About the HCA

The Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA) is a central research and teaching institution of the Heidelberg University, Germany’s oldest university, that looks at the United States from many disciplinary perspectives.

Graduates of its undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate programs profit from their interdisciplinary and intercultural education and are well qualified to work as experts on the United States in academic institutions, the civil service, private enterprise, the media, and non-profit organizations. At the HCA, the America-related research of eight disciplines converges, offering a unique expertise in area studies. The home of the HCA is the Curt and Heidemarie Engelhorn Palais, an elegant baroque building in the center of Heidelberg’s Old Town. It is the venue for numerous public events that facilitate and contribute to the creation and strengthening of transatlantic networks.