Peter Davies
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pdavies.bsky.social
Peter Davies
@pdavies.bsky.social
500 followers 370 following 320 posts
German Studies, U of Edinburgh. Translation History, Holocaust testimony, archives, interpreters at Holocaust trials. Audio drama and the Holocaust. Occasional Scottish political nonsense. He/him
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pdavies.bsky.social
Peter Davies @pdavies.bsky.social · May 27
Here it is - my book on the interpreters at the first Frankfurt Auschwitz Trial is now out in physical form (not in open access for a year or two unfortunately) but good to hold a copy www.bloomsbury.com/uk/interpret...
pdavies.bsky.social
Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß
Auf Liebe eingestellt
Denn das ist meine Welt
Und sonst gar nichts
Pope Leo in white holding a microphone like a rock star in front of black clad clerics (cf Blondie)
November 23, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Reposted by Peter Davies
meanwhileua.bsky.social
President Zelensky: "We are facing one of the most dangerous periods in Ukrainian history, a choice between losing our dignity and freedom and losing US support. We choose dignity. My answer is my oath of office. I did not betray Ukraine in Feb 2022 and we won’t betray in now."
November 22, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Reposted by Peter Davies
farbijan.bsky.social
Whenever this is mentioned, it is obligatory to post xkcd 2381, in which @gretchenmcc.bsky.social shares forbidden linguistic knowledge with the masses.
Black and white comic with stick figures Panel 1: Three stick figures that can only be told apart by their hair. Megan (short dark hair) walks in walks in from the left, looking down at her phone, Cueball (no hair) and Ponytail (light-haired ponytail) are standing next to each other. Megan: Wow - according to the internet, we don't know the true name of the bear. Cueball: What? Panel 2: Gretchen McCulloch, drawn as a stick figure with short, dark, curly hair, comes on-panel from the right. Megan: Apparently there was a superstition that saying its name would summon it. "Bear" and "bruin" mean "the brown one." Its actual name has been lost. Cueball: Wow. Ponytail: Gretchen, is this for real? Panel 3: Zoom-in on Gretchen. Gretchen: Well, sort of Gretchen: The Proto-Indo-European root was *rkto- Gretchen: It was lost in the Germanic languages like English, but survived elsewhere, e.g. Greek "arktos" and Latin "ursus" Panel 4: Back to the second panel, with Megan holding her phone down, Ponytail with her hands in the air, and Gretchen with her hand on her chin. Megan: So could we figure out what the word would have been in English? Gretchen: Hmm. I mean, we'll never know, but given Germanic sound shifts, a reasonable guess might be "arth"? Ponytail: No!! Panel 5: The panel zooms in again to Gretchen. Ponytail (off-panel): Stop! AAAAA! Gretchen: What?? Ponytail (off-panel): Don't say it! Panel 6: Ponytail is holding her palms out. Megan is no longer in the panel. Ponytail: What have you done? Off-panel noise: ROAR (with a wavy speech balloon around it) Gretchen: Oh Gretchen: Oh no
November 21, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Reposted by Peter Davies
ags-gbi.bsky.social
In response to recent news of the University of Nottingham's devastating plan to cut modern languages degrees, the AGS President (@pdavies.bsky.social) has sent a joint letter of protest to the UoN VC and the Chair of University Council on behalf of the AGS, W+IGS and the GLA.

Link to the letter 👇
November 18, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Reposted by Peter Davies
argonautbooks.bsky.social
We need your help.

@waterstones.bsky.social, without any direct communication with us, will be opening their 6th Edinburgh branch less than 100 metres from our front door at the Foot of the Walk in Leith.

Please read on for more information

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562908...

(1/2)
Anger as Waterstones snaps up prime site on doorstep of independent bookshop
UK's biggest bookselling chain under fire over plans for new store beside Edinburgh tram line.
www.heraldscotland.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Reposted by Peter Davies
ucfl-eca.bsky.social
The UCFL ECA SIG is looking for new reps! We have openings in German, Italian, Linguistics, Portuguese, and Middle Eastern Studies. Details below, and the application deadline is 15 December. Get in touch with the SIG co-chairs @oliviaglaze.bsky.social & @llewelynhopwood.bsky.social with questions 🥳
November 18, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Reposted by Peter Davies
ucflangs.bsky.social
Help the the University of Leicester and the University of Nottingham save languages. Links in comments.
November 17, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Reposted by Peter Davies
cl-an.bsky.social
17.11.2025 Standard👇
November 16, 2025 at 8:01 PM
pdavies.bsky.social
Really happy to see the publication of this excellent thesis by my former PhD student Bárbara Fernández-Melleda with EUP (available open access, too). It’s a great study of writing under dictatorship and in the aftermath

edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-chilean...
Chilean Women’s Poetry under Neoliberalism, 1980–2020
Chilean Women’s Poetry under Neoliberalism, 1980–2020
edinburghuniversitypress.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Reposted by Peter Davies
katyakrylova.bsky.social
www.change.org/p/save-moder...
Sign the Petition
Save Modern Languages courses at the University of Leicester
www.change.org
November 12, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Reposted by Peter Davies
hetanshah.bsky.social
Such a key point about cutting back on language provision - it’s not good for science and it’s not good for growth
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Max Hegarty, who is studying aerospace engineering, said the proposals also affect students on other courses. He has taken modules in German, and said this enabled him to do an internship in Germany. "So much of our European engineering is based in Germany," he said. "While a lot of people are willing to learn English, not returning that effort to them is not great for that collaboration, for that international co-operation that we need. "Cutting funding for modern languages courses serves only to paralyse our growth as a country."
November 8, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Reposted by Peter Davies
kesseltv.bsky.social
Kino Kultur Kombination
November 9, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Reposted by Peter Davies
biajs.bsky.social
Join us in London in July!

CALL FOR PAPERS NOW LIVE

#BIAJS2026 “Space and place in Jewish studies” 13-15 July Birkbeck

bajsbulletin.wpcomstaging.com/2025/11/03/c...
Call for Papers: BIAJS Conference 2026 (13-15 July, Birkbeck, University of London)
CALL FOR PAPERS #BIAJS2026 Space and Place in Jewish Studies British and Irish Association of Jewish Studies Annual Conference 2026 Birkbeck, University of London | July 2026   “there is…
bajsbulletin.wpcomstaging.com
November 4, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Reposted by Peter Davies
artsandhums.bsky.social
Excellent article here. Our students are our greatest advocates. Counter proposals will be put forward, and we are supporting colleagues in Music, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies at Nottingham with their campaigns www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
University of Nottingham students fight 'insane' cull of courses
Traitors composer Sam Watts is among those against plans to cut University of Nottingham courses.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 8, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Reposted by Peter Davies
herrehrig.bsky.social
Please consider signing against this nonsensical absurdity! c.org/vGgNqmXhNx
Sign the Petition
Stop the removal of Modern Languages courses at the University of Nottingham!
c.org
November 7, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Reposted by Peter Davies
katyakrylova.bsky.social
www.change.org/p/stop-the-r...
Sign the Petition
Stop the removal of Modern Languages courses at the University of Nottingham!
www.change.org
November 7, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Reposted by Peter Davies
ags-gbi.bsky.social
The AGS's President (@pdavies.bsky.social) and VP (@profannasaunders.bsky.social) have put out a joint statement with Women+ in German Studies and the German Language Association in response to today's announcement of the University of Nottingham's plan to close all modern language degrees.

✊🧵
November 7, 2025 at 7:12 PM
pdavies.bsky.social
I dare them to invite Trump to the ceremony and then award it to Roy Keane
November 5, 2025 at 4:20 PM
pdavies.bsky.social
Have discovered you can get almost a whole language class out of getting people to pronounce Südschleswigscher Wählerverband
November 5, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by Peter Davies
wigsblog.bsky.social
Registration for the #W+IGS Annual Conference closes tomorrow! Check out the exciting programme & register below!
November 4, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Reposted by Peter Davies
wienerlibrary.bsky.social
In her new book, People Without History are Dust, Dr Anna Hájková explores same-sex desire in the Holocaust, telling the gripping stories of queer Jews that have been long silenced by the homophobia of survivors.

Sign up now to hear Dr Hájková speak about this important new work:
Book Talk: People without History are Dust, Anna Hájková - The Wiener Holocaust Library
The Holocaust and Genocide Research Partnership is delighted to host Dr Anna Hájková in conversation with Dr Christine Schmidt about Dr. Hájková’s new book, People without History are Dust: Queer…
buff.ly
October 31, 2025 at 9:28 AM
pdavies.bsky.social
2026 Nobel Peace Prize for Pussy Riot
ilkokowalczuk.bsky.social Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk @ilkokowalczuk.bsky.social · 26d
Pussy Riot Künstlerin Maria Aljochina, Gulag-Häftling, richtet sich bei Markus Lanz an Wagenknecht: Sie wiederholen das, was in Russland die Propagandasender sagen
October 31, 2025 at 7:15 AM
pdavies.bsky.social
Have been rewatching the Golden Girls after many years and unlike many comedies of the era it still stands up pretty well. Apart from the occasionally overemphatic editing (HEY! ✂️ the punchline is coming ✂️ NOW!) it’s great… 1/2
an elderly woman wearing glasses and a yellow shirt is sitting on a couch and saying `` i 'll allow it ''
ALT: an elderly woman wearing glasses and a yellow shirt is sitting on a couch and saying `` i 'll allow it ''
media.tenor.com
October 29, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Reposted by Peter Davies
wienerlibrary.bsky.social
Earlier this year we hosted the launch of a new book: Olga Lengyel, Auschwitz Survivor.

This new work engages with one of the most intriguing aspects of testimony: how the remembering and telling of a Holocaust survivor changes through time.

Catch up via our YouTube channel:
Book Talk - Olga Lengyel: Auschwitz survivor Interdisciplinary Explorations
The Wiener Holocaust Library is delighted to host this book launch event as part of its New Academic Books series. Olga Lengyel, Auschwitz Survivor engages with one of the most intriguing, but still…
buff.ly
October 29, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Reposted by Peter Davies
leedscitylanguages.bsky.social
Does #German really sound aggressive? Why do some people find the sound of #French romantic and sexy? And how about the friendly-sounding Geordies?
Join us for a public lecture by Prof Sascha Stollhans.
👉 Find out more: leedscityoflanguages.leeds.ac.uk/events/talk-...
@saschastollhans.bsky.social
October 26, 2025 at 11:35 AM