Professors from various departments with an interest in German studies gathered Oct. 25 to share working papers on topics ranging from diaries to television to the history of medicine and discovery.

“There are many colleagues on campus who work on topics of German cultural thought,” said Paul Fleming, professor of German studies and director of the Institute for German Cultural Studies, which sponsored the discussion, “New Directions in Interdisciplinary German Studies.” “This type of event helps us create a bigger network of discussion and exchange among faculty across different departments.”

Suman Seth, associate professor of science and technology studies, said that his book project focuses on the 18th-century idea of “seasoning,” what we might today call acclimatization – that humans, animals and even plants can become ill or diseased upon moving to a new climate. But after spending some time there, they will become “seasoned” to the environment and no longer susceptible to the same diseases.

“We’re talking about a period long before the rise of our theories of acquired immunity,” said Seth, whose research focuses on the history of medicine, botany, zoology, anthropology and colonialism.

Seth focused on Alexander von Humboldt, a German geographer, naturalist and explorer and younger brother of Wilhelm von Humboldt, German minister, philosopher and linguist. Humboldt was also an adventurer who traveled extensively in South America between 1799 and 1804, where he discovered a case where the idea of “seasoning” didn’t seem to be playing out, Seth said.

In Vera Cruz, Mexico, even people from nearby climates visiting the region were contracting yellow fever along with visitors from faraway climates.

To understand why this might be happening, Humboldt consulted American physicians and considered many important and controversial medical and scientific theories of the day from around the world.

Humboldt was one of the first to use such diverse resources to track how diseases moved across borders, but his work can also be used as a way to understand the desire of Germans to travel and colonize other parts of the world, he said.

Another notable German discussed was theater director Einaer Schleef, whose diaries are one of the subjects for an upcoming book by Elke Siegel, associate professor in German studies.

“Before the millennium, I noticed a host of diaries that were directed at this date,” Siegel said. “This genre is so interesting to me. It seems to address certain oppositions. Is it literary or is it authentic? Can it be authentic if it’s published? Aren’t the only authentic diaries the ones that are never read?”

Schleef started to keep a diary at age 9 and continued until his death in 2001. Five volumes of his diaries were eventually published.

What makes them important for Siegel’s work, though, is that Schleef transcribed the diaries, intending at least a portion of them to be published. Even more importantly, he reread his diaries, adding comments to the original text, but not changing or deleting anything from the original.

“It was a very decisive, strong decision to say, ‘I’m not rewriting, even if I’m uncomfortable with what’s there. I’m not rewriting it, but I will write about it,’” Siegel said.

Other presenters included Hirokazu Miyazaki, anthropology, and Amy Villarejo, performing and media arts. Fleming said he hopes to hold a similar event with different faculty speakers next year.

Kathy Hovis is a writer for the College of Arts and Sciences.