Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences - Institute of Asian and African Studies

African Literatures and Cultures

The subject area "African Literatures and Cultures" deals with the history and present of literature, oral-performative narrative art, theatre and film in Africa and the African diaspora. While African literature has long been studied primarily from an ethnological perspective, at Humboldt-Universität it is placed in the context of modern literary and cultural studies. This also means that postcolonial African literatures in the former colonial languages are being integrated into African Studies for the first time. The teaching of literary theories and methods enables reflected access to texts.


Teaching and research are thematically devoted to e.g.: Postcolonialism and transculturality, gender and queer studies, representations of violence and trauma, genre systematics, media transfers, autobiography as well as drama and intervention theatre.

The following focal points are represented in teaching by members of the Department of African Studies and supervised as theses:


Anglophone Literatures of West, East and South Africa:
Prof. Dr. Susanne Gehrmann, Dr. Aminata Mbaye


Francophone Literatures of Central and West Africa:

Prof. Dr. Susanne Gehrmann, Dr. Aminata Mbaye


Swahili literature: Dr. Lutz Diegner


Hausa literature and film: Dr. Yusuf Baba Gar


Cinema and Film: Prof. Dr. Susanne Gehrmann


Diaspora Studies, Luso and Hispanophone Literatures: Prof. Dr. Félix Ayoh'OMIDIRE (accepting supervisions until 31.03.2024)