Birgit Tautz

Birgit Tautz is the George Taylor Files Professor of Modern Languages at Bowdoin College, with an affiliate appointment in Cinema Studies. She specializes in literature, philosophy, and culture around 1800, post-1945 visual and cinema studies, and the global contexts of German literature. Her research explores transnational impact, race, and translation studies. She has authored Translating the World: Toward a New History of German Literature around 1800 (2018), which won the SAMLA Book Award, and edited volumes such as German and European Cultural Histories, 1760-1830 (2024).

Her academic roles include serving as Chair of German and Acting Chair of Film Studies. She holds a PhD from the University of Minnesota (1998) and has held fellowships from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and DAAD. Current projects include a fellowship at Humboldt University (2025) and a book manuscript on early world literature.

Prof. Tautz’s teaching integrates digital humanities and museum collaborations. She advises undergraduate research projects, such as studies on Afro-German literature and translation history. Her work emphasizes inclusive pedagogy and interdisciplinary approaches.

Her awards include the SAMLA Studies Book Award (2019) and Kenshur Prize short-list recognition. She serves as editor of the Spektrum book series under the German Studies Association.