Arjan Batth

Before joining Princeton’s German Department, Arjan received his BA from the University of Chicago, where he studied Germanic Studies, South Asian Languages and Civilizations, and Fundamentals: Issues and Texts.

Fascinated by the concept of mobility, Arjan is interested in the history of the stroll, from the flâneurie in the metropolis to the tradition of Swiss walking literature. His work explores the relationship between movement, leisure, phenomenology, cultural practice, and landscape perception, as well as the development of Switzerland as a Durchgangsland, or place of transit.

His work is also distinctly comparative, reflecting his interests in Indian hill stations, Indian urban culture, and intellectual exchange between India and the German-speaking world. He has a particular interest in archives and often seeks out travel literature in special collections and rare-book collections. Beyond his academic work, he is interested in translation, writing, and learning languages. He is currently studying Bengali and Persian.