Heidelberg Center for American Studies

The Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA) is a central research and teaching institution of the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Germany’s oldest university. Financially, it is at the same time a public-private partnership, attracting about two-thirds of its budget from private donors.

Founded in 2003, the HCA’s purpose is to provide and impart the knowledge needed to understand the politics, culture, economy and society of the United States of America. The Center also facilitates a dialogue between academia and the public and contributes to the creation and strengthening of transatlantic networks.

With the founding of the Heidelberg Center for American Studies, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Detlef Junker has opened a new chapter in the university's profound interest in America exemplified among others through the Schurman Library for American History and the Curt Engelhorn Chair in American History.

At the HCA, the America-related research of six university faculties and ten disciplines converges, offering a range of expertise that is unique in the academic world: American Literature and Culture, Art History, Economics, Geography, History, Musicology, Political Science, Theology, Sociology, and U.S. Constitutional Law.

Graduates of the HCA’s B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. programs profit from their interdisciplinary and intercultural education and are well qualified to work as experts on the United States in academic institutions, the civil service, private enterprise, the media, and non-profit organizations. Since 2004, more than 300 students from almost 50 countries have enrolled in our programs.
Since May 2006, the HCA is fortunate to call the Curt and Heidemarie Engelhorn Palais its home, an elegant and inviting 300-year-old baroque townhouse that exudes a splendidly communicative atmosphere.

More: http://www.hca.uni-heidelberg.de/ueberuns/index_en.html