At the Chair of American Studies we cover American and Canadian literatures and cultures from their beginnings to the present day. We regard literature and other cultural forms (e.g. film or photography) as symbolic ways of representing and communicating culturally specific problem structures, that is, as media reflecting the complex expressions of characteristic self-images and external representations, value systems, material and ideological foundations as well as primary conflicts of a given society.

The aims of our American studies program are twofold. We promote academic skills and the acquisition of cultural knowledge, while encouraging our students’ ability of independent and critical thinking and the full development of our students’ creative potential. On the one hand, these aims entail the indispensable necessity of acquiring solid knowledge of American and Canadian literature, culture and history.  We expect students of American literature to acquaint themselves over the course of their studies with the most important developments of American literature and culture and to intensively engage with theoretical approaches of describing and interpreting literature. On the other hand, we encourage students to develop areas of specialization which can be chosen according to the students’ personal interests.