Ideologies on Learner Subjectivity in the German Integration Course

Abstract

These questions should be discussed in a polyphonic way in German studies, as they also trigger a reflection on the discipline itself. Can German studies—here I refer to Max Czollek’s quote at the beginning of my paper—really afford to exclude a significant portion of society (students, readers, scholars, etc.)? The answer is clearly no. Falling student numbers show that German studies must expand to include new content, methods, and theories, and critically question itself. Black German literature is not a trend, but has long been a part of German society, and it should be treated with such respect. I see my research as a contribution against its simplification, marginalization, and racialization. For the near future, I would like to see Black German literature brought into the spotlight as a part of literary history and society in all its beauty, complexity, and plurality. If German studies wants to continue to exist and become part of a pluralistic society, it must change, or it will no longer be.