Welcome to the Department of German Language and Literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem!
Established in 1977 by Stéphane Mosès (1931–2007), the Department for German Language and Literature is the sole institution in Israel offering a comprehensive German Studies curriculum. We provide a dynamic and contemporary approach to the German literary landscape from the eighteenth century until today.
1. The German modern intellectual tradition is characterized by its deep engagement with philosophy, literature, political theory, and critical thought, shaping global intellectual history from the Enlightenment onward. Key movements include German Classicism (Goethe, Schiller), Romanticism (Schlegel, Novalis), and Marxist thought (Marx, Engels), each of which revolutionized concepts of reason, history, and society. The Frankfurt School (Adorno, Horkheimer, Benjamin) introduced critical theory, emphasizing the role of culture, ideology, and mass media in shaping modern life. This tradition remains influential in contemporary literature, philosophy, political thought, and cultural criticism.
2. Modern German and German-Jewish literature constantly reflects on contemporary issues such as universalism and particularism, religion and secularism, modernism and romanticism, utopia and ideology, and thus provides meaningful impulses to find our way today in the twenty-first century.
3. German is not only a valuable asset for pursuing academic careers in such fields as literature, history, religion, philosophy, art history, and political science. It is also an excellent language to learn in preparation for professional careers in international business or law, engineering, government and international affairs, economics, and finance.
