Faculty of Arts

Department of German and Slavic Studies

Explore the languages, literatures, histories and cultures of Germany, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Hungary and excel in critical and creative thinking, teamwork and communication.

Start any language as a beginner or enter at a higher level of competency. We offer many travel and study abroad options. A variety of our culture courses are taught in English.

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Oder bridge connecting Germany and Poland.

Department statement

Please read the statement from the Department of German and Slavic Studies and the Central and East European Studies Program at the University of Manitoba (March 3, 2022).

Statement against Russia's invasion of Ukraine

A Statement by the Department of German and Slavic Studies and the Program in Central and East European Studies at the University of Manitoba (March 3, 2022) 

The Department of German and Slavic Studies and the Program in Central and Eastern European Studies at the University of Manitoba strongly condemn the Russian Federation’s military aggression against Ukraine. Since 24 February 2022, 5:00 a.m. Kyiv time, Russia’s massive attack on Ukraine has started the worst security and humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War Two. This assault causes suffering, devastation, and damage to the people and cultural heritage of Ukraine. All the programs of our department (Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, German, and Hungarian) and the multi-disciplinary Program in Central and East European Studies stand united with Ukraine and its people in these perilous times. As scholars and educators, we reject President Putin’s justifications of this war and its misrepresentation as a “special military operation.” We declare our support for all those in Ukraine and beyond who are suffering because of this invasion. We stand together with the people of Ukraine, our students, partners, and colleagues from all ethnic backgrounds who are in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus, and around the world who oppose this war. The Department of German and Slavic Studies expresses solidarity with our partner institutions in Ukraine:  Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, and the Lviv Polytechnic National University. If you feel the direct impact of the war (especially international students from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus, who are enrolled in the courses taught by our Department) and need assistance, please let us know at: german_slavic@umanitoba.ca
 

News and events

  • An illustration of two naked figures standing next to an open container that is unusually taller than they are.

    Illustration: Anastasiia Starko, untitled, 2024.

  • Teaching Eastern Europe Through a Decolonial Lens

    What parts of the world come to mind when you hear the phrase “decolonial history”? What does it mean to think about Eastern Europe through a postcolonial lens today? What key postcolonial themes are shaping the field of Eastern European studies, and how have scholars responded to them? How has Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine affected the teaching of Eastern European history? Why has global postcolonial scholarship traditionally overlooked Eastern Europe?

    To explore these questions, Oksana Dudko, along with Dr. Anna Hájková (University of Warwick, UK), were invited to participate in the History Workshop Podcast episode “Teaching Eastern Europe Through a Decolonial Lens.”

    The podcast forms part of a broader conversation on decolonization and teaching that emerged from The Prairie Workshop: Decolonizing European and Soviet History, organized by Dudko at the University of Saskatchewan in 2023.

    The workshop was followed by an academic forum published in History Workshop Journal, issue 99 (2025), titled “Teaching Eastern Europe in the Age of Russia’s Imperial Invasions: A Conversation on Being Postcolonial When No One Takes Any Notice.”

    Listen to the podcast

    Read the forum

The Central and East European Program Lecture Series

Local, national and international experts present academic and community roundtables, book launches, graduate student presentations and more in this annual program sponsored by the CEES Program and the Department of German and Slavic Studies.

  • Imagining Indigenous Peoples in Germany: Winnetou, Popular Culture, and Decolonial Alternatives

    Alexandra Heberger, Associate Professor of German Literature and Language and Director of the Language Centre, UM

    Friday, November 20, 2026
    2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
    302 Tier building

    This presentation explores Germany’s centuries-long fascination with Indigenous North America and asks why this cultural tradition still matters today. It traces how romanticized figures of “Indianer” have appeared in German literature, film, children’s culture, and public imagination, shaping not only popular entertainment but also cultural identity and political movements. These portrayals often reveal more about German desires, anxieties, and debates than about Indigenous peoples themselves. The talk considers recent controversies around cultural appropriation and nostalgia, asking how German society might move beyond stereotypes toward more accurate, respectful, and decolonial ways of engaging with Indigenous histories and voices.

    Dr. Alexandra Heberger is an Associate Professor of German Literature and Language and Director of the Language Centre. Her research explores representations of Indigenous peoples in German literature, film, and popular culture, particularly the enduring “Indianer” imaginary. She also works in language, pedagogy, and intercultural learning.

  • Two people site by the fire inside a nomadic tent under the night sky.

Programs of study

Course offerings

The course listing is a preliminary list of undergraduate and graduate courses per term that includes the course start and end date. 

Courses offered by the Department of German and Slavic Studies fall under six subject area categories:

  • German (GRMN)
  • Hungarian (HUNG)
  • Polish (POL)
  • Russian (RUSN)
  • Slavic (SLAV)
  • Ukrainian (UKRN)

View courses on Aurora

Students must search the system using each subject category to review the courses for that subject area.

Check back for updates and additional information including meeting times, instructors and method of delivery (e.g., on campus or remote learning).

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Graduate students

Finding a graduate advisor

Before submitting your application to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for the German Studies MA program or the Slavic Studies MA program, you will need to first contact the department via the Graduate Chair (German_Slavic@umanitoba.ca) to discuss an appropriate academic advisor for you.

You can also contact a German and Slavic Studies faculty member directly if you are specifically interested in their research.

In an email, please let us know the following:

  • your area(s) of study and research interest,
  • a bit about yourself, and how to best contact you,
  • a brief summary of your relevant education, community and/or work experiences,
  • a description of your proposed research topic.

Past theses

Past German Studies and Slavic Studies theses can be found on MSpace.

View past German Studies and Slavic Studies theses on MSpace

Donations

German and Slavic Studies is comprised of several vibrant, growing academic fields. With your support our language and culture programs can continue to be a vital part of this multicultural province. 

German Studies Endowment Fund

The German Studies Endowment Fund provides excellence awards to students majoring in German. By supporting our students, you give them the opportunity to become experts in German Studies and future ambassadors for German-Canadian relations.

Donate NOW to the German Studies Endowment Fund

The Polish Studies Endowment Fund

The Polish Studies Endowment Fund supports the continuous offering of Polish language and culture courses on an annual basis. Today, the fund plays a critical role in keeping our program at the forefront of Polish studies in western Canada.

Donate NOW to the Polish Endowment Fund

Become a donor

If you'd like to support one of German and Slavic Studies’ programs (German, Hungarian, Polish, Russian or Ukrainian), you can donate to one of the existing funds listed or you may be interested in establishing an endowment of your own at UM that supports the program, research or a professorship or an annually funded student award such as a bursary, fellowship, prize or scholarship. Your investment will help transform the lives of students and faculty.

Contact us

At times, departmental support staff are working from home and can be reached via phone or email.

Department of German and Slavic Studies
Room 328 Fletcher Argue Building
15 Chancellors Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

german_slavic@umanitoba.ca
204-474-9370
Monday to Friday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm