Department of German and Dutch
GERMAN COURSE INFORMATION For full information about DUTCH courses and staff please CLICK HERE
Resources
- Libraries
- Departmental Video and DVD Collection
- The Language Centre
- Computer-aided Language Learning (CALL)
- Internet Resources - Useful Links
- Sources of Funding for Postgraduate Students
Libraries
The library staff in both MML and the UL are always willing to help with any queries or problems you may have.
College Libraries vary in the provision they make for German books. College librarians are, however, usually willing to buy books on student recommendation when supported by a member of the Department or the Director of Studies. The Beit Library, a special collection of 15,000 volumes (located in the MML library) contains much specialist material (for undergraduates, reference only).
For MML, Beit and College books you must consult the computerized Newton Catalogue. Dr Anne Cobby, the MML Librarian, holds 'Library Skills and Resources' sessions at the beginning of the academic year. These are about library use in general.
The MML library
The MML Library is well stocked with essential texts. If you wish to have books ordered for the German section of the library, please inform the Departmental Office. Dr Whaley is our representative on the Faculty Library Committee and deals with library matters and would be happy to receive your comments.
MML Library links:
Link to:
The Beit Library
The Beit Library (in the Modern Languages Faculty Library) is especially strong on the history of the German language, the classical period (esp. Goethe) and on the nineteenth century. It also contains a major reference section which has works like Goedeke, Grimm, ADB, Killy, Verfasserlexikon. Its catalogue has been computerised and is available on the Union Catalogue of Departmental and College Libraries. The Beit has quite a number of titles not in the UL and it is essential to check its holdings in conjunction with the UL collection. Some Colleges have important German collections (notably Trinity), some of which are on database.
The University Library (UL)
General
Remember that the UL guard-book catalogue (the green bound catalogue volumes) contains titles prior to 1978, although there is a programme of retrospective updating to put these on the database. Newly acquired pre-1978 imprints now go automatically on to the database, not into the guard-book.
There are introductory tours of the UL at the beginning of each academic year.German
The University Library has excellent stocks in German subject areas. It has one of the major collections in German studies in the country. If you do find gaps, you should draw these to the attention of Mr David Lowe in Accessions at the UL (phone 33094). Please remember to consult both the guard-book catalogue (bound volumes of pre-1978 material) as well as the computerised catalogue. Most German literary texts on the open shelves are to be found in North Wing 4 and 5, but in all cases you should consult the catalogues.
The UL has major special collections in German. It holds 1,355 incunables (pre-1500 imprints) published in Germany. There is a significant collection of printed dissertations from German universities, and a small collection of 'Schulprogramme'. The 60,000 volumes of the Acton collection are particularly strong on political history and culture in the nineteenth century. The Schnitzler archive contains about one third of Arthur Schnitzler's manuscript papers. The Stefan Heym archive holds Heym's entire papers and a complete collection of his printed works. Other collections are the Bach collection (mainly German and Austrian texts 1900-1930), the Hunter-Alpine library of works on psychiatry, the Library of the Society for Psychical Research, special collections on World War One and on the Nazi period, the Bible Society Library, and a complete set of the illustrated volumes of the Insel Bücherei.The Language Centre
General information
Specific to German
For language teaching the German Department shares resources with the Language Centre which has large stocks of audio and visual material. The Deutsche Welle has recently provided funds for the installation of a new satellite dish to receive their programmes, and so students can now access German broadcast material from ARD and DW at the Independent Learning Centre.
Mrs Künzl-Snodgrass is in charge of these arrangements. Just in Time Grammar is an online application, developed within the Faculty, to help basic and intermediate students brush up their command of German grammar. If you have a Raven password you can access the site here.Computer-aided Language Learning (CALL)
General information
The Faculty has a well equipped CALL (Computer Aided Language Learning) facility in the South Wing of the Raised Faculty Building. You are advised to familiarize yourself with the resources there as early as possible in your first year. Link to CALL facility.
German
Link to German section of CALL Software Catalogue
Internet Resources
The German Department is developing a list of links to sites which have been specially recommended to it. Suggestions for additions or amendments are welcome.
The Department also contributes to the University's HE+ project and will be developing modules for this purpose. The first module "German Literature: the Brothers Grimm and European Fairy Stories" can be seen here.
Films and videos
The Department has in addition a growing collection of major German films. These can be useful in language learning as well as for the formal study of film topics within the Tripos. Teaching members of staff and MML students of German or of Comparative Papers with German topics may borrow videos/DVDs from the Department Office.
