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It's time for the Annual Essay Contest! Students from Grades 3-12 are invited to enter. This year's topics are currywurst and climate neutrality.

The essay contest is open to students from Grades 3-12 and the deadline for entries is May 1, 2024. Students must choose and write about one of the following topics. Detailed rules and information about submission guidelines can be found below. We enourage all participants to read them.

Herta Heuwer had a street food booth in Berlin and it is said that on September 4, 1949, it was there that she invented currywurst. The sauce with sliced sausage was a hit and currywurst was on its way to becoming an iconic street food. Today there are a number of street food booths offering currywurst all over Germany and the food is closely associated with Berlin with the dish one of the newer traditions in the country. Have you heard of or ever tasted currywurst?

Think about food that you associated with people, events or places. Is there a traditional food that your family must make or eat during certain times of the year? Are there local foods that you think all visitors must try? Describe your family’s and town’s food traditions, including examples of specific foods. Why are they important to you and what makes them important? Would they be the same without the traditional foods? Are there traditions that you plan to continue as an adult?

Topic B Climate-Neutral Industrial Nation

Germany plans to become a climate-neutral industrial nation by 2045. In order to achieve this, changes must take place on every level of society. From the continued development of sources for renewable energy to production facilities using different materials to towns and cities working with residents to reduce their carbon footprint – it must all work together in order to accomplish the goal.

Picture yourself as mayor of a small town and you are looking for ways to become climate-neutral. You’ve examined the buildings, transportation and personal habits of your residents. There are many places you could start. What are some ideas the first ideas you can think of to start making changes? Do you have ways that each person could contribute to the effort? Describe your ideas, giving specific examples, and why they will help with the climate-neutral goal and how people will help. Are there examples in your real town that you think should be done in other places?

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About the Essay Contest

The German Information Center USA fulfills the public diplomacy mission of the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. To encourage American students to get to know modern Germany, the German Embassy…

Detailed Rules and Guidelines

Students must choose and write about one the following topics: Topic A Currywurst Herta Heuwer had a street food booth in Berlin and it is said that on September 4, 1949, it was there that she…

Criteria for Judging

Winners will be determined by a panel of judges from the German Embassy Washington. Entries will be judged based on their content, style and grammar. Successful entries will: Follow the…

Amazon.com gift e-certificates will be awarded to the national 1st place winners in each age group. 1st place – grades 3 – 5: $100 gift certificate 1st place – grades 6 – 8: $150 gift…

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Essay Contest

Information for the annual essay contest has moved.

Looking for the 2022 Annual Essay Contest topics? All of the information is now on our website:

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College of Arts & Sciences

German Department Student Wins Dürrenmatt Essay Contest

Posted in Announcements

Quentin Fidance, first year student in the School of Foreign Service (Major: International Affairs), has won first place in the Friedrich Dürrenmatt Centennial Essay Contest organized by the Embassy of Switzerland in the United States. Quentin’s essay explored the relevance of the internationally acclaimed writer and playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt for the 21st century. He specifically focused on the play  Die Physiker , connecting Dürrenmatt’s thoughts on nuclear weapons, science, and power to the contemporary phenomenon of artificial intelligence.

You can find his essay published  on the Centre Dürrenmatt Neuchâtel’s website. (new window)  Quentin received his prize during an awards ceremony that was held virtually on April 7, 2021. 

The German Department congratulates Quentin on this achievement!

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German Education major wins Swiss consulate essay contest

• Author By Laura Edwards
• April 3, 2021

German teacher education major Mando Gjinollari has won first place in the Friedrich Dürrenmatt Essay Contest put on by the Swiss Consulate in Chicago . Mando’s essay explored the relevance of the work and ideas of Swiss playwright and writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt for our contemporary world. Her prize includes a $500 gift certificate, and her essay will soon be published on the website of the Swiss Consulate. An awards ceremony will be held virtually on April 7. Mando was very excited to participate in the contest and thanks her German professors Elke Segelcke and Jonathan S. Martin for their help and support.

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Financial assistance from all sources during the academic year (September thru August) factors into the ongoing review of your financial aid eligibility now and in the future. This includes periods when you may not be actively enrolled in courses, and includes the spring/summer term following graduation. If your total financial aid, including any new offer, exceeds your eligibility for financial assistance this academic year, your aid may be limited in a future term or reduced from previously received assistance. You can learn more about financial aid terms and conditions on the Office of Financial Aid's website. If you have questions or want to consult with someone about your particular situation, please contact OFA .

Bronson-Thomas Award

Description.

The Bronson-Thomas is a faculty nominated award based on the best undergraduate student essay written in a German 425/426 section taught during the fall or winter terms. The winner will be announced at the departmental Graduation in April. 

Eligibility

Students must be in German 425/426 during the fall or winter term. 

All essays must be turned in by the end of the winter term so the winner can be announced at the departmental Graduation event in April. 

How to Apply

Students must be nominated by their faculty member teaching German 425/426.

Criteria and Review

The prize will be awarded to the best essay based on content, complexity of subject, and quality of writing.  Essays for the Bronson-Thomas Prize are anonymous and faculty submitted essays should include the original version, as well as the corrected version. Faculty may nominate only one essay for native speakers and one essay for learned speakers per term (a possible total of two essays per section). The competition will be judged by two tenured-track faculty members. 

Donor Information  

These prizes were established through the bequest of $1,000 by Thomas Bertrand Bronson, class of 1881, in memory of Calvin Thomas, who served as first chair of the department of Germanic Languages and Literatures and was a great pioneer in the field of German Studies generally. Calvin Thomas was a member of the faculty at the University of Michigan from 1878 until 1896. The Bronson-Thomas competition was first held in 1929, and has been held annually ever since.

Past Recipients

Martin haller award.

The Martin Haller Prize is awarded to the best German honors thesis.

German Translation Prize

The German Translation Prize is awarded during semesters that "German 470: Workshop in Translation" is taught. All German 470 students choose a German text that is particularly important to them personally and work on their projects throughout the semester, with feedback from the class as a whole, small groups, and the instructor. The semester-long projects are then submitted to the GDS Executive Committee for consideration.

Kothe-Hildner Prize

The Kothe-Hidner Prize is awarded to the best role-play from all German 101, 102, 103, or 231 sections each term. The prize is $200 for the group that wins the competition.

Students must be in German 101, 102, or 231.  

End of each term.

German 101, 102, and 231 instructors will nominate one or two groups from each section to do a live role play.

Instructors will nominate one or two groups from German 101 and 102 sections. These groups will then perform their role plays. The role-plays will then be judged (inevitably subjectively) as follows: a panel of three judges will each (without discussing their opinions with each other) rank their top three choices on a ballot. The audience will also be given ballots and asked to list their top three choices. The audience ballots will be counted and consolidated into one ballot ranking the audience's overall top three choices. The results from the four ballots will then be added: 3 points for a first-place vote, 2 for a second-place vote, 1 for a third place vote. The role-play getting the most points (out of a possible 12) wins the prize. In the event of a tie, the votes from the audience would be the tie-breaker.

These prizes were endowed by the Department's great benefactor Hermann Kothe in honor of his former teacher Jonathan A. C. Hildner (BA U of M 1890, MA 1893), who was further remembered in the following obituary from The Michigan Alumnus:

"Beloved Jonathan A. C. Hildner, '90, A.M. '93, Professor of German, who was known as 'Dad' to his students, alumni, and other friends, died in Wyandotte, Mich., January 25. He has been living there since his retirement in 1938, and had suffered a broken hip a week before his death.

Besides teaching German, 'Dad' Hildner served as an advisor to foreign students on teh campus for more than twenty years. In the classroom he taught by means of song and other informal methods. Editor of many German texts, his best-known work was his edition of Goethe's Goetz van Berlichingen." 

Annual Open-Book Translation Contest

Students are invited to put their translation skills to the test by participating in the annual University of Michigan German Department Open-Book Translation Contest! The contest will take place each year in the Winter Term, and will be judged by a panel of faculty members. The entries are identified only by the student's university ID number, making the judging anonymous. Monetary prizes of $150 for first place, $125 for second place, and $100 for third place! 

All undergraduate UM students currently enrolled in a German course or who are registered as a German major or minor are welcome to participate.

Registration

All contest participants are required to register for the contest by the annual published deadline. Contact Andrew Mills ([email protected]) with questions.

Contest Rules

The contest will be held under the same conditions used by the American Translators Association (ATA) for its certification exam. Students will have approximately 70 minutes to translate a text by hand that will be provided for them (1). The translation will be from German to English. The contest will be held in “open book” format. Students will not have access to the internet, but may bring and use as many hardback or paperback dictionaries as they wish. All students receive the same text, which is approximately 225-275 words in length. The contest must be written in (dark) pencil capable of being photo-copied for our judges. Students must bring their own pencils. Paper is provided.

The text to be translated will be “general” in nature. The text expresses a view, sets forth an argument, or presents an idea or situation. Examples include: a newspaper article, an essay, or a passage from a non-fiction book. The contest passage is chosen in such a way as to avoid highly specialized terminology requiring research. There are, however, terminology challenges in the text, and knowledge of German culture, society, and history often is necessary for contestants to excel.

(1) Accommodations may be made for participants who demonstrate that they cannot write the text by hand. Please contact Andrew Mills at [email protected] for details.

History of german science prize (inactive).

The History of German Science Prize was awarded during semesters that "German 378: History of German Science" was taught. German 378 students worked on a final project of their own design. Final projects were research- and/or experiment-based and the project was intended to further students' interests in the history of science. Students worked individually or as part of a team. The best final project was awarded the prize.

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