معرفی
Prof. Dr. Gerd Bayer is an Academic Director at Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), leading the Department of English and American Studies. He holds a habilitation (2012) and has held academic positions across Europe and North America since 1998, including roles at Case Western Reserve University and the University of Toronto. His research focuses on early modern prose fiction (especially Restoration epistolarity), Holocaust studies, postmodern literature, heavy metal culture, and narrative theory.
Education:
- M.A. & 1st Staatsexamen (1998)
- PhD in English Studies (2003)
- Habilitation (2012)
Research Interests: Restoration narrative forms, Holocaust cinema and literature, postcolonial cosmopolitanism, metal studies, and epistolary theory. Current projects include textual editions of Peter Motteux’s Gentleman’s Journal and David Mitchell’s postcolonial works. His work bridges literary analysis with cultural, historical, and ethical inquiries.
Publications: Over 60 books and articles, including Novel Horizons: The Genre Making of Restoration Fiction (2016) and edited volumes on Holocaust film and heavy metal culture. Recent work explores epistolary practices in early modern fiction and the ethics of survival in contemporary narratives.
Awards & Grants:
- 2017: Elected Member, Academia Europaea (Literary & Theatrical Studies)
- 2013: Harry Ransom Center Research Fellowship
- Long-term DFG grant (2009–2012) and Thyssen Foundation support for epistolarity projects
Advising & Leadership: Supervises graduate research in his fields. Served as Academic Director since 2016, overseeing departmental strategy and international collaborations. Editorial board memberships include Journal of Postcolonial Writing and Humanities.
Labs/Teams: Leads interdisciplinary projects on early modern prose and Holocaust representation, collaborating with institutions in Spain, Poland, and the U.S.
