Kai-Uwe Werbeck

Kai-Uwe Werbeck is an Associate Professor of German and Affiliate Faculty of Film Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte), serving as Associate Chair of the Department of Languages, Cultures, and Translation. His academic career includes roles as Assistant Professor (2013–2019) and Lecturer (2012–2013) at UNC Chapel Hill, as well as visiting faculty positions at Middlebury College and Portland State University.

Education: Ph.D. in German Literature (UNC Chapel Hill, 2012), M.A. in German Literature (UNC Chapel Hill, 2008), DAF-Certificate (Ruhr-University Bochum, 2006), and earlier degrees in Cultural Studies (Ruhr-University Bochum).

Research focuses on German postwar film and literature, global horror cinema, hip-hop culture, and media theory. Current projects include a monograph on German postwar horror cinema and translations of Alexander Kluge’s works. Recent publications explore splatter aesthetics, Gothic elements in postwar cinema, and German hip-hop historiography.

Teaching areas include German language/culture, horror cinema, and postwar literature/film. Professional affiliations include the German Studies Association and Southeastern Association of Cultural Studies.

Recent presentations address topics like Naziware in digital culture, game studies, and the Cold War’s influence on horror cinema.