German Media Theory

In this seminar, we will interrogate major currents in media-theoretical work from the German-speaking world from the 1980s to today. Starting from the surprisingly controversial term 'German media theory' itself, which has been described as 'neither a theory nor really centered on media, [while] its Germanness is a contested issue' - we will consider the characteristics that nevertheless make this a recognizable, if internally heterogeneous, category for thinking about media, mediation, and culture. We will pay special attention to the foundational work of Friedrich Kittler, which ranges across literature, film, philosophy, and computers, before turning to the current differentiation into a technology-focused 'media archaeology' (Wolfgang Ernst) and the differently inflected formation of 'cultural techniques' (Bernhard Siegert), as well as recent articulations of 'media philosophy' and other developments in contemporary theory. We will also examine the often absent and/or fraught role of gender, race, and class in this field, as well as attempts to address these issues by such theorists as Ute Holl, Cornelia Vissman, Astrid Deuber-Mankowsky, Annette Bitsch, and Sybille Krämer. Readings will be in English translation. Knowledge of German is therefore not required, but readers of German will find plenty of research opportunities among the many as yet untranslated texts that make up the field of German media theory.