Dr. Daniela Hempen

Biography

Daniela Hempen received her M.A. in German Scandinavian Languages and Literatures from Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany, in 1991. In 1998, she obtained her Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, focusing on Medieval German Literature and Culture. After moving to Vancouver, Canada, to pursue her doctoral studies in the Department of Germanic Studies at UBC, she began teaching as a Teaching Assistant and Sessional Lecturer. Daniela has over 20 years of experience teaching German language and literature at the university level. She is currently a Lecturer in the Department of Central, Eastern, and Northern European Studies at UBC. Her research interests include Medieval Studies, 19th, 20th, and 21st Century German Literature and Culture, representations of nature in literature, and literary representations of 'otherworlds' such as dystopias and utopias, as well as trauma in literature. Daniela's notable research projects include examining dystopias and utopias in post-WWII German literature and translating works like Elisabeth von Nassau-Saarbrücken’s ‘Der Roman von der Königin Sibille’ from Early Modern German to English. Her recent publications contribute to the field by exploring the relationship between humanity and nature in literary contexts.

Research Interests