Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
Host at the University of Siegen:
Univ.- Prof. Dr. Niels Werber
Department of German – Modern German Literature
Current professional background:
I am from Barcelona and work as a lecturer and researcher in the English and German Studies Department of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
Field of research:
My field of work is German studies and the theory and history of translation. For several years I have been trying to apply the systems theory perspective to the analysis of literary translation processes. Currently I am working on the translations of Günter Grass into Catalan and Spanish.
Purpose of your current research visit:
My research visit to Siegen is rather short, only three months. This is because it is for a very specific project, namely the analysis of two existing translations of the Gunther Grass novel The Tin Drum into Spanish (and Catalan?).
Relation to the University of Siegen and/or to the local host:
After reading many of Prof. Werber’s published research, I found his contributions to the field of systems-theoretical literary studies very inspiring, so I reached out to him so that we could collaborate. After being in contact for several months we decided that it would be good for me to undertake a research visit to Siegen, and with the support of a DAAD scholarship I was able to do so.
Future projects / Activities:
I would love to come back to Siegen. Prof. Werber and I are currently hoping to be able to start sending students on exchanges between our two institutions, but this is still in the planning stages at the moment.
Impressions of Siegen:
It has not been so easy for me to experience Siegen during my stay here because of the pandemic, however I believe that this city is ideal for a university, it is not too big, very green, and it is easy to reach everywhere. I have also noticed that the University is working to bring more of its faculties into the city itself.