Department of German

Immerse yourself in the German language and investigate diverse cultures, literatures, and philosophical traditions.

Colgate’s program in German explores German-speaking Europe’s historic influence, contested cultural legacies, and contemporary global significance. The department also offers the opportunity for immersion in contemporary German and European culture through our acclaimed study group in Freiburg, Germany. Attending to the ways that language, culture, and thought are fundamentally interwoven, our program emphasizes the importance of working in German linguistically as an essential dimension of studying German-speaking cultures.

Equipping students with the tools they need to access and understand other cultures, the department's courses seek to foster cultural knowledge, self-awareness, and critical citizenship through a range of academic inquiries and in international, intercultural contexts. The campus presence of German Studies is enhanced by the department's co-curricular programming as well as by the activities of the student-led German Club, whose efforts to raise critical awareness of pressing contemporary social issues in German-speaking Europe and beyond are endorsed and supported by the department.

The department offers both a major and a minor in German.

Learn more about the German program