And what is it like on site? - German studies at the University of Szeged

Today's University of Sciences Szeged was founded in Cluj-Napoca (Transylvania, Romania) in 1872 and the seat of the former Franz Joseph University was moved to Szeged in 1921. It is one of the largest and most renowned universities in Hungary and includes higher education institutions such as the former Medical University, the University of Applied Sciences for the Food Industry, the University of Applied Sciences for Agriculture and the Music Conservatory. The research and teaching activities are currently divided into twelve faculties. The international orientation of the university is reflected, among other things, in the foreign-language education offered there, because in Szeged, students do not only study in Hungarian. Courses at the Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacology are taught in English and German, while courses at the Faculty of Law are taught in German and French.

German literature and linguistics have been taught in Szeged since 1921. The first professor of German studies was Henrik Schmidt (1921-1946) from Cluj-Napoca. After the chair was closed for a transitional period in 1950, it once again took on an important role from 1957 - Szeged German Studies was reorganized. The explosion in the number of pupils and students after 1989 strengthened the ever-growing interest in the German language and reinforced its expansion. In 1993, the chair was specialized in three areas that are still relevant today: Chair of Germanic Linguistics, Chair of German Literature and the Chair of Austrian Literature and Culture, which is unique in the country. Valence grammar and translatorics are particular research focuses. The Institute of German Studies maintains a total of ten Erasmus partnerships.

The Central University Library has the largest library collection in southern Hungary, with over one million copies of publications and books. Similar to the holdings of the Kassel University Library, students and lecturers can use an online catalog to search the collection. In addition to Hungarian publications, the collection also includes the medical library of the German and English-language degree programs. Students can also be found in the central city library: Somogyi Library. It mainly collects fiction and magazines.

• Homepage of the University of Szeged (English)
• Homepage of the Institute of German Studies / University of Szeged (German)
• University Library

Austrian studies are unique in Szeged, as there is only one chair for Austrian literature and culture in the whole of Hungary." Dr. habil. Géza Horváth, Chair of German Literature, University of Szeged

Studying German in Hungary - or: Why coffee, cats and Túró Rudi are part of everyday university life. An experience report from Szeged. more...

With amovieTanja Lau, a student on the binational Master's program, documented her first visit to the university city of Szeged.