hours: https://umich.zoom.us/j/909147087

It is best to schedule appointments, which you have to do by 4 p.m. on the previous day. You can schedule appointments with us here: https://myadvising.lsa.umich.edu/appointments/offices/GERM

If you would like to get in contact with a peer mentor in our Department, please write to: germanmentors@umich.edu.

You can meet the peer mentors on Fridays, 3-4 p.m., Language Resource Center. If you have any questions, please contact Matthew (matzhang@umich.edu.)

German Conversation Opportunities: "German Convo on the Go" (Tuesday, April 1, 4-5 p.m., Burton Tower), "Schokoladenstunde" (Wednesday, April 2, 3-4 p.m., MLB 3110), and "Kreativwerkstatt" (Friday, April 4, 1-2 p.m., MLB 3030)

We have three weekly and informal conversation opportunities for all students who want to speak German:

"German Convo on the Go" meets on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. sharp at Burton Tower for a 1-hour walk and talk with Mary Gell (magell@umich.edu). The event will take place rain or shine, snow or wind.

"Schokoladenstunde" convenes on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. in the German Department Lounge (MLB 3110.) There will be some German chocolate to snack on. Silvia Grzeskowiak (sgrzesko@umich.edu) will bring games, and the hour will be spent chatting and playing games in German (e.g. Tabu.)

"Kreativwerkstatt:" Chat in German and express yourself creatively. Crafting, coloring, painting, drawing, knitting, sewing, crochet, embroidery, origami? At the weekly German “Kreativwerkstatt,” which takes place on Fridays at 1 p.m., you will combine speaking German (any level welcome, beginners included!!) and creatively expressing yourself. You are encouraged to bring your own materials or (ongoing) projects, but we will also provide some materials and prompts each week. If you have questions about "Kreativwerkstatt" please contact Laura Okkema (lokkema@umich.edu) or Iris Zapf-Garcia (iriszaga@umich.edu.) Please note the new location. It is the Seminar Room in the Slavic Department.

German Club - "Stammtisch": Tuesday, April 1, 6-7 p.m., Michigan League Underground

The German Club will have its next "Stammtisch" on Tuesday, April 1, 6-7 p.m.! "Stammtisch" will be held in the basement of the Michigan League.

If you have any questions, please send them to Braidy (braidya@umich.edu).

German Department Funding for Academic Year in Freiburg 2025-2026: Tuesday, April 1 (Application Deadline)

All students accepted for study in the Academic Year in Freiburg program will receive up to $1,000 from the Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures (GLL) to be applied towards the program fee (non-refundable scholarship).

Additional scholarships through the Hubbs Scholarship fund up to $3,000 may be available, based on financial need and/or merit. One participating student will receive a Sturm Immersive Scholarship for the program fee, lodging expenses, and flat stipend to cover additional living expenses (a value of over $25,000). By completing one application, you'll be eligible for all available scholarships.

Here is the funding application link.

German Department Funding for Spring/Summer Language Courses at a Goethe Institut in Germany: Tuesday, April 1 (Application Deadline)

If you are taking spring/summer classes at a Goethe Institut in Germany, you can apply for a scholarship from the German Department.

The application deadline for funding through us is Tuesday, April 1. Here is the funding application link.

You will be informed later in April, how much funding you will get through the German Department; and you will then need to complete several items (uploading passport photo, GeoBlue health insurance, etc.) on MCompass.

All applications will only be reviewed after April 1, and the funding itself will be disbursed in either Spring or Summer.

German Department Funding for Summer Internships in a German-Speaking Country: Tuesday, April 1 (Application Deadline)

Awards for internships in Germany and German-speaking countries are distributed on a competitive level based on financial need, academic merit and (possible) compensation of the internship. You do not need to have a confirmed internship placement at the time of application but need to be accepted into an internship program. International students are eligible to apply. Departmental internships may amount up to $3,500.

The application deadline for funding through us is Tuesday, April 1. Here is the funding application link.

You will be informed later in April how much funding you will get through the German Department; and you will then have two weeks to complete all items (uploading passport photo, GeoBlue health insurance, etc.) on MCompass.

All applications will only be reviewed after April 1, and the funding itself will be disbursed in either Spring or Summer.

DAAD-RISE students are not eligible to receive funding through this scholarship.

German Department Funding for Middlebury German Language School (Summer 2025): Tuesday, April 1 (Application Deadline)

Scholarships are available to University of Michigan undergraduate students who enroll in Middlebury Language School to study German.

University of Michigan students who enroll in the 7-week German School at Middlebury Language School will receive up to a $1,000 scholarship. The Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures' Executive Committee will determine the award recipients. Award amounts are based on the student's GPA, answers to essay questions (one essay answer must be written in the German language), and financial need.

Website: Here is the funding application link.

Heinz Prechter Scholarship for Internships in Germany: Tuesday, April 1 (Application Deadline)

The $2,500 Heinz Prechter Scholarship aims to support a Michigan student completing an internship in Germany to encourage learning about German business and culture.

College and university professors conducting study projects directed at introducing a group of students to Germany, its culture, language, business environment and network, are also encouraged to apply.

Sponsored by the German American Business Council of Michigan (GABC), the Scholarship is named after Heinz Prechter to honor the unparalleled contributions he made to the advancement of international relations between Germany and Michigan.

Application Requirements:
* Letter of Application: description of the applicant’s qualifications including academic background, relevant employment history, and a statement indicating why the applicant wants to in Germany
* Resume: include academic background, employment history, special interests, accomplishments and awards, and international travel
* Offer-of-Internship Letter: written in German or English, on the company’s letterhead and signed by an appropriate company official
* Letters of Recommendation: letters of recommendation from at least two faculty members who teach in the applicant’s fields of study.
* Course Transcripts: comprehensive academic transcripts of all semesters completed at institutions of higher education

Notes for Applicants:
* Applicants must complete video/phone interview with the scholarship committee. Part of the interview will be conducted in German to assess the applicant’s basic conversational skills in the language.
* Scholarship recipients must agree to submit to the GABC a written report of their internships and (if schedule permits) to give an oral presentation on the internship at a GABC event.
* Submit completed application and supporting documentation by Tuesday, April 1.

Website: https://gabcmi.org/hps

Contact Anna Swartz at aswartz@gabcmi.org for further details.

The committee will make rolling decisions. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, once they have received an actual internship offer.

Mark & Myra Sorensen International Travel Scholarship: Tuesday, April 1 (Application Deadline)

The Mark and Myra Sorensen International Travel Scholarship is designed to support students who will participate in study, internship, volunteer, or research programs abroad.

Awards will be made in the amount of at least $750 to help cover expenses such as program fees, transportation, room and board, and/or local excursions made in connection with the project. Preference will be given to students who will be traveling abroad for the first time.

Website: https://mcompass.umich.edu/_portal/tds-program-brochure?programid=11469

Middlebury College - German Language School (Summer 2025) - Information Session: Wednesday, April 2; 3-4 p.m., MLB 3308 - Conference Room, Middle Aisle

If you are interested in attending the Middlebury College German Language School (Summer 2025), we invite you to attend an information session where you learn from a former participant (Summer 2024) about their experience.

Study Abroad in Tübingen (Winter 2026) - Information Session: Wednesday, April 2, 4-5 p.m., MLB 3308 and Thursday, April 3, 9-10 a.m., MLB 3308

If you are interested in studying abroad in Tübingen (Winter 2026), we invite you to attend an information session about the structure of the program and the academic expectations.

Here is the link to the application website for the Tübingen program:

https://mcompass.umich.edu/_portal/tds-program-brochure?programid=10248

Max Kade Events - "Deutschtisch:" Wednesday, April 2, 6-7 p.m., North Quad Dining Hall; and "Kaffeestunde:" Friday, April 4, 5-6 p.m., North Quad - West Lounge (3rd Floor)

"Deutschtisch" is a weekly event in the North Quad Dining Hall for Max Kade residents and visitors from outside of Max Kade Haus to speak German during a meal. Visitors should look for a table with German/Swiss/Austrian flags and a bunch of students speaking German.

Max Kade "Kaffeestunde" is a weekly opportunity to mingle and unwind "auf Deutsch". It is a place to connect with other Max Kade residents, chat informally in German and participate in activities prepared by facilitators. On Friday, April 4, "Kaffeestunde" will take place in the West Lounge, located on the 3rd floor of North Quad. A Kade member will wait outside of the residential entrance to North Quad to grant non-Kade members access.

German students at all levels (101 and up) are welcome at all Max Kade events.

If you have any questions, please ask Viola Tietje (vtietje@umich.edu) and Vera Irwin (veremeev@umich.edu.)

Fatima Naqvi (Yale University), "The Architecture of Illness: The Hospital Experience, Vienna 1880-1920": Friday, April 4, 2 p.m., Michigan League, Michigan Room

In the short span of forty years, hospitals became ubiquitous in Western society. Today, the hospital seems nearly invisible, even though it bookends the beginning and end of most people’s lives. But initially this institution was met with opposition from a host of critics and commentators.

This talk focuses on Vienna in the twentieth century as the privileged site for this exemplary tale about the hospital’s rise, the suspicions it generated, and the experiences it occasioned. The Architecture of Illness investigates various hospital building styles, as these come to influence people’s experiences of health care. Using examples from literary works by Arthur Schnitzler and Rainer Maria Rilke as well as architectural treatises, this talk charts the waiting games, the diffuse spaces, and the contagious rumors that plague hospitals from the moment of their establishment.

Fatima Naqvi is Leavenworth Professor of German and Film at Yale University. She is currently the chair of the Film & Media Studies Program as well as of the European Studies Council. Her scholarship has focused on the intersection of architecture and Bildung in the literature of Thomas Bernhard; landscape and its function in post-war West German culture; the rhetoric of victimhood in Western European Culture from the late 1960s to the present; and the films of director Michael Haneke. Drawn to the curmudgeons, querulous types, and naysayers of literature and film, she has recently written on Elfriede Jelinek, Ruth Beckermann, Friederike Mayröcker, and Peter Handke.

Website: https://events.umich.edu/event/133346

German Peer Tutoring/Conversation Session: Friday, April 4, 3-4 p.m., North Quad, Language Resource Center

Peer Mentor tutoring/conversation sessions take place on a weekly schedule until the end of the term in the Language Resource Center.

This is also an occasion for you to learn from peer mentors about German classes.

If you have any questions, please ask Matthew (matzhang@umich.edu.)

Anne-Sophie Mutter (Violin): Friday, April 4, 7:30 p.m., Hill Auditorium

The musical phenomenon has made her mark on the Western classical music scene as a soloist, mentor, and visionary for nearly 50 years, following her professional debut at age 13 with the Berliner Philharmoniker.

The four-time Grammy Award winner is equally committed to the performance of traditional composers as to the future of music, having given the world premieres of 31 works. Her first UMS recital since 2013 features her longtime collaborator Lambert Orkis in a program featuring favorite violin sonatas by Mozart, Schubert, Clara Schumann, and Respighi.

Website: https://ums.org/performance/anne-sophie-mutter-violin/

'Schriftlich' - German Undergraduate Publication: Friday, April 4 (Submission Deadline) and Friday, April 18 (E-Board Application Deadline)

'Schriftlich' is a student-run bilingual journal exploring the interdisciplinary nature of the German language, culture, and influence through collections of student work on German-related topics. Journal submissions are open to all, not just German majors/minors, and can be submitted in German or English.

If you are interested in submitting a piece of writing, please do so here. The deadline is Friday, April 4, 11:59 p.m.

If you are interested in joining the 'Schriftlich' e-board, please apply here. The deadline is Friday, April 18, 11:59 p.m.

If you have any questions, please contact Daphne (dwelter@umich.edu.)

Beethoven’s “Eroica”: Saturday, April 5, 8 p.m., Michigan Theater

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, the “Eroica”—a work revolutionary in scale, scope, and substance. For the eminent musicologist Paul Henry Lang, “The ‘Eroica’ is the greatest single step made by an individual composer in the history of the symphony and the history of music in general.

You can purchase tickets here: https://purchase.a2so.org/ChooseSeats/490

'UnBroken' (2023; Director: Beth Lane): Monday, April 7, 5:30 p.m., Michigan Theater

This powerful documentary tells the true story of seven siblings who survived the Holocaust through resilience, bravery, and the kindness of strangers.

Website: https://marquee-arts.org/event-page/?showingId=929005&eventId=928610

German Film Series - 'Oray' (2019, Director: Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay): Monday, April 7, 6:30 p.m., State Theatre

Oray strives to be a better person but struggles with his shady past. His dream of being a good Muslim and the perfect husband is suddenly shattered while arguing with his wife. Oray goes to Cologne, where he tries to rebuild his life in a new Muslim community. But he is constantly torn between his faith, everyday reality and identity. (Pluto Film)

Website: https://lsa.umich.edu/german/news-events/all-events.detail.html/131566-21868777.html

Identities Abroad: Tuesday, April 15, 3-4 p.m., MLB 3117

This information session will give a brief comparative overview of life in Germany from the perspective of varied identities.

If you have any questions, please contact Mary Rodena-Krasan (mkrasan@umich.edu.)

German Peer Mentors 2025-2026: Saturday, April 19 (Application Deadline)

German majors or minors who have attained junior/senior standing by August 2025 and who are interested in sharing their experience with German Studies to help their fellow undergraduates should apply.

Here is the application link.

The application deadline is Saturday, April 19.

If you have any questions, please ask Mary Rodena-Krasan (mkrasan@umich.edu) or me.

International Internship Scholarships Through the College of Engineering: Thursday, May 1 (Application Deadline)

Want to explore new and diverse cultures while gaining valuable engineering experience? The College of Engineering (CoE) is excited to offer financial support in the form of scholarships to students participating in international internships.

These are for internships that are not for academic credit.

Awards between $1,000-$3,000 will be made to CoE undergraduates pursuing international internships during the spring/summer term.

The scholarship is designed to benefit those who would otherwise face financial barriers to participation and is open to students pursuing in-person, paid or unpaid, international internships that are not for academic credit.

Website: https://mcompass.umich.edu/_portal/tds-program-brochure?programid=10413

Study Abroad in Germany - Winter 2026 in Tübingen: Monday, September 15 (Application Deadline)

The Tübingen program, which is organized through the Center for Global and Intercultural Studies (CGIS), takes place in the Winter term, and it is intended for students who have completed at least German 221/231 by the end of the Fall 2025 term. The German Department strongly recommends that you precede your stay in Tübingen by attending one or two four-week sessions at the Goethe Institut.

This Goethe Institut segment is not part of the CGIS program itself. Please talk with Mary or me about the Goethe segment (see Mary's and my contact information at the bottom of this email).

The CGIS portion in Tübingen will start early in March with a mandatory 'Kompaktkurs' (6 credits) or a 'Startkurs' (3 credits). While you will be enrolled for the Winter 2026 term at the University of Michigan, you will then take classes during the 'Sommersemester' at the Universität Tübingen (mid April - late July). You will earn 15-18 credits for Winter 2026: the courses that you take in Tübingen can be language courses for international students or regular university courses.

Various university courses outside the English Department are taught in English. Tübingen credits can be used to satisfy degree requirements for a German major or minor. For more information about the Tübingen program and to apply, use this link.