PD Dr Thomas Petraschka AOR a.Z.

1982 born in Fürstenfeldbruck

from 10.2002 studied German language and literature and philosophy (from 10/2004 also sociology and political science)

09.2008 M.A. German language and literature/philosophy

10.2008 1st State Examination German/Social Studies/Philosophical Issues in theology/Ethics

10.2008 to 09.2015 Assistant professor at the University of Regensburg at the Chair of Modern German Literature I

10.2009 DAAD short-term lecturer at the Charles University in Prague

10.2010 to 09.2013 Collaboration in the DFG research project "Knowledge and Meaning in Literature" (Head: Prof. Dr Hans Rott, Prof. Dr Jürgen Daiber)

11.2013 Doctorate

05.2014 DAAD short-term lectureship at the University of Ljubljana

06.2018 to 09.2022 Head of the junior research network "Feeling and Understanding. The role of empathic emotions in understanding people and literature". Funded by the DFG, co-headed with Dr Christiana Werner (fundamental philosophical issues in theology, University of Duisburg-Essen)

01.2020 to 12.2021 Head of the PPP research project "The First World War. Cultures of Remembrance in Germany and Australia" Funded by the DAAD, co-led with Prof. Dr Christiane Weller and Dr Andreas Dorrer (both German language and literature, Monash University Melbourne)

12.2021 Habilitation

10.2015 until 09.2021 acad. councillor a. Z., since 10.2021 acad. senior councillor a. Z.

08.2023 Offer of a Max Kade Visiting Professorship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA) (declined)

10.2023 to 09.2024 Representation of the Chair of Modern German Literature and Media Studies at Saarland University in Saarbrücken

1. Books (PDF) (opens in a new window). (This PDF is not accessible)

2. Articles (PDF) (opens in a new window). (This PDF is not accessible)

3. Reviews, conference reports, miscellanies (PDF) (opens in a new window). (This PDF is not accessible)

Specialisations:

• literature especially of the late 18th, 19th, early 20th century and contemporary drama
• Theory of literature and science, theory and history of hermeneutics, methodology of the humanities
• Literature and war (in particular literature and the First World War)
• Literature and emotions (especially empathy), theory and cultural history of "empathy"
• Aesthetics, literature and its relationship to fundamental philosophical issues in theology and other arts

Current events:

last lectures:

• is the Enlightenment a failed project? Some programmatic reflections on the humanities and literary studies in the "post-factual" age (lecture as part of the Saarbrücken literary studies lecture series in the ballroom of the town hall Sankt Johann of the state capital Saarbrücken on the topic "Fake, Lie, Disinformation. On literature between fiction and deception", 17 June 2024)
• Aesthetic appreciation and its mediation. Ein Problemaufriß (lecture as part of the panel "Zwischen Konvention, Innovation und ästhetischer Erfahrung: Einflüsse literarischer Texte im aktuellen Französischunterricht" at the 14th Congress of the French-Romanist Association, Passau, 24-27 September 2024)
• Argument types and literary interpretation. With a look at the difficulties of applying the conclusion to the best explanation. (University of Göttingen, 5 January 2025)
  

Lectures and seminars (most recent first)
Lectures and seminars (most recent first)

• Drama of the present (in summer semester 26)
• Philosophers as Writers (in SoSe 26)

previous themes (opens in a new window). (This PDF is not accessible)

DFG network "Feeling and Understanding. The role of empathic emotions in understanding people and literature" (duration: 2018-2022)

Head together with Dr Christiana Werner (Essen)

Members:

Dr Katalin Balint (Tilburg)

Dr Anja Berninger (Stuttgart)

Prof Dr Sabine Döring (Tübingen)

Dr Eva-Maria Düringer (Tübingen)

PD Dr Benjamin Gittel (Göttingen)

PD Dr Claudia Hillebrandt (Jena)

Junior Professor Dr Eva-Maria Konrad (Berlin)

Prof Dr Tilmann Köppe (Göttingen)

Dr Jana Lüdtke (Berlin)

PD Dr Moritz Müller (Bonn)

Benedetta Romano (Munich)

Prof Dr Íngrid Vendrell Ferran (Marburg)

The event series "Forum Literaturtheorie" offers doctoral and Master's students of all philological subjects the opportunity to present their own projects in the field of literary theory and to discuss them with others. The online workshops are open for lectures and presentations on all areas of literary theory and literature-related philosophical aesthetics. Questions of interpretation, fictionality and genre theory can be discussed as well as problems of narratology, literary conceptualisation, the (literary) theory of science, etc.

The forum is intended to promote constructive exchange, mutual networking and the discussion of literary theory projects in the development process. It is possible to present considerations from final theses and dissertations that are about to be completed, as well as conceptual drafts of works that are still in the process of being written. Presentations of other projects centred on general problems and questions of literary theory are also welcome. The event expressly offers the opportunity to 'try out' unfinished ideas and put them up for discussion.

The Forum Literaturtheorie is a joint event organised by the Department of German Language and Literature (University of Göttingen), the Institute of German Literature (Humboldt University of Berlin) and the Institute of German Language and Literature (University of Regensburg).
Previous events and programmes

1. Forum Literary Theory (22 July 2022)

2. Forum Literary Theory (10 February 2023)

3. Forum Literary Theory (01 December 2023)

4. Forum Literary Theory (19 July 2024)

Theory Days Berlin: 5th Forum Literary Theory (06 - 08 October 2025)
Organisation, website and contact

Stefan Descher (Göttingen), Eva-Maria Konrad (Berlin), Thomas Petraschka (Regensburg)

Contact address: forum-literaturtheorie@uni-goettingen.de

Website: https: //forum-literaturtheorie.de/ (external link, opens in a new window)