Stefan Hartmann

Stefan Hartmann is a Professor of German Linguistics at the Institute of German Studies, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf. He leads research on language dynamics across multiple dimensions including language acquisition, variation, change, and evolution. His work spans both theoretical and empirical approaches to linguistic phenomena.

His research interests focus on the dynamics of language in all its facets, from early childhood language acquisition through language variation and language change to the evolution of human language ability. Key areas include cognitive linguistics, construction grammar, morphology, corpus linguistics, language evolution, and historical linguistics. He employs usage-based approaches to investigate how language structures emerge from patterns of language use.

Hartmann's recent publications demonstrate strong trends in cognitive linguistics, construction grammar, and morphological analysis. His work frequently examines word formation patterns, future constructions, and language evolution from a usage-based perspective. He has contributed significantly to understanding the relationship between cognitive processes and linguistic structures, particularly in Germanic languages.

Hartmann leads multiple research projects including the DFG-funded projects 'Wie sich Morphologie materialisiert' (How Morphology Materializes) and 'Futurkonstruktionen im Deutschen' (Future Constructions in German), as well as a work package in the Horizon-Europe project ARENAS (Analysis of and Responses to Extremist Narratives). He has secured substantial funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) and other sources for his research initiatives.

He supervises a team of researchers including Henriette Huber, Phillip Neumair, and several other research and student assistants working on various aspects of German linguistics. His department serves as a hub for linguistic research with a strong focus on empirical approaches to theoretical questions in language science.