George Avery (professor)


George Avery was an American professor for German Studies at Swarthmore College.

Life

After growing up in the Greek immigrant community of Philadelphia, he served in Germany as a soldier during World War Two. His experience in Germany led to his deep interest in German culture. Immediately after the war, he participated in humanitarian efforts in Finland and Greece. After returning to the USA, he studied German at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees there, as well as the Ph.D.
After a temporary teaching engagement at St. Joseph's University, he was hired by Swarthmore in 1959 and taught there until his retirement. He served as Chair of the Department of Modern Languages from 1975 to 1980. His student Jonathan Franzen portrayed Avery's endearing, if eccentric, manner of teaching in his memoirs.

Research

Avery was specialized on German literature of the twentieth century, be it German, Swiss, or Austrian in origin. He published monographs and scholarly editions on the work of Robert Walser, Herwarth Walden and Karl Kraus. Avery received international recognition for his research on Walser.

Books

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