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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture German departments are being closed, jobs are being axed all over the place, so what’s so special about Dr Anne Simon? Three things. Firstly, she is my successor, which gives me a particular interest. She was appointed to the medieval post in the University of Bristol German Department in 1992, two years before I retired from that post in 1994, after holding it since 1967 in succession to Dr Estelle Morgan and therefore by proxy to August Closs. Secondly, she seems by all accounts to have been informed, curtly and unceremoniously, that she was to go without the framers of this decision having consulted the rest of the department. Thirdly, her departure would deprive the department not only of the only colleague able to teach German literature before the modern period (during her term of office she has extended medieval studies to medieval and early modern studies), but also of the widest-ranging teacher in the department, who forays out into the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries (as of course all we medievalists do), offering courses on travel literature and on Judaism and Islam in the second year. In addition, in her final-year unit on Nuremberg, her special field of research interest, she covers not only the Hans Sachs period, but also Nuremberg of the NS rallies and the trials, as well as the contemporary city. Her departure would leave a doctor-candidate without supervisor and break off any link between German medieval studies in the neighbouring disciplines of French, Italian and Spanish. It is not without relevance that she is a founder-member and active participant in the University’s Centre for Medieval Studies, on the steering-committees of both the Art Lecture series and the Centre for Classical Studies (a book on the Medea legend co-edited by her appeared only recently) and has been engaged for many years on a book on the importance of Nuremberg in the early modern period. I think there is a case for making the ‘powers that be’ rethink their decision. German in Bristol cannot afford to lose anybody (staff-numbers have already been reduced to four – it was eleven when I was appointed), least of all Anne Simon. -- Professor Frank Shaw 57 Westbury Road BRISTOL BS9 3AS Tel: 0117 9629578 Fax: 0117 9622629 ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html