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New Genre Emerging: Contemporary German Graphic Literature

8th March 2019 @ 6:00 pm

Deutsches Haus at NYU and the University of Cologne New York Office present a talk by Stefan Börnchen about “New Genre Emerging: Contemporary German Graphic Literature.”

By now, comics have taken their place alongside other recognized forms of literature, even in German-speaking countries. The renowned German publishing house Suhrkamp includes graphic literature in its program and comic festivals are organized by literary centers. When Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel Maus. A Survivor’s Tale became the first comic to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1992, it became clear that comics can even narrate the Shoah. In other words: they can do anything. The German Renaissance graphic artist, painter, and theorist Albrecht Dürer was right in saying that “wonderful things” can be made from straight, curved, and wiggly lines: one can reflect critically on this (ô_ó), marvel at it (*_*) or take pleasure in it \(^_^)/. This talk will guide the audience through the fascinating world of images and stories found in German-language comics and graphic novels of recent years.

About the speaker:

Stefan Börnchen studied German Literature, Philosophy, Musicology, and Comparative Literature in Cologne, Dundee, and St. Louis. He received his MA in 2000 from Washington University in St. Louis and his Ph.D. in 2006 from the University of Cologne, where he also completed his Habilitation. From 2006–2011, he was a collaborateur scientifique at the University of Luxembourg, has taught at the University of Cologne since 2011, and is currently a Visiting Professor for Modern German Literature at the Free University of Berlin.

Monographs: “Alles ist eins.” Romantische Metaphorologie des Mediums (2019, forthcoming); Poetik der Linie. Wilhelm Busch“Max und Moritz” und die Tradition(2015); Kryptenhall. Allegorien von Schrift, Stimme und Musik in Thomas Manns “Doktor Faustus” (2006).

About the University of Cologne:

The University of Cologne was founded in 1388. It is one of the leading German research universities, offering an exceptionally diverse subject base. Key Profile Areas conduct internationally competitive research on highly topical scientific, technological and social issues, such as aging-associated diseases, behavioral economic engineering and social cognition, plant science, quantum matter and materials, and socio-economic, cultural and political transformations in the Global South. The University of Cologne is one of the 11 German Universities of Excellence. The University of Cologne’s New York Office cultivates relations with North American partner universities, organizes delegation visits, and serves as first point of contact for faculty, students, and other partners in the United States and Canada. It co-organizes the annual UoC summer school in New York, reaches out to German and international alumni, and offers researchers from the UoC platforms opportunities to network, present their scientific results, and initiate new collaborations in North America.

Attendance information:

Events at Deutsches Haus are free of charge. If you would like to attend this event, please send us an email to deutscheshaus.rsvp@nyu.edu. Space at Deutsches Haus is limited, please arrive ten minutes prior to the event. Thank you!

New Genre Emerging: Contemporary German Graphic Literature” is a DAAD-supported event.