معرفی
Hans J. Rindisbacher is Professor of German and Russian at Pomona College, where he has taught since 1995. His academic work bridges German and Russian studies with unique interdisciplinary explorations of sensory perception, particularly olfaction, within literary and cultural contexts.
His educational background includes a Ph.D. from Stanford University and a Master of Arts from the University of Bern, Switzerland. This international training informs his comparative approach to European cultural studies.
Rindisbacher's research interests span German-speaking world literature, German-Russian relations, Swiss cultural politics, and the intersection of linguistic representation with neuroscience. He pioneered scholarly attention to olfactory perception in literature, notably through his award-winning book The Smell of Books, which examines how smell functions as a literary device throughout European literary history. His work increasingly connects fashion studies with cultural identity, exploring how dress and style reflect broader social transformations.
Rindisbacher has received significant recognition including the Modern Language Association's 1992 Independent Scholar Prize, DAAD research grants, and multiple institutional research awards from Pomona College and affiliated institutions. His publications demonstrate consistent scholarly productivity across decades, with recent work focusing on Swiss identity, contemporary Muslim fashion, and Soviet cultural memory.
- MLA Book Prize for Independent Scholar (1992)
- DAAD Research Visit grant to Germany (2011)
- Hirsch Research Initiation Grant, Pomona College (2010)
- Yale Griffith Faculty Grant (1998)
- Mellon Grant for Technology Development (1996)
- National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar (1992)
As an advisor, Rindisbacher has guided significant student projects including David McCormick's translation of Erich Maria Remarque's short stories and Emma Henson's translation of Christian Kracht's novel Faserland. His teaching portfolio encompasses comprehensive German examinations, modern poetry courses, and specialized seminars on German culture through film and environmental themes. Rindisbacher's scholarly trajectory reveals a consistent pattern of connecting literary analysis with sensory and material culture studies, demonstrating how seemingly peripheral aspects of human experience like smell and dress provide profound insights into cultural formation and identity.
