We write to you on behalf of the German medievalist community, both nationally and internationally.
The community has been shocked to hear of the sudden notification of Anne Simon’s proposed dismissal on the grounds that it is in the best long-term interest of the German Department to divest it of its mediaeval/early-modern component. As Medievalists, we are perplexed that of all universities Bristol, with its flagship Centre for Medieval Studies, should be considering axing a post in German Medieval Studies. Such an action will undermine the excellent provision and the reputation that Bristol University has in this field of study. At the moment Bristol enjoys a powerful identity as a stronghold for Medieval Studies with mediaevalists and early-modernists in French, Italian and Spanish, History of Art, Music, History, English, Theology and History of Art. We gather from your website that the Middle Ages are one of the Faculty’s supported research themes. How would the loss of a post in German Medieval and Early Modern Studies be consonant with that?
News of Dr Simon’s dismissal has spread like wild-fire and has provoked a very strong response as you will see from the signatories who wrote in protest at the proposed action. These include representatives of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG – German Research Foundation), the Academies (Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Mainz, Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften), all leading research universities both in the German speaking countries and in the Anglophone world.
In the light of the strength of this response, both with regard to the personal merit of Dr Anne Simon and to the importance of German medieval studies, we would ask you to reconsider your decision to disinvest in German medieval and early modern studies. Not to do so will damage the reputation of Bristol University significantly.
Prof. Henrike Laehnemann
Dr Elizabeth Andersen

https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/bl…t_of_supporters