College of Fellows

German-American Institute Tübingen (d.a.i.)

The German-American Institute Tübingen promotes trans-cultural exchange among America, Germany and the world.

Every year we offer more than 200 cultural events: Talks, exhibitions, movie nights, discussions, readings, information events, and concerts. Presentations, including talks and academic lectures – and not just narrowly focused on America – are also among the key offerings of the d.a.i., as are language courses in English and Spanish, American TV series and bestsellers in the library, as well as advising on the topic of exchange.

More information


News

Workshop: "Pushkin in the African-American Imagination"

With Melissa Frazier (Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY)
Date: Tue, 7 May 2023, 02:30 PM 
Ort: Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut Tübingen, d.a.i. hall (d.a.i., Karlstr. 3)

African-Americans have long identified with Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837) both as a great poet and as a poet of partly African descent. Mention of Pushkin’s African great-grandfather appeared in the African-American press as early as 1828, and Pushkin himself remained a touchstone for Black artists well into the 20th century. Join us for a combined screening and discussion that will focus on the work of two Black artists in particular. We will talk about the 1990 film To Sleep With Anger by acclaimed AfricanAmerican director Charles Burnett, which tells the story of an enigmatic older gentleman, Harry (played by actor Danny Glover). Harry pays an unexpected visit to old friends, who, like Harry, are originally from the South, but followed the Great Migration to L.A. where they now live a comfortable middle-class life. We will then watch and listen to clips of African-American actor, singer and activist Paul Robeson, blacklisted for his political stance in the 1940s and ‘50s, as he performs in English, Russian, and Yiddish.

Melissa Frazier is a professor of Russian Language and Russian and Comparative Literature. Current projects include Dostoevsky and the detective novel and the intersections of Russian and African American literature. Frazier is a DAAD visiting professor at the Slavic Department in Tübingen during the summer semester 2024. 
 

Download the semester program of the d.a.i. here

Admission is free. Please register online www.dai-tuebingen.de/frazier

In collaboration with the d.a.i. and the Slavic Department of the University of Tübingen and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).