Welcome to the Amerika-Institut Munich
Our Institute
The Amerika-Institut at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich was founded in 1949, and is the oldest and biggest of its kind in Germany.
source: private, 2023
f.l.t.r.: Dr. Nadine Klopfer, Prof. Dr. Pierre-Héli Monot, Dayela Valenzuela MA., Prof. Dr. Christof Decker, Renate Krakowczyk, Prof. Dr. Kerstin Schmidt, Dr. Natalie Aghoro, Julia Rössler, Nicole Schneider MA., Dr. Amy Mohr, Dr. Andreas Etges, Alexandra Schenke MA., Prof. Dr. Christof Mauch, Prof. Dr. Michael Hochgeschwender, Dr. Anna Flügge
Research and Study Programs
The Amerika-Institut offers a BA degree program in "North American Studies" and a MA program in "American History, Culture and Society." It is affiliated with programs in Comparative Literature, Media Studies, Jewish Studies, Film Studies, Religious Studies and a number of doctoral programs.
These research and study programs offer basic and advanced knowledge of the social, cultural, literary, economic and political history and present of the Americas, especially USA and Canada. They address these issues in an interdisciplinary way and relate North America to other regions of the world and their respective historical and cultural developments.
Broad Approaches and Profound Specialization
The Amerika-Institut allows students to specialize intensely while at the same time maintaining a broad variety of approaches with regard to both content and method. Considering the number of lecturers, there is a vast array of research options in American history, including US history, inter-American history, North America in global perspective, Canadian history, transatlantic history, Europe and North America in comparative historical perspective, African-American history, environmental history of North America in an international context, history of religion, migration, politics, law, sports, popular culture, architecture, or urban history. Special emphasis is placed on the 19th century and the second half of the 20th century.
Discover our research spectrum.
Contact
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Amerika-Institut
Schellingstr. 3 VG
80799 Munich
Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 2180 - 2739
Amerika-Institut Online/during COVID-19
Resources for Online Semesters (PDF)
Please check out our pdf guide for important information and links that will support your online studies.
Winter Semester 2021-22
Welcome back to the Amerika-Institut!
As we look back on three consecutive semesters of teaching and learning remotely, we have enhanced our online skills; however, we certainly have renewed appreciation for meeting in person. We are ready for a new start and welcome the chance to see our colleagues and students again. While we are adjusting to the current “3-G” and hygiene regulations, we appreciate your patience and cooperation. See you soon!
Winter Semester 2020-21
In Winter Semester 2020-21, while adjusting to the restrictions to maintain public health, American Studies students have remained engaged in their courses and the news of the day. Faculty have continued with online teaching, and with the benefit of experience, have offered the full range of courses including lectures, foundation courses, seminars, and individual advising of independent study and thesis projects.
The highlights of the semester included two online lecture series, American Studies Today and Pandemics in American History and Culture. Invited international scholars and Amerika-Institut faculty shared their research in well-attended weekly lectures and lively discussions focusing on the most pressing issues of our time.
We will continue to engage current events as our academic work coincides with developments in the U.S., Canada, and at the U.S./Mexican border. Our discussions are ongoing, with events sponsored by the Amerika-Institut and Amerikahaus providing perspectives on our current moment. Join the conversation!
Summer Semester 2020
In Summer Semester 2020, due to the coronavirus, we shifted to online instruction and continued our programming to include excellent lectures, workshops, and conferences delivered remotely through the Amerika-Institut and Amerikahaus. Please see the links to these events below.
In our teaching evaluations, organized by the Fachschaft, students generally praised the approaches to online teaching. Before the semester began, the faculty retrained and retooled their courses to teach online, resulting in a combination of synchronous and asynchronous options. Although everyone would like to return to in-person class meetings, students were able to continue with their studies while meeting the current health guidelines. In sum, digitalization and remote learning have led to innovative course offerings and new connections with international scholars, which will continue in the future.
Despite the challenges of this time, our faculty and students, with the support of LMU, have maintained a commitment to teaching and research. Looking ahead, concerns about the effects of the pandemic, systemic racism, and the upcoming presidential election, and the ongoing development of new approaches to American Studies scholarship, will lead to meaningful discussions and events in the winter semester 20/21. Stay tuned!
Some of our events during COVID-19
- Dr. Lonnie Bunch, 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian, "The Long Arc: The Fight for Equal Rights and Racial Justice in America." Moderator: Dr. Andreas Etges. 9 July 2020.
- Where My Girls At? Contemporary Feminist Art. A Conference for Graduate Students and Emerging Scholars of American Studies.
- Radical Visibility. The Information Politics of Police on Camera
- Surveillance on the Border. Migrants’ and Migrant-Aid Workers’ Perceptions of State Surveillance in the US-Mexico Borderlands
- Transatlantic Studies Student Projects