The Institute of German Studies, which is dedicated to the systematic and historical study of German language and literature, is divided into four departments at the University of Duisburg-Essen:

1.     Linguistics & Language Didactics
2.     Literary Studies & Didactics
3.     Medieval Studies
4.     Dutch Studies

the departments provide information about their internal structure as well as their activities in teaching, research and knowledge transfer on their own pages.

In 2013, the interdepartmental German Studies Centre for Rhetoric and Performance Practice - Ruhrpodium was also founded.