Ruth Florack

Ruth Florack serves as Professor of Modern German Literature at the University of Göttingen within the Faculty of Philosophy and Department of German Philology, holding this position since 2005 while previously serving as University Vice President (2013-2015) and Faculty Vice-Dean (2008-2010), with extensive international visiting appointments at Nanjing, Paris, Geneva, and Tartu universities.

Her academic foundation includes:

• Studies in German Studies, Romance Studies, and Educational Science at Münster and Toulouse Universities
• Doctorate (Promotion) from University of Stuttgart (1994)
• Habilitation from University of Stuttgart (2004)

Her research concentrates on 18th-century German literature—particularly Enlightenment and Sensibility periods—with deep expertise in epistolary novels spanning centuries, gallant fiction, and Franco-German cultural transfer. She extensively examines drama/theatre history (18th-20th centuries), literary stereotypes, Shoah-related literature, and 17th-18th century guide literature.

Current projects investigate the evolution of epistolary forms from historical gallant novels to digital communication, analyzing how narrative structures adapt to technological shifts while maintaining thematic continuity in cultural representation.

Her 2020-2024 publications reveal consistent methodological focus on cross-cultural perception between Germany and France, national identity construction, and genre transformation—particularly the adaptation of epistolary conventions from 18th-century gallant novels to contemporary email/chat fiction.

Notable scholarly recognition includes:

• Prof. Dr. Robert Minder-Preis (1998)

She actively supervises BA, MA, and M.Ed theses while securing research funding through Volkswagen Foundation projects (1995-1998) and the Margarete von Wrangell-Programm (1998-2001), demonstrating sustained academic leadership beyond her core teaching responsibilities.