The Department regularly hosts visiting scholars who enrich our program and the experience of our graduate and undergraduate students. In the spring semester we host a Visiting Distinguished Max Kade Professor, and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) enables us to host a visiting lecturer each year. The Mellon Foundation has supported scholars of German Studies at the University of Illinois as well. 

Visiting Distinguished Max Kade Professors have included:

  • Dr. Jakob Christoph Heller, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (Spring 2024)
  • Dr. Urs Buettner, Universität Düsseldorf (Spring 2023)
  • Dr. Aura Heydenreich, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Spring 2022)
  • Dr. Nikolai Preuschoff, Universität Erfurt (Spring 2020)
  • Dr. Victoria Gutsche, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Spring 2019)
  • Dr. Andreas-Martin Widmann, Bard College-Berlin (Spring 2018)
  • Dr. Robert Leucht, Universität Zürich (Spring 2017)
  • Dr. Christiane Ackermann, Universität Tübingen (Spring 2016)
  • Dr. Susanne Hochreiter, University of Vienna (Spring 2015)
  • Dr. Margrit Vogt, Freie Universtiät - Berlin (Spring 2014)
  • Dr. Matthias Erdbeer, Universität Münster (Spring 2013)
  • Dr. Andrea Geier, Universität Trier (Spring 2011)
  • Dr. Andrea Grafetstätter, Universität Bamberg (Fall 2009)
  • Dr. Gertrud Roesch, Universität Heidelberg (Spring 2009)
  • Dr. Birgit Dahlke, Humboldt-Universität Berlin (Spring 2008)
  • Dr. Hania Siebenpfeiffer, Universität Greifswald (Spring 2007)