Karin Ritthaler-Praefcke

Dr. Karin Ritthaler-Praefcke is a research assistant and editor for Polish at the Institute of Slavic Studies, Chair of Slavic Literature, at the University of Greifswald. She has been affiliated with the university since 1996 and contributes to academic and cultural initiatives bridging German-Polish relations.

• University of Bamberg: Studies in West and East Slavic Studies, Communication Studies
• University of Tübingen: Studies in Slavic Studies, Comparative Literature
• Language stays in Barnstaple, England, and academic experiences in Poland and Russia

Her research focuses on Slavic literature, Polish cultural history, and language education. She has led projects such as the EURES language course (2020) and the ERDF project 'Language connects' (2019–2020), fostering cross-border collaboration between Greifswald and Szczecin.

She has received significant recognition, including the Federal Cross of Merit (2023) and the Pomerania Nostra cultural award (2011), for her work in organizing the Polish cultural week 'polenmARkT' and advancing language pedagogy.

• Member of the Examination Board for Interpreters and Translators (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Ministry of Education, since 2011)
• Examiner license for TELC language tests (since 2015)

Karin combines academic research with practical applications, including freelance Polish-German translation work for courts, teaching at higher education institutions like Stralsund University of Applied Sciences, and media collaborations with SWDR-TV, ARTE, DW-TV, and WDR Cologne.