On the basis of a concept of literature that encompasses narrative, dramatic and lyrical texts as well as media related to literature, such as film, radio plays or picture books, the Chair of Literary Studies and Didactics deals with German literature from the 17th to the 21st century. In the sense of its interface function between literary studies and didactics of literature, an essential concern of the professorship is to describe and research processes of understanding and interpreting literature as well as intersubjective understanding of literary objects. Specifically, the professorship deals with the topic of the development of literature-related comprehension skills in childhood and adolescence, including the diagnosis and detailed description of these skills. Another of its concerns is the teaching of principles and procedures of theory-based analysis of literary texts and literature-related media. In addition, it examines the problem of literary interpretation and explores methods for promoting the understanding of literature, especially literary conversation, but also scenic play and creative and scientific writing.

The research activities of the professorship concentrate on the study of narrative literary texts of the 17th to the 21st century from the perspective of the history of ideas and motifs as well as from the perspective of the genres of poetry and the theory of intermediality. A special focus is currently on the study of narrative literature of the 19th century from a perspective that attempts to combine questions of the history of ideas with questions of aesthetics of effect under the motto "suspense" (see "Projects").