Linguistic behaviour and linguistic products, whether advertising or literary texts, determine our everyday lives. We usually use spoken language and texts as a matter of course and without thinking. However, spoken language and texts not only have a historical dimension, but also structures that are predetermined and help determine our actions and thoughts.

German literature and linguistics has the task of analysing and reflecting on these structures as well as their historical dimensions and cultural contexts.
Oldenburg's German Studies programme focuses on literary studies of literature around 1800 and contemporary literature as well as cultural studies and gender-oriented issues.
The research focus in medieval studies is on the historical evidence of medieval authors, the historical context of medieval and early modern poetry, the correspondence of the Brothers Grimm and the academic history of German studies.
In linguistics, there is a particular interest in the relationship between spoken and written language, while research into multilingualism and intercultural communication is a focus in the field of German as a foreign language.
A new focus on Low German is also being developed.

The master's degree programme in German Studies offers the opportunity to engage intensively with the German language and literature. It gives graduates the opportunity to engage with the subjects of German Studies in a research-oriented way. It is designed to provide graduates with the subject-specific, analytical and interdisciplinary skills that will enable them to work in all areas where linguistic competence and cultural-historical knowledge are required.

Graduates of German Studies can work as journalists in print media as well as in audiovisual and new media, they can work in libraries and publishing, in public relations and in adult education. The MA in German Studies also offers the prerequisite for a doctorate and thus also for work in the academic field.