Department of Languages and Cultures

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania's mission statement emphasizes a dedication to the liberal arts, and the study of other nations and cultures, such as German, is central to a liberal arts curriculum. Of course, students must consider practical and vocational factors and choose to study many subjects, including foreign languages, in light of career benefits. German offers real advantages in both academic and vocational training.

German is spoken in three countries with widely diverse cultural, political, and economic traditions: The Federal Republic of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. More Europeans (approximately 93 million) are native speakers of German than of English, French, Italian (58-60 million each) or Spanish (36 million). As a language of business, diplomacy, and tourism in Western Europe, it stands second only to English, and in the East it holds first place. In 1998 the German Information Center reported that 20 Million people are learning German as a second language, and that in 1997 the German Academic Exchange Service supported 11,000 students and academics from Eastern Europe alone! Much of the language's current importance stems from the Federal Republic's economic status. It has the third-highest GNP in the world, is the second highest creditor nation, and every year occupies one of the top three spots among exporting countries. Its publishing industry, which ranks #3 in the world (behind England and China), produced 36% more new book titles in 1995 than did the United States.

While German is economically the most important member of the European Union and invests heavily in Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America, its economy is particularly connected with that of the United States. In 1994 and again in 1995, each country directly invested almost $40 billion in the other. The German investments in the United States in 1995 supported 2,507 separate enterprises with 494,000 employees. Beyond that, German exports to the United States in 1994 totaled $33.5 billion (while imports were $27.5 billion). In 1998, German became the main recipient of US overseas investment. US companies invested more than $15 billion in Germany during the third quater of 1998. More than 300 companies have so far set up shop in the new federal states, investing some $14 billion there and creating 65,000 jobs. Given this environment, the advantages of bilingualism for employment are obvious.

But the significance of German extends well beyond economic considerations. A review of Nobel Prizes shows that scientists from the three major German-speaking countries have won 21 in Physics, 30 in Chemistry, and 25 in Medicine, while may laureates from other countries received their training in German universities. Nine Nobel Prizes in Literature have been awarded to German and Swiss writers, and seven Germans and Austrians have received the Peace Prize. Click for more on German-speaking Nobel Prize winners.

The cultural heritage of the United States is also closely tied to Germany. Over one fourth of the North American population claims German ancestry. The rich legacy of German-American history is amply documented, for example, in the hundreds of German-language newspapers that have been published in America since the first German colonists arrived in 1683.

Thus it is clear that a knowledge of German grants access not only to rich literary, philosophical, artistic and scientific traditions but also to many kinds of contemporary economic, political, and cultural developments.

Therefore the German Program at Bloomsburg University appeals to a wide range of interests and prepares students for a variety of professions, such as international business, government service, medicine, and the sciences, as well as in the study of art, literature, philosophy, history, anthropology, music, and film.

Not enough reasons? Click here for a host of other information on the value of studying German language and culture: Why Study German?

Literature:

1. Deutschland Nachrichten. 6 March 1998: 6.
2. Franz Stark, The Historical and Current Position of the German Language in Europe, New York: The German Information Center, 1995.
3. UNESCO Figures for 1992 (The Bowker Annual, 1995).
4. Die Zeit, 34 (23 August 1996); United States-German Economic Yearbook 1995, New York: German American Chamber of Commerce.