Europe has 94 million native speakers of German, so the study of this language is crucial for students interested in European business, government, philosophy, and literature. German-speaking Europe includes Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. German also is the second language of several other countries.

Iowa’s Department of German offers excellent programs in traditional areas such as literature, culture, and linguistics as well as the German language itself. The department’s faculty members are involved in all periods of German language and literature. They also do interdisciplinary work involving film, music, religious studies, and contemporary theory.