I have known Dr Anne Simon for some two decades. Before she was appointed at Bristol in 1992, she was my research assistant in the University of London on the Walther von der Vogelweide project. I valued her work as a caring and conscientious tutor when I was Examiner in Bristol (1992-1994). Subsequently I have met her at conferences and been impressed by her papers. She is now a scholar of international repute, as is evident from the e-mails you have received from my German, Austrian and Swiss colleagues. She has diversified her research and teaching, working now primarily in the early modern period. She was also much respected as a Head of Department at Bristol.

Medieval and Early Modern studies have long been one of the strengths of Bristol’s German Department (as of other departments). I was fortunate enough to hear Professor August Closs give a paper on Gottfried’s Tristan, shortly before his death. The tradition has been continued by, among others, Professor Frank Shaw. To abolish the teaching of the first thousand years of German literature is, as one of my German colleagues has pointed out, nonsensical.