German Studies Association 33rd Annual Conference
The thirty-third annual German Studies Association (GSA) conference took place at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel, near the outskirts of Washington, DC in Arlington, VA. This year's conference ran from October 8th to the 11th (2009), with a special focus on important anniversaries and commemorations (i.e. the fall of the Berlin Wall).
It was easy for the DFG to be an exhibitor at this year's GSA conference, because of its proximity to the DFG Washington, DC office. However, as the annual conference location rotates (between eastern, central and western), DFG, AvH and DAAD might want to consider having a joint "Research in Germany" booth when the conference location is farther away. The DFG was one of 17 exhibitors that the GSA members were to peruse in between their lectures and presentations. The exhibitors were mainly either other funding agencies or sellers of German books.
Of the 1,300 attendees, only about 100 stopped by the DFG booth. The conference attendees (aka GSA members) were mostly professors of German Austrian and Swiss history, literature, culture studies, political science and economics. Some professors, excited to see the DFG present, expressed their gratefulness for prior funding that had helped them extensively in their careers. Others already familiar with the DFG stopped by to refresh their knowledge of the programs. Some also were new to learning about the DFG and collected brochures and information. The main programs of interest were the Emmy Noether and Mercator Programs. (MP)
