American Studies in Switzerland : A Preliminary Overview
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Keywords:
American literatureCited Names:
Hartwig Isernhagen, Christoph Ribbat, Henry Luedecke, Heinrich Straumann, Balz Engler, Werner Brönnimann, Franziska Gygax, Therese Steffen, Gabriele Rippl, Robert Rehder, Deborah Madsen, Peter Halter, Patrick Vincent, Elisabeth Bronfen, Martin Heusser, Peter Hughes, Fritz GutbrodtFull text
1In contrast to many other Western European countries, there are no independent departments of American Studies at Swiss Universities. Many of the seminars and institutes are not large enough to allow narrow specialization. Chairholders are therefore often generalists in terms of teaching, although their research may be more focused. Some departments have professorships which are defined as chairs in “American Literature” (Basel, Geneva, Lausanne)—the majority, however, have chairs in “English and American Literature” (Bern, Basel, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Zurich). It is therefore not possible to study “American Literature” or “American Studies” at one of the Swiss universities as a major, or, indeed, a first or second minor. Instead, American Literature / American Studies is integrated to a greater or lesser degree (depending on the students’ interests and the offerings of the departments) in “English”, “Anglistik”, “English Languages and Literatures”, etc. as the subjects are called in the various departments.
2Historically, American Literature was offered for the first time in Switzerland at the universities of Basel and Zurich in the 1930s. In Basel, the first courses were taught by Prof. Henry Luedecke who later published a Geschichte der Amerikanischen Literatur (History of American Literature 1952, second edition 1963). In Zurich, American Literature was introduced to the department by Prof. Heinrich Straumann who also wrote a study of American Literature—American Literature in the Twentieth Century—an overview which was published in 1965 by Harper and Row. Both, Luedecke and Straumann basically taught English but offered courses in American Literature regularly.
3In the course of the twentieth century, more and more universities filled at least one chair with a professor who would offer both, English and American Literature. The first (and up to now only) department to have a chair in American Studies was the University of Geneva where John G. Blair was Professor of American Literature and Civilization until recently.
4At present, the situation of English and American Literature is the following (listed by university, in alphabetical order, and including also the chairs in linguistics which are part of many departments):
5Basel
6Englisches Seminar
7http://pages.unibas.ch/anglist/
8- Prof. Dr. Balz Engler (English Literature)
9- Prof. Dr. Hartwig Isernhagen (American Literature)
10- Prof. Dr. Christoph Ribbat (Assistant Professor of North American Literatures and Cultures)
11- Dr. Werner Brönnimann (Titularprofessor English and American Studies)
12- Dr. Franziska Gygax (Titularprofessorin English and American Literature)
13- Dr. Therese Steffen (Titularprofessorin Gender Studies in the Anglophone Context)
14Bern
15Institut für englische Sprachen und Literaturen
16http://www.cx.unibe.ch/ens/
17- Prof. Dr. Margaret Bridges (Medieval English Language and Literature)
18- Prof. Dr. Werner Senn (English Literature)
19- Prof. Dr. Gabriele Rippl (English and American Literature)
20- Prof. Dr. Christiane Schlote (Assistant Professor in Post-Colonial Literature)
21Fribourg
22Department of English Studies
23http://www.unifr.ch/das/
24- Prof. Dr. Dimiter Daphinoff (English Literature)
25- Prof. Dr. Anthony Mortimer (English Literature)
26- Prof. Dr. Robert Rehder (English and American Literature)
27Geneva
28Département de langue et littérature anglaises
29http://www.unige.ch/lettres/angle/
30- Prof. Dr. David Spurr (Modern English Literature)
31- Prof. Dr. Guillemette Bolens (Medieval English Literature)
32- Prof. Dr. Deborah Madsen (American Literature)
33- Prof. Dr. Lukas Erne (Modern English Literature)
34Lausanne
35English Department
36http://www2.unil.ch/angl/
37- Prof. Dr. Neil Forsythe (English Literature)
38- Prof. Dr. Peter Halter (American Literature)
39- Prof. Dr. Denis Renevey (Old and Middle English)
40Neuchâtel
41Institute of English Studies
42http://www2.unine.ch/anglais
43- Prof. Dr. Patrick Vincent (English and American Literature)
44- Prof. Dr. Lukas Erne (Visiting Professor in English Literature)
45St. Gallen
46Fachbereich Englische Sprache und Literatur
47http://www.kwa.unisg.ch/org/kwa/web.nsf/wwwPubInhalteGer/Englische+Sprache+und+Literatur?opendocument
48- Prof. Dr. Alan Robinson (English)
49- Dr. Werner Brönnimann (Titularprofessor English and American Studies)
50Zürich
51Englisches Seminar
52http://www.es.unizh.ch/
53- Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Bronfen (English and American Literature)
54- Prof. Dr. Andreas Fischer (English Philology)
55- Prof. Dr. Udo Fries (English Linguistics)
56- Prof. Dr. Martin Heusser (19th- and 20th-Century Literatures in English)
57- Prof. Dr. Peter Hughes (English and American Literature)
58- Prof. Dr. Allen Reddick (English Literature)
59- Dr. Fritz Gutbrodt (Titularprofessor Modern Literatures in English and Comparative Literature)
60- Dr. Hans Osterwalder (Titularprofessor English Literature)
61- Dr. Therese Steffen (Titularprofessorin Gender Studies in the Anglophone
References
Electronic reference
Martin Heusser, “American Studies in Switzerland : A Preliminary Overview”, European journal of American studies [Online], 1-1 | 2006, document 19, Online since 16 January 2006, connection on 17 April 2024. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/ejas/1027; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/ejas.1027
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