Hessian Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and the Arts
Please check our website for early bird rates!
An additional Berlin excursion can be booked at an extra charge of 340 EUR.
The Berlin trip starts on Saturday, 21 June 2025.
ISU Kassel invites motivated and qualified students or graduates to join the programme. Students with a particular interest in German culture and language are very welcome to participate in the programme.
Kassel may be called the home of the German fairy tale – it was the home of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, the famous brothers whose fairy tale collection "Kinder- und Hausmärchen" has been the most important and influential fairy tale collection in the world up until now. Their "Children’s and Household Tales" have set the tone for fairy tales for generations. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm wanted to preserve traditional folk narratives from oblivion, thus providing this unique collection of fairy tales for posterity. They continue to inspire modern media, e.g. Disney films. This seminar is an introduction to the foundations of critical theory in Fairy Tale Studies (in the historical and social context of the early 19th century) as well as an investigation of the Brothers Grimm and their impact on the development of the genre. Students will discover the international aspect of these regionally collected fairy tales with an in-depth look at the contribution of Kassel’s Dorothea Viehmann. The material for the fairy tales was mainly provided by women of the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy, who in turn had gathered their fairy tales from servants, farmers, and traders. The most important source is Dorothea Viehmann, who knew a wealth of fairy tales from far and wide and was able to tell them fluently.
Kassel offers students a unique opportunity to follow the traces of the Brothers Grimm in the place where they collected the fairy tales. In addition to attending lectures, students will explore Kassel’s museums, libraries, parks, and historical sights. Finally, students will experience how Kassel’s brand-new Grimm museum (GRIMMWELT) developed and continues to develop its exhibition concept. Issues with translating the fairy tales into English will also be discussed. The course is a collaboration with the GRIMMWELT and will partly take place there.
The GRIMMWELT Kassel cooperates with outstanding artists, educators for art and media, and cultural and social institutions. Alongside the valuable historical exhibits, there are sound and film documents, multimedia and interactive presentations, and artistic installations that ensure stimulating experiences.
This museum makes the creative life and activities of the Grimm Brothers accessible to the public.
German Language Courses: In addition to the academic seminars in the respective disciplines, all students attend intensive German language courses. These courses are offered at three different levels (from beginning to advanced). Participants will have plenty of opportunities to practise their language skills while staying with a host family.
Please check our website for early bird rates!
An additional Berlin excursion can be booked at an extra charge of 340 EUR.
The Berlin trip starts on Saturday, 21 June 2025.
A minimum level of English B2 is required for the ISU Kassel seminars.
Living with a German host family in Kassel, students will have a unique opportunity to experience German culture and everyday life first-hand. The homestay adds immeasurably to the study abroad experience and guarantees daily opportunities to improve both language and intercultural communication skills outside the classroom.
Accommodation with host families includes two meals per day. Breakfast and dinner will be provided by the host families, and an affordable lunch will be available at various campus cafeterias. (Vegetarian meals are served as well.) At weekends, three meals a day will be provided by the host families.
Students can enjoy an exciting cultural and leisure programme, such as trips to Marburg or Fritzlar, a guided tour of the city of Kassel, a hike to the Wilhelmshöhe Mountain Park, a trip to a UNESCO World Heritage site, a barbecue, a film at the cinema, opening and closing ceremonies, etc. Students also have the chance to experience Germany's vibrant and exciting capital by partaking in an optional trip to Berlin.
The University of Kassel is a young, modern, and lively university with a unique profile in natural sciences, engineering, culture, and society. The University of Kassel is uniquely focused on environmentally related education and research. This is reflected in the university's more than 60 study sectors related to environmental issues.
Welcome to "boom town" Kassel: it combines urban culture and pure nature — museums, art, culture, sports, leisure activities, mountains, lakes, and forests as far as the eye can see. At the same time, Kassel is well-connected to Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and the Rhine and Ruhr regions. Kassel is home to approximately 200,000 people and looks back on more than a thousand years of history as the former capital of "Hessen-Kassel". Today Kassel is a vibrant, young town with a rich heritage.
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Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Graduate school
Language course/short course
