How does one find one's way around the rules of the German language, where do new words come from, and what are the most important changes in the use of the language - for example, due to digitalisation and a higher sensitivity due to the gender issue? These and other exciting topics are the focus of our column about the German language.
Thomas Böhm | privat
Thomas Böhm, born 1968 in Oberhausen in the Rhineland, is a mediator for literature and cultural journalist. He has curated the guest appearances of Iceland (2011), Switzerland (2014) and Norway (2019) at the book fairs in Frankfurt and Leipzig. His most recent publications are the radio plays for the television series “Babylon Berlin” and - together with Carsten Pfeiffer - “Die Wunderkammer der deutschen Sprache” (i.e., The cabinet of curiosities of the German language).
Kathrin Kunkel-Razum | privat
Kathrin Kunkel-Razum (born 1959 in Potsdam) studied German and history in Leipzig, where she did her PhD in German linguistics. She has been on Duden’s editorial staff since 1997 and editor-in-chief since 2016, so she’s in charge of Duden’s whole range of dictionaries and grammar guides. She is also a member of the German Spelling Council, which develops spelling rules and issues recommendations for state institutions. Since 2020 she is also a member of the Goethe-Institut's advisory board for Literature and Translation Grant Programme Department. She lives in Berlin.