Annual Conference of the German Studies Association of Ireland (GSAI): Licht und Schatten
Dublin, Ireland
Organization: Dublin City University
“Licht senden in die Tiefe des menschlichen Herzens – des Künstlers Beruf!”
(Robert Schumann)
The annual conference of the German Studies Association of Ireland will take place on
5th and 6th December 2025 at Dublin City University. The theme of this year’s conference is:
Licht und Schatten
which can be addressed from a variety of perspectives and also invites interdisciplinary enquiry. We welcome proposals for presentations addressing this theme, or aspects thereof, in one of the following areas:
Literature, (Inter)Cultural Studies: Light and shadow in their multifaceted potency are omnipresent from early literary expressions, such as sayings and folk tales, to contemporary texts and theoretical approaches, from classical rhetoric to Literature and Science. Presentations might, for example, examine Licht und Schatten in their literal and metaphorical dimensions. The conference theme also invites textual comparisons in different cultural or literary contexts.
Visual Arts, Music: Artistic treatments of light and shadow can be considered here in a myriad of ways (painting, illustration, cinema, photography, musical composition), for example in the enduring works of pioneers like Gabriele Münter, Lotte Reininger, F.W. Murnau, Wim Wenders and Gustav Mahler.
Sociology, Philosophy, History, Politics, Media Studies: Light and shadow can be perceived as formative parameters of human existence and experience. Presentations might address such concepts as social, historical and political movements and/or concepts centred on hope or despair (dunkle Zeiten). In media discourses, such as satire, light and shadow can be explored as rhetorical strategies, in the form of obscurity or perspicuity.
(Applied) Linguistics, Language Pedagogy, Translation: Presentations might address the concepts of Licht and Schatten within the broader context of Language and related fields, for example in the context of morphology, idiom and etymology. We also invite proposals for papers which do not deal specifically with the theme of Licht und Schatten but which focus on research relating to the German language or Germanic languages.
Papers (and/or contributions in non-traditional formats) may be presented in German or English and should be of 20 minutes duration. Submissions from postgraduate students and from early-career researchers are very welcome. Please send proposals of 250 words (in Word-format, including the name and short biographical note of the speaker, the title of the paper, and contact details) to gsai2025@dcu.ie by 30 September 2025.
As this conference is for GSAI members, participants must register as a member. Information on membership of the GSAI is available here: https://germaninireland.wordpress.com/how-to-join/
We look forward to welcoming you to the conference in December 2025.
Ms. Friederike Gelke, Dr Angela Leahy, Dr Áine McGillicuddy and Dr Olga Springer
School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies, Dublin City University
“Wo viel Licht ist, ist starker Schatten.”
(Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Götz von Berlichingen)
https://germaninireland.wordpress.com/2025/05/16/cfp-gsai-annual-conference-dcu-5-6-december-2025/
Olga Springer
