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Born: August 19, 1947 in Überlingen

Died: 2022 in Freiburg im Breisgau

Faculty: Linguistics

Academic title: Prof. Dr.

Ursula Schaefer was born in Überlingen in 1947 and studied English, History and Political Science at the University of Freiburg im Breisgau and Munich from 1966 to 1971. After graduating with a state examination and a master's degree, she completed her doctorate in English in 1976 on the subject of courtly chivalric poetry and socio-historical reality, followed by a habilitation in 1989 on the subject of vocality, together with a teaching qualification in English philology. After completing her studies, she worked as a research assistant at the English Department of the University of Freiburg im Breisgau until 1993, when she became Professor of Early English Literature at the Humboldt University in Berlin.

In 1999, she was appointed to the TU Dresden and from then on held the Chair of English Linguistics. This made her the first female professor of older English literature at TU Dresden. However, Prof. Dr. Schaefer was not only concerned with her teaching and research, she also put herself at the service of the university as an academic manager. From 2003 to 2006, she served as Dean of the Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies and from 2010 to 2013 as Vice-Rector Academic Affairs.

Major reform projects such as the introduction of Bachelor's and Master's degree courses and the establishment of fully digital student administration systems took place during her time in office. Ursula Schaefer was predestined for these and other major tasks thanks to her experience and expertise. Even after her retirement in 2013, she remained loyal to TU Dresden as a highly valuable contact person thanks to her extensive wealth of experience.

Her commitment to excellent teaching and university development still shapes academic life at TU Dresden today. Her passion as a pioneer of English and linguistics, as well as her integrity, are a living example for all academics.