Looking Towards the Future: The Centre for British Studies Turns 30 in 2025
The Centre for British Studies (GBZ) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) is celebrating its 30th anniversary on June 5, 2025. Since its foundation, the interdisciplinary institute with its wide-ranging academic network has developed into a unique institution for British Studies in Germany and beyond.
Prof. Dr. Christoph Schneider, Vice President for Research at HU: “Since its foundation, the Centre for British Studies has not only significantly promoted German-British relations, but has also established close partnerships with renowned British institutions such as the University of Oxford and King's College London. On its 30th anniversary, Humboldt-Universität can look back on an impressive history of interdisciplinary research and lively cultural exchange at the GBZ. I wish the Centre every success and that it may continue to shine with regard to research, teaching and knowledge transfer!”
The idea for the Centre was developed by the then British Ambassador, Sir Christopher Mallaby, the British Council, and professors of English in East as well as West Germany. In 1995, the Berlin Senate founded the GBZ to acknowledge the support of the British Allies during the Cold War. Since then, the GBZ has focused on numerous literary, political, historical, legal, social, and cultural topics relating to Britain, as well as promoting British-German relations.
30 years of teaching, research and dialogue with the public
Since 1999, more than 550 students have completed the international Master's programme in British Studies (M.A.). The Centre's research is closely linked to international networks: The “Writing1900” network, which focuses on cultural history, the interdisciplinary “Berlin Britain Research Network”, which focuses on contemporary British society, and the most recent literary history network on classical modernism, which was set up by early career scholars in 2023. Close cooperation exists with the HU partner universities Oxford University and King's College, London.
In addition to its academic work, the GBZ regularly engages with the general public: with lectures, discussions, exhibitions, readings and cultural events, it offers a wide range of insights into the social, political, and cultural life of Great Britain - often in dialogue with authors from all four British nations and in workshops with school classes. GBZ graduates work in institutions such as the British Council, the British Embassy, the Anglo-German Foundation as well as in academia, media and business - in the UK, Germany and worldwide.
Prof Gesa Stedman, Director of the GBZ: “We can look back on three decades of successful work at the Centre, based on interdisciplinary collaboration and a strong focus on knowledge transfer. In view of the UK's current rapprochement with the EU, we hope that exchange, cooperation, and mobility, which were made much more difficult by Brexit, will become easier again in the future.”
