The Institute of Slavic Studies analyses the languages, literatures and cultures of Slavic-speaking populations. It is divided into the two core fields of Linguistics and Literature Studies and is supplemented primarily by Regional Studies and Didactics. The research and teaching at the institute focuses mainly on the northern Slavic region and is represented accordingly, especially by Russia and Poland, but also includes Ukraine and Belarus (to a lesser extent).

In the field of Linguistics, the focus of the research and teaching is on systemic functional linguistics, taking both a sociolinguistic approach – in the area of inter-Slavic language contacts, and a culture-historical one – in the area of German and Slavic loanwords. Literature Studies places emphasis on modern Slavic literatures (1890-1940). The field links institutional and poetic approaches to historical and comparative perspectives, which also allows for comparative studies of ‘minor’ Slavic literatures.

The research activities of the Institute of Slavic Studies are evident in a host of international research projects.

The orientation towards northern Slavic languages gives students the possibility to major in Russian and/or Polish in a Bachelor's degree programme (BA). The Master of Arts in Slavic Studies is made possible by engaging with educational partners in order to pool the university’s interdisciplinary expertise on Eastern Europe. The complex academic orientation of the disciplines involved allows access from different perspectives to phenomena of the northern Slavic region, as outlined above.

The Institute of Slavic Studies maintains excellent international contacts. Study periods abroad for Bachelor’s and Master’s students are made possible through long-standing partnerships with universities in Poland, Belarus and the Russian Federation. PhD students, postgraduates, and in some cases even undergraduates are given the opportunity to spend time teaching and researching at our partner universities.

And finally, the institute provides special assistance for students from Slavic-speaking countries in writing academic papers in German.