Bastian Dewenter

Bastian Dewenter is a researcher and lecturer in German Studies at the University of Siegen, Faculty I, specializing in German Literature and its Didactics. He has been affiliated with the university since 2010 and has served as a staff member at the Chair of Literature Didactics and later at the Chair of German Studies/Literature Didactics II under Prof. Dr. Berbeli Wanning since 2014. Since April 2024, he holds the position of Temporary Academic Councillor. He earned his doctorate in 2016 with a dissertation on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s theater discourse, published in 2017.

• Master's Degree in General Literature/German Studies, University of Siegen and Högskolan i Skövde (2009)
• Doctorate (Dr. phil.), University of Siegen (2016)
• Professional Teaching Competence for the University, Network Hochschuldidaktik NRW (2015)

Dewenter’s research centers on literature didactics, reading socialization, literary canon formation, and the literary and theatrical works of E.T.A. Hoffmann and Joseph Roth. His work bridges historical analysis with pedagogical application, particularly in secondary German education. He investigates how literature is received across time, how reading shapes identity, and how canonical status is constructed and challenged.

His recent publications reveal a consistent engagement with narrative theory, autobiographical forms, and the interplay between theater and literature. Articles span topics from the Werther effect in 18th-century drama to narrative thresholds in youth literature and the portrayal of war returnees in Joseph Roth’s novels. His scholarship combines close textual analysis with historical and cultural context.

• Member, ETA Hoffmann Society (since 2017)
• Member, Reading Research Network (since 2019)
• Member, #breiterkanon network (since 2021)

Bastian Dewenter advises and contributes to academic discourse through conference presentations, workshops, and collaborative research. He has co-organized expert meetings on reading and led workshops on literature as identity. His editorial work includes significant volumes on theater history and audience research. He teaches courses such as Fundamentals of Literary Didactics and seminars on reading promotion and literary canon, shaping future German language educators.

He is actively involved in research teams and editorial projects focused on historical theater audience research and literary didactics. His work with the Proscenium series and collaborative editing with scholars like Hans-Joachim Jakob and Hermann Korte underscores his role in a vibrant academic network dedicated to German literary and theatrical history.