In the spring of 2006, to create greater opportunities for scholarly interaction, a core organizational group of scholars, from several departments,  proposed to organize a research seminar on Modern Germany and Central Europe for the 2006-07 academic year under the auspices of the University of Tennessee Humanities Initiative. This faculty research seminar proposal was successful in competition and has, since 2006, received funding from the University of Tennessee Humanities Initiative. Our hope is to continue building a strong track record of organizational activity which would serve as a foundation for continuing events and undertakings in German studies here at UT. The immediate aim of the faculty research seminar is to promote our individual research agendas and create a forum for intensive interaction on larger interdisciplinary questions related to the study of modern Germany and Central Europe. Over the past several academic years, the seminar has served as a means to further an atmosphere of professional seriousness and exchange, and we invite the entire community of interested faculty and graduate students from across the university to join us for our seminars, book discussions, film screenings, lectures, and works-in-progress discussions by students and faculty from UT and beyond. We hope to continue this research seminar in future years, strengthening this growing venture, and to incorporate the ideas and suggestions of our colleagues as to both themes and organization.

Georg Grosz
Eclipse of the Sun, 1926