General and Comparative Literature M.A.

General and Comparative Literature (AVL) in Regensburg continues the methodology of cultural studies developed in the 1920s by the art scholar Aby Warburg and the philosopher of culture Ernst Cassirer. At a time when the humanities were increasingly aligning themselves along ethnic and national borders, these scholars advocated the European idea of culture instead, focusing their academic work on its study. They endorsed, moreover, interdisciplinary exchange between different fields of knowledge, thus opposing the disintegration of the natural and human sciences.

Following its comparative task, AVL explores the similarities and differences that characterize literature throughout various cultures. Understanding the cultural influences peculiar to a certain era requires examining other forms of art as well. AVL in Regensburg emphasizes this by treating literature in the context of painting, music, dance, and architecture, thus expanding students’ knowledge of aesthetics. When examining the poetics of European literature, ancient sources are indispensable for understanding the traditions and the influences that have shaped a work of art or an epoch. Introductory courses, therefore, address fundamental texts and classical authors in the context of European culture. 

General Literature, on the other hand, is closely connected with philosophy and literary theory. Literature cannot be understood without the philosophical and scientific context to which it responds. In their own right, poets deal, for example, with philosophical questions of cognition, knowledge, consciousness, or representation.

Professional prospects / competencies

Through the study of the interdisciplinary subject of General and Comparative Literature, a correspondingly broad spectrum of professional fields opens up to graduates. Graduates find employment primarily in the following areas: Research and teaching, continuing education, publishing and press, radio and television, libraries and archives, museums and exhibitions, management consulting, management and marketing, public relations and cultural management. In the context of the emergence of a European scientific area, AVL provides an ideal forum for teaching key skills in the field of cultural management.