In 2007 Katharine Arens asked in The German Quarterly what does the discipline of German Studies consist of and what are its legitimate methods? The subsequent debate can be seen as a new stage in the process of self-questioning which has been a part of German Studies since its inception. The discipline has periodically looked inward, questioning its sources, its canon, its history and its sources of scholarly validity and legitimation. The current debate goes further, perhaps, in questioning the role of the language-study itself. However identity in all its forms – linguistic, literary and cultural, socio-political and historical – remains the central concern of German Studies both in the German-speaking lands and outside.

The 2009 conference of the German Studies Association of Australia (GSAA) will take place in Perth, Western Australia on November 18-20, 2009. Expressions of interest in themes, topics, and sessions are invited from all interested parties. Please be as specific or as general as you like. Send your communications to Peter Morgan by the end of October, 2008 (pmorgan@cyllene.uwa.edu.au)
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