Overview

The focus of the Department of German Literature is not limited to the country of Germany or its literature. The department deals with the rich culture of the entire German-speaking world, with a particular focus on Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, through topics such as film, dance, art, music, philosophy, history, politics, architecture, and media.

The curriculum is designed to balance the four skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking in German with direct access to two native speakers, who are part of our nine-person faculty. Students must use those skills to learn widely and deeply about the German-speaking world. Their studies culminate in a bachelor’s thesis on a research topic that interests them. Many students also choose to study abroad during their undergraduate careers.

The origin of the Department of German Literature dates back to 1910 at Keio, when a lecture on German Literature was given for the first time. Ever since, we have welcomed motivated students full of intellectual curiosity. Our department has traditionally encouraged close relationships between students and faculty, and we provide ample opportunities for interaction, including parties, training camps, reading circles, and other events. Our alumni go on to careers that utilize their knowledge of German as well as wide-ranging fields in society like communications, publishing, manufacturing, finance, and IT.