Ireland in focus: New center for Irish studies opened in Flensburg!

Ireland in focus: New center for Irish studies opened in Flensburg!

The symposium “Irish Studies in a Changing Europe” will take place at Saarland University from February 26th to 28th, 2025. Organized by Éamonn Ó Ciardha from Ulster University as well as Joachim Frenk, Nadja Freier and Victoria Pearson, the event focuses on the diversity and importance of Irish studies. Scholars from Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands are expected to discuss topics such as medieval studies, early modern Irish history and current Irish literature and film studies.

The opening event starts on February 26th at 6 p.m. in the Filmhaus Saarbrücken. The Irish Ambassador to Germany, H. E. Maeve Collins, is also expected and will take part in the presentation of the 1946 “Thank You Book”. This unique book, kept in the Saarbrücken city archives, is part of a conversation about the history of German-Irish relations after the Second World War. As part of this discussion, the exhibition “Operation Shamrock”, which was curated by Monica Brandis and will be shown for a week at the Filmhaus, will also be presented.

The role of the Center for Irish Studies

Another significant step towards deepening German-Irish relations was taken on November 8, 2023 with the opening of the “Centre for Irish Studies” at the European University of Flensburg. This center, located in the EUF's Interdisciplinary Center for European Studies (ICES), aims to bring together interdisciplinary research approaches on Ireland and the Irish-German diaspora. The Irish Ambassador to Germany, Nicholas O’Brien, expressed his delight at the founding and emphasized its relevance for German-Irish relations.

Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Michelle Witen, junior professor of English and Irish literature, the center will host various events. This includes beer tastings, guest lectures and film evenings. A highlight will be the annual conference of the International Association for the Study of Irish Literatures in Flensburg in 2025, the first of its kind in Germany since 1981. The center will also be closely networked with other Irish centers in Germany and will deal with topics such as the colonial past and seafaring.

Cooperation and future prospects

The strategic partnership with the University of Limerick also plays a central role in promoting the internationalization strategy of the European University of Flensburg. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Glassmann, Vice President for Europe and International Affairs, emphasizes the importance of the center for complementing the European educational path in teacher training. Planned political discussion evenings, a Cultural Theory Summer School and a research day will enrich the center's first year and also contribute to networking between existing structures, such as the Center for Small and Regional Languages.

The two events, the symposium in Saarbrücken and the opening of the center in Flensburg, illustrate the efforts of both institutions to deepen scientific and cultural relations between Ireland and Germany and to promote exchange in research.

Sustainable partnerships and interdisciplinary exchange thus become the basis for the future development of Irish studies in German-speaking countries.

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