🎭Poetry Contest

The German Studies Program at Kennesaw State University invites you to participate in its 2025 Georgia Statewide German Poetry Contest. We thank our sponsor The Halle Foundation.

About the Contest

1. Topic and Content: Poems can be about your personal experiences in the world that surrounds you, or your plans and goals for preserving our planet, or anything related to this year's topic: Märchen und Geschichten.

2. Deadline: March 1, 2025

3. Language: German.

4. Eligibility: Poets of any age and language level may participate. Poems should be submitted without excessive help/corrections from the teacher or instructor.

5. Judging: Poems will be judged by upper-level students, KSU faculty, and native speakers according to student level and age.

6. Prizes: Winners will receive a certificate and a monetary prize.

How to Submit

Please submit your poem electronically by uploading it as an attached MS word document using the button here. Please make sure that you identify your level by uploading to the proper portion of the form.

The upload portal does not record your name or other information. This means it is critical that each submitted word document include: (1) a poem, and below your poem, please include (2) your name, (3) your grade level, (4) your level in German, (5) your school or university, and (5) the name of your German instructor. Please do not use the header function in the word file.

Submit your poem(s) here

Levels

These are the levels for which you can enter the competition:

• Level 1A: DLI / Elementary - Middle School – German 1001-level

• Level 1B: High School 1st Year German / College 1st semester – German 1001-level

• Level 2: High School 2nd Year German / College 2nd semester – German 1002-level

• Level 3: High School 3rd Year German / College 3rd semester – German 2001-level

• Level 4: High School 4th Year German / College 4th semester – German 2002-level

• Level 5: High School AP German / College 5th and higher semester – German 3000-level

• Level 6: Grad Students, Teachers, Profis, German 4000-level

Questions

For questions, or if you’d like resources/ideas, or a mini-workshop in your class, please contact Dr. Sabine Smith at 470-578-6366 or [email protected]. Assuming authors’ permission, we will exhibit winning poems online, at AATG-GA SGC, and at KSU.

Previous Years

The Georgia German Poetry Contest is an annual event and information about prior years is recorded here. This initiative began in the 2008-09 years at KSU and grew to include statewide participation in 2014.

2024: Feste und Feiertage

2023: Umwelt

2022: Energiewende (Posters)

2018: Zukunftsvisionen

2017: Wer die Wahl hat, hat die Qual

2016: Deutsch in den USA

2015: Nahrung

2013: Feste und Traditionen

2011: Vergnügungen (Pleasures/Hobbies) / Dinggedichte