Welcome to the Chair of English Literature including the Literatures of the Middle Ages!

“A poet is someone who stands on the door sill and sees the room before her as a sea whose waves she might dive through. … A poet is someone who swims inexplicably away from the shore, only to arrive at an island of her own invention.”
- Selby Wynn Schwartz, After Sappho

Upcoming Events

Call for Papers

The University of Freiburg will be hosting the 24th Biennnal Congress of the New Chaucer Society (27-30 July 2026). The Call for Papers is now open, proposal submissions are due on 27 April 2025! For further information, check our news section or the official page of the New Chaucer Society.

Summer term 2025 Course Catalogue

The catalogue of courses for the Summer term 2025 is online. Click here and check out the classes taught by the members of our chair!

LitCult Colloquium

This colloquium provides a venue for current research projects in literary studies and cultural studies (including: media studies, American studies, Anglophone studies, medieval and early modern studies) at the English Department. In addition, we also feature a number of guest speakers from other departments of the University of Freiburg as well as external guests from other universities both national and international. Join us every Tuesdays 4:15 pm!

Contemporary Literature Book Club

The Contemporary Literature Book Club is back! We meet once a month to discuss a work of contemporary English-language literature. Students, faculty and staff are always welcome to join us.

Prof. Dr. Eva von Contzen's Inaugural Lecture
“‘I love originality so much I keep copying it’: Wiederholung als Prinzip der Literatur”

Aula (KGI), Wednesday, October 23, 4:15 pm

Interested in studying with us?

Are you interested in studying English Literature, but you are not sure what it entails and what career options can open up for you? Check out our page “Why Study English Literature” and be inspired! Find out also about our dedicated master’s programme, English Literatures and Literary Theory (MELLIT).

We wish everyone an enjoyable break!

Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in switch licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour… (Chaucer, Canterbury Tales)

Scroll to Top
Skip to content