Department of German Studies
Academic profile
The Department of German Studies (DGS) at the University of Wrocław builds upon the long-standing tradition of studies on Germany and German-speaking countries conducted at the university. Over the course of 40 years, this tradition and history have been influenced by dedicated scholars of the DGS, their diverse research, and excellent teaching.
History of the Department
The first German studies unit at the University of Wrocław was established in 1974 as the Center for German Studies (CGS). Led by Professor Karol Jonca (specializing in research on fascism and Nazi crimes), the center gathered scholars from various fields: historians, political scientists, lawyers, and philosophers. The goal and ambition of the team were to create and integrate into the structure of the University of Wrocław a nationally and internationally recognized interdisciplinary research center with a focus on German studies.
Over the following years, the unit underwent significant structural and organizational changes. In 1978, it was transformed into the Department of German Studies within the Institute of Political Science, under the leadership of Professor Karol Fiedor. After the establishment of the Faculty of Social Sciences in 1988, the status of the unit was changed to the Department of German Studies. Within this department, a specialization in German studies in the field of political science was introduced in 1992 as part of the 5-year undergraduate program. Based on the Department, the Institute of German and European Studies (IGES) was established on July 19, 1995. Its organizational structure consisted of three departments: History of 19th and 20th Century Germany, International Economic Relations, and Integration and Studies on the European Union. In 2000, IGES was renamed the Institute of International Studies, with the former Department of German History now renamed as the Department of German Studies.
The Department of German Studies also contributed to the creation of a new study program at the University of Wrocław – European Diplomacy (ED), based on interfaculty cooperation.
Contributors
Significant contributions to the development of the Department were also made by its long-time head, Prof. Dr. Hab. Romuald Gelles. The professor’s merits and his contribution to the development of science at all organizational levels of the University of Wrocław are substantial. He was not only the Head of the DGS (from 1997 to retirement in 2011) but also the first Director of the Institute of International Studies, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences (1993-1999), Vice-Rector for Teaching and Student Affairs (1987-1990), and Rector of the University of Wrocław (1999-2002).
The current Head of the DGS (since 2011) is Dr. Hab. Prof. Associate Prof. UWr. Tadeusz Lebioda, who has served as: Coordinator of the Erasmus/Socrates program at ISM (1998-2003), Vice-Dean for Student Affairs of the Faculty of Social Sciences (2005-2007), and Vice-Dean for Teaching of the Faculty of Social Sciences (2008-2016).
The academic staff of the Department carries out research projects in the following areas: the modern history of Germany and Austria, their contemporary political and economic relations, the development of political thought in Germany and towards Germany, foreign policy, Polish-German political and economic relations, German federalism, the political and party system of the FRG, as well as the political culture of German-speaking countries.
