"North American Narratives of Crisis and Repair,
Past and Present"

for the 13th International Summer Academy of the Bavarian American Academy
for Doctoral Researchers and Junior Faculty in American Studies and American History

To state that we are living in times of a continuous polycrisis with interdependent and overlapping crisis figurations has become a truism. This condition is reflected in much of contemporary cultural production and various forms of symbolization – be it in the genre of the dystopian, of horror, or, more generally, in end-of-the-world narratives, and it often plays off against states of disavowal and denial, at times implying a reparative or recuperative dimension. Some of these cultural expressions/representations also hark back to pertinent scenarios of the past and illustrate their ongoing relevance. 

Reflecting on constellations of crisis and repair, this year’s BAA Summer Academy seeks to examine both concepts in a diachronic as well as synchronic perspective with regard to different groups/actors in American history and culture. Topics to be addressed range from social and political inequalities and other effects of hegemonic hierarchical structures to discourses of recognition and demands for reparation for historical exploitation and injustice. The summer school aims at an interdisciplinary discussion of these problems within the field of North American Studies and American History.

Photo: Memorial Glade, UC Berkeley Campus. Foto: Louis H. G. (Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0)

The tuition fee is €600. 

Acceptance to the Summer Academy includes a full academic and cultural program, accommodation, and a travel grant for students from Europe.

Application materials need to include

• a letter of motivation,
• a curriculum vitae,
• a 1-page project proposal,
• and letter of recommendation.

Please submit your application materials by February 15, 2025 to 

• Prof. Dr. Heike Paul (heike.paul@fau.de), 
• PD Dr. Axel Jansen (a.jansen@ghi-dc.org), 
• Dr. Sarah Beringer (beringer@ghi-dc.org), 
• and Dr. Christoph Straub (straub@amerika-akademie.de).

Participants will be selected on the strength of their application. 

The 13th International BAA Summer Academy is organized by the Bavarian American Academy in cooperation with FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg and the German Historical Institute Washington and its Pacific Office at UC Berkeley.

Download the Call for Applications [PDF, 182kb]