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Visiting scholar shares German views of Native Americans

Sept. 3, 2008

KALAMAZOO--An internationally renowned American studies scholar from Germany will discuss his country's representations and perceptions of Native American culture and literature in an upcoming lecture at Western Michigan University.

Dr. Karsten Fitz, chair of American studies at the University of Passau, will address "German 'Indianthusiasm' Reconsidered: The 'Noble Savage' in the German Cultural Imagination" at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, in 2028 Brown Hall. The lecture is open to the public free of charge.

"Dr. Fitz offers different lenses through which we can consider very important topics in our cultural studies," says Dr. Nicolas Witschi, WMU associate professor of English and a scholar of late 19th-century American literature and culture. "He'll talk about the outlook he brings as a German and give a historical perspective of what Germany has done with images of Native Americans and the frontiers. His perspective provides a useful and complex model of American studies."

Fitz is visiting Kalamazoo for two weeks as part of a faculty and student exchange program established between WMU and University of Passau in 1988. During his stay, Fitz will also hold an information session for students interested in studying German at University of Passau. The session will take place at noon Tuesday, Sept. 16, in the Bernhard Center's Brown and Gold Room.

For more information, contact Margaret von Steinen, Haenicke Institute for Global Education, at margaret.vonsteinen@wmich.edu or (269) 387-3993.

Media contact: Tonya R. Hernandez, (269) 387-8400, tonya.hernandez@wmich.edu

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