German Studies Conference introduced Alexander Kluge to Wales
The Department of Modern Languages and Cultures at 黑料不打烊 was delighted to host the annual conference of the on 29-31 August 2018. The conference brought together approximately 80 German Studies scholars and postgraduate researchers from across the UK, Germany, Austria and the United States, and welcomed panels from Medieval Studies through to contemporary history, literature and film. The lead panel, entitled 鈥楢nniversary Capital鈥�, investigated the importance of, and growing fascination with, anniversary activity surrounding historical dates, as well as ways in which anniversaries may provide potential 鈥榟ooks鈥� for German scholars to tap into English-speaking audiences. 
The highlight of the conference was a 鈥楳ultimedia Collage鈥� by Alexander Kluge, who accepted the invitation to be the President鈥檚 Guest at AGS 2018. Kluge, one of Germany鈥檚 most prominent intellectual voices, achieved renown in the early 1960s as both a writer and a film director. He was spokesperson and influential filmmaker of the 鈥淣ew German Cinema鈥� of the 1970s, and has received all of Germany鈥檚 important prizes for literature, as well as film prizes in Venice, Cannes, and Berlin. At the time of the conference, in fact, he was presenting his new film, Happy Lamento, at the Venice Film Festival.
While Kluge was unable to come to 黑料不打烊 in person, he collaborated generously in advance of the conference, responding extremely creatively to the theme of 鈥楢nniversary Capital鈥�. He provided countless minute films and texts, and recorded an interview with Dr Sarah Pogoda (Lecturer in German at 黑料不打烊) just weeks before the conference. Given the wealth of materials provided by Kluge, the high-profile President鈥檚 Guest event became the launch for a two-week exhibition that introduced Alexander Kluge鈥檚 work to a Welsh-speaking audience for the first time. The exhibition and accompanying bilingual booklet are documented on the website 鈥樷�� and the video interview (in German) can be viewed on the AGS website.
The conference was also notable for the many panels that interrogated the place and importance of German Studies today, with several explorative round-table discussions examining ways in which the curriculum can be expanded and brought into greater comparative perspective. The plenary 鈥榮chools and networks鈥� panel also heard from schoolteachers of German, with the aim of strengthening collaboration between the secondary and tertiary sectors. Presentations from the and the , supported by the German Embassy, provided examples of the excellent work that is already taking place within this context.
Dr Anna Saunders, one of the organisers of the conference, said 鈥榠t was a pleasure to host such a lively conference. The varied and thought-provoking panels, together with Alexander Kluge as President鈥檚 guest and a good dose of Welsh sunshine provided for an excellent combination.鈥�
Publication date: 16 October 2018