Conferences of the German Shakespeare Society
Our conferences are aimed at all those interested in Shakespeare, especially those from academia, schools and the theatre. The programme includes lectures, theatre performances with national and international guest performances, academic colloquia, events for teachers and students, exhibitions, concerts and film screenings. The languages of communication are German and English.
Every year in April (around the day of Shakespeare’s birth and death), the “Shakespeare Days” are usually held alternately in Bochum and Weimar. In autumn, a “Small Conference” takes place at the other location. In recent years, conferences have also been held in other cities such as Bremen and Berlin.
Between the conferences, the Shakespeare Society in Weimar organises lectures on Shakespeare’s work in the past and present, on German-English literary relations, English literature (with readings) and English theatre today.
Events
Reading: Judi Dench: Shakespeare – Der Mann, der die Miete zahlt. An evening with Elke Wieditz, Christoph Heckel und Christa Schuenke
Judi Dench: Shakespeare – Der Mann, der die Miete zahlt translated by Christa Schuenke An evening with Elke Wieditz as Shakespeare, Christoph Heckel as Brendan O’Hea and Christa Schuenke as Judi Dench. As part of the LESARTEN Festival in Weimar, Christa Schuenke, together with the two actors Elke Wieditz and Christoph Heckel, will give a…
Shakespeare Seminar 2026: Shakespeare and Truth
CFP SHAKESPEARE-SEMINAR 2026: SHAKESPEARE AND TRUTH Our seminar will address this issue with a panel of six papers during the annual conference of the German Shakespeare Society, Shakespeare-Tage, which will take place from 24–26 April 2026 in Bochum, Germany. As critical input for the discussion, we invite papers of no more than 15 minutes that…
Lecture by Prof. Tiffany Stern on 26 Jan 26 at the German-British Society Bonn
The German-British Society Bonn invites you to a lecture in English by Prof. Tiffany Stern FBA The Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham ‘Shakespeare, Marlowe, Milton and the Puppets’ on Monday, 26 January 2026, in Bonn, 6.30 p.m. read more
“Shakespeare Between Worlds: Portals and Pathways,” Biennial Conference of the Asian Shakespeare Association
will take place in Hong Kong from 12–14 June 2026. Co-hosted by Hong Kong Baptist University and City University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with the Hong Kong International Shakespeare Festival, the conference offers a vibrant platform for scholarly exchange, theatrical inspiration, and cultural discovery. For detailed information about the conference, including guidelines for abstract…
Dorothee Elmiger wins 2025 German Book Prize
At the opening event of our 2018 spring conference on the topic of ‘’Flight – Migration – Exile,’ Dorothee Elmiger read from her novel “Schlafgänger”. On 13 October 2025, she received the 2025 German Book Prize for her novel “Die Holländerinnen”. We warmly congratulate Dorothee Elmiger on this award.
Greening the Globe: Shakespeare, Ecocriticism, and Education. 13-14 November
Conference for teachers, lecturers, students, theatre practitioners and individuals who are interested in Shakespeare Würzburg, 13-14 November 2025 Nature, the environment and ecology have always played a central role in Shakespeare’s works. In recent years, these themes have become increasingly important, especially with regard to climate change, natural disasters and the curative power of nature…
The International Shakespeare Association Invites You to Verona for Its 12th World Shakespeare Congress
The 2026 World Shakespeare Congress will mark the International Shakespeare Association’s 50th anniversary. Pre-registration for seminars and workshops at next year’s World Shakespeare Congress, 20-26th July in Verona, is open until 15th September. You can find out more information via this link: www.wsc2026.org
Globe4Globe: Shakespeare and Environmental Justice symposium
happening for free and online over the course of 24 hours, September 12-13. Registration and the full schedule (listed with several time zones) are available here. 52 speakers involved, including scholars, activists, and theatre artists from around the planet, who will be talking about modern performance, environmental history, intersectional scholarship, teaching, and more. Plenary speakers are…
Premieres 2025/26
PREMIERES DECEMBER 2025 Stuttgart, Schauspiel Stuttgart (Schauspielhaus): 06.12.2025, Hamlet. Ü.: Jürgen Gosch und Angela Schanelec, R.: Burkhard C. Kosminski, B.: Florian Etti, K.: Ute Lindenberg. Sonstiges Bremerhaven, Stadttheater Bremerhaven (Großes Haus): 13.12.2025, I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Von: Vincenzo Bellini. ML.: Davide Perniceni. PREMIERES NOVEMBER 2025 Kiel, Theater Kiel (Schauspielhaus): 21.11.2025, Viel Lärm um…
ESRA 2025 Shakespeare and Time: the retrieved pasts, the envisaged futures, 14-18 July 2025, Utrecht
ESRA 2025 Shakespeare and Time: the retrieved pasts, the envisaged futures, 14-18 July 2025, Utrecht ESRA 2025 Conference ESRA hosts its main conference every two years to bring together applied survey researchers, methodologists, and statisticians from Europe and beyond. The conference showcases the latest survey research and offers a number of professional development opportunities, including…