German studies

German studies is an academic field that researches, documents and disseminates German language, literature, and culture in its historical and present forms. Academic departments of German studies therefore often focus on German culture, German history, and German politics in addition to the language and literature component. Approaches to the discipline vary by country. Modern German studies is usually seen as a combination of two sub-disciplines: German linguistics alongside Teutonophone literature and cultural studies. Common names for "German Studies" for the field within German-speaking countries are Germanistik, Deutsche Philologie, and Deutsche Sprachwissenschaft und Literaturwissenschaft. In English, the terms Germanistics or Germanics are sometimes used (mostly by German-speakers), but the subject is more often referred to as simply German studies, German language and literature, or German philology. Academics who specialize in German studies are referred to as Germanists.