Where and what did you study before you came to Germanic and Slavic Studies at the University of Waterloo?
I studied for my undergrad "Germanistik: Sprache, Literatur, Medien" at the University of Mannheim. German language and literature studies was the Major with a minor in Media and Communication Studies.
What are your interests in German Studies?
I am more interested in Literature and interested in a lot of things! Women and Gender in Literature, Memory and Trauma Studies are my main interests right now.
Why did you choose the University of Waterloo?
I really liked the University of Mannheim and did research on their Master programs. There I found the Intercultural German Studies Master with the University of Waterloo and was very interested right away. It is a rare opportunity when studying German Studies to be able to study abroad for one year. The joint-degree in the end was also a huge plus point for choosing this program.
Do you already know what you want to write your thesis on?
I have ideas, maybe about something related to "Vergangenheitsbewältigung" (Memory Studies), but this is still vague at the moment. Luckily I have some time left to figure that out 🙂
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I had many different career aspirations in my childhood. From ballerina, to archeologist, to pilot, to children book author. Currently, it is being a literature professor. Let's see what the future holds 😉!
What is a fun fact about you?
I am sometimes a grandma at heart and love all things Vintage, from dressing like in the 1940s to 1960s, doing needlework and listening to the great musicians of the past (Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra...).