Frederic Ponten

Dr. Frederic Ponten is a Lecturer in Modern German Literature at the University of Regensburg, affiliated with the Faculty of Languages, Literature and Cultural Studies. He holds a PhD from Princeton University (2017) and has held postdoctoral fellowships at institutions such as the Leibniz Science Campus (2023) and Humboldt University Berlin (2013-2014). His research focuses on Central European literature, media, and knowledge history in global contexts, particularly the 18th and 20th centuries.

Ponten’s academic career includes editorial work for journals like Zeitschrift für Kulturwissenschaften and co-editing volumes such as Heteronomieästhetik der Moderne (2022). His recent publications explore Ecocriticism, WWII analyses, and interwar intellectual networks.

Teaching interests span German literature from the Enlightenment to postmodernism, including courses on Robert Musil, Michel Serres, and media studies. He leads the DFG-funded project Gottfried Benn, das Judentum und der 'konstruktive Geist' (2019-2023).

Award highlights include the Outgoing International Visiting Fellowship (2023) and multiple Princeton University fellowships. His work bridges literary history with cultural anthropology and film studies, emphasizing transnational and interdisciplinary approaches.