Alex Holznienkemper

Biography

Having grown up in Germany in his formative years, Prof. Holznienkemper came to German Studies via a detour in his undergraduate studies. Initially majoring in aerospace engineering and taking German to simply keep the language alive, he
discovered a late love for literature and philosophy, along with a joy for teaching the language he had learned the hard way when moving to Germany as a kid. Thus came his shift to the humanities and social sciences, majoring in political science, economics, and German studies.

Around this time, Prof. Holznienkemper also rekindled his dormant faith life, sparking his first academic interest in social theory, particularly as it relates to the role of religion in the public sphere. The 2004 exchange between Jürgen Habermas and then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) provided a starting point for his dissertation on post-secular philosophy and religious violence, as portrayed in contemporary German literature.

Rigorous engagement with Habermas’ thought inspired further immersion into other Frankfurt School and related thinkers, such as Axel Honneth, as well as Charles Taylor. Contested questions of normativity took center stage as he met Prof. Christoph Möllers during his fellowship year in Berlin, whose book “The Possibility of Norms: Social Practice Beyond Morals and Causes” Prof. Holznienkemper translated.

Starting with his pre-doctoral appointment at Notre Dame, Prof. Holznienkemper began exploring German and European soccer culture as a topic for the classroom, initially in an advanced language and culture course. From there, the topic became a research interest, resulting in multiple conference papers, one book chapter, and (to date) one journal article. Over the years, this “soccer course” has taken different forms, from a language class to a German Studies class in translation, to a broader general education class on global soccer culture. Prof. Holznienkemper is currently working on another article on Hannah Arendt’s theory of action as it relates to sports and religion.

Inspired by Holy Cross College’s prison teaching program during his previous time at Notre Dame, Prof. Holznienkemper spent years building the foundations for a similar prison teaching program in New Hampshire, bringing together stakeholders from institutions of higher education, corrections, and state legislators. New Hampshire now offers initial programing in state prisons, and bachelor’s degree options appear to be in the very near future in NH.