The German Studies Program of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University invites applications to the Otmar Drekonja German Cultural Studies Scholarship. This scholarship was initiated by former students of Dr. Drekonja who are seeking in this way to celebrate and prolong his legacy of international education.

Promising undergraduate students of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University who have demonstrated a commitment to German Studies in keeping with the enthusiasm of Otmar Drekonja are eligible to apply for this scholarship. Eligibility is restricted to those who have been admitted or definitely planning to apply to the major or minor in German and who will be juniors or seniors in the fall of a given year.

The scholarship will be awarded according to the following criteria:

1. Demonstrated commitment to German Studies including curricular and extra-curricular activities.
2. Aspirations for using German in the future for teaching, graduate studies, or other professional activity in the field of German.
3. If candidates are equal, financial need will be taken into consideration.

Scholarship amounts average between $3,000 and $4,000.

Please apply to the Otmar Drekonja Scholarship Committee as follows:

1. Submit a current transcript of studies.
2. Draft a one-page curriculum vitae, including German-related activities and experiences (in English)
3. Write a formal letter of application describing present involvement in German-Austrian-Swiss study and activities as well as future aspirations, goals, and commitments (300 words, in German).

Applications must be submitted electronically via email attachment to [email protected]. Selection is made by a committee of faculty members of the German Studies Section of the Department of Languages and Cultures. Deadlines for submitting completed applications will be announced early in spring semester of each year. Late submissions will not be accepted. Recipients will be notified by mid-April.

Biographical Sketch of Professor Otmar Drekonja

Otmar Drekonja was a Fulbright grantee at Kent State University during the 1962-63 academic year and initially taught at Saint John’s during the 1963-64 academic year. After returning to Austria, he was recruited by Saint John’s to teach full time, beginning in 1967; his distinguished teaching career in the Department of Foreign Languages spanned 35 years. He sparked renewed interest in German studies, teaching all levels in the department and inspiring students by his own intensely obvious love of German and Austrian literature and culture. A native of the Austrian Lesach Valley, Dr. Drekonja also threw his incomparable energy into directing some fifteen groups, more than 200 students, on study abroad programs in Central Europe, including many semesters of the Salzburg Study Abroad Program which he himself founded in 1977. Dr. Drekonja’s contacts and keen interest in the former East Germany also allowed students of Saint John’s and Saint Benedict’s to study abroad behind the Iron Curtain and enabled many East German writers and scholars to travel to Minnesota. Inside and outside the classroom, during the college years and beyond, Professor Drekonja’s untiring and enthusiastic efforts to open his students’ eyes to a wider world have led many of them to careers and relationships involving international cultural exchange. His distinguished teaching career resonates in the personal and professional lives of generations of students.

The German Studies Program of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University cordially invites you to apply for the Sister Margretta Nathe Scholarship. The scholarship has been established to support the study of German at the College of Saint Benedict. Eligibility for the scholarship is limited to students of the College of Saint Benedict who have been admitted to (or at minimum, applied for) a major or minor in German and who will be juniors or seniors in the fall of a given year. The scholarship will be awarded according to the following criteria, in order of importance:

1. Academic distinction, particularly in German
2. Financial need, as determined by standard procedures of the college
3. Commitment to the teaching of German, to graduate studies, or to other professional activity within the field of German (to be used as tie-breaker).

Amounts vary from year to year but average around $4,000.

Please apply to the S. Margretta Nathe Scholarship Committee as follows:

1. Submit a current transcript of studies.
2. Draft a one-page curriculum vitae, including German-related activities and experiences (in English)
3. Write a formal letter of application describing present involvement in German-Austrian-Swiss study and activities as well as future aspirations, goals, and commitments (300 words, in German).

Applications are accepted electronically via email attachment only to [email protected]. Deadlines for submitting completed applications will be announced early in spring semester of each year. Late submissions will not be accepted. Recipients will be notified by mid-April.

Please note: CSB applicants to the Otmar Drekonja Scholarship may also apply to the Nathe Scholarship.