WIGS was established in 1988 with the aim of bringing together female Germanists in Great Britain and Ireland and supporting them in all aspects of their professional life. Membership is open to any woman who is currently teaching, studying, or working in any area of German Studies, or who has done so in the past. A newsletter and membership list is issued early in the summer to all members.

The main event organised by WIGS is the annual conference, which takes place at a different institution each year in November. This is an interdisciplinary, one-day event combining academic papers, a business meeting, and exchange of information. In 1993 it was decided to hold a larger conference at the University of Nottingham, open to non-members, on the subject of 'Women and the Wende'. Following its success, open conferences have since been held in 1998 ('Women and Autobiography', University of Manchester), in 2000 ('Myths and Mythology', University of Edinburgh) and in 2003 ('Local Narratives / Global Narratives of Identity', University of Bath). The last open conference took place in July 2008, and was hosted by the University of Liverpool.

NEW!

AHRC Block Grant Partnership Awards and Non-AHRC Institutional Awards (2009-14)

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WIGS Postgraduate Training-Day and 21st Annual Conference: University of Birmingham, 6-7 November 2009