Prof. Dr. Christiane Solte-Gresser is a Professor of General and Comparative Literature at Saarland University's Faculty of Humanities. She currently serves as Director of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg "Cultural Practices of Reparation (CURE)" and was recently re-elected as Chair of the German Society for General and Comparative Literature (DGAVL) on June 13, 2025. Her leadership positions reflect her significant contributions to the field of comparative literature and her commitment to addressing contemporary societal challenges through literary scholarship. Prof. Solte-Gresser's research spans multiple interconnected domains. Her work on world literature examines how texts circulate across national and cultural boundaries, while her postcolonial scholarship challenges dominant narratives, as evidenced by her editorial work on "The True Size of Africa" which presents Africa through multiple cultural perspectives beyond stereotypes. She has also pioneered digital approaches to comparative literature, founding the working group "Digitale Komparatistik" (Digital Comparative Literature) to explore how digital methodologies can transform literary studies. Her scholarship consistently bridges historical perspectives with contemporary cultural challenges, addressing how literature and cultural practices respond to societal transformations. Her recent publications reveal a consistent engagement with questions of evidence, trace-reading, and cultural practices across different historical periods and media. Prof. Solte-Gresser's work demonstrates a sophisticated interdisciplinary approach, connecting literary studies with law, digital humanities, visual culture, and psychoanalytic theory. She has made significant contributions to understanding how literary works function as cultural artifacts that both reflect and shape societal values and practices. As Chair of the DGAVL, Prof. Solte-Gresser has demonstrated strong advocacy for the discipline, notably protesting the potential discontinuation of the Fachinformationsdienst AVL (FID AVL), a specialized information service for comparative literature. Her leadership priorities include internationalizing the field, supporting early-career scholars through the "Forum Junge Komparatistik," and developing comparative literature as a discipline that addresses the complex societal challenges of our time.
