Language has always played an important part in the debates on cultural and political identity in the German-speaking areas of Europe. It is therefore not surprising that the dramatic events of the early 1990s, most notably the reunification of Germany, have led to an upsurge of interest in the German language.

This collection of specially commissioned essays provides an insight into the interests and approaches of German-speaking linguists in this period of dynamic change, focusing on the forms, functions, and uses of contemporary German.

Some contributors address broad issues language and national identity, the status of German as an international language, language change and attempts to fix the form of the language, and sociolinguistic variation while others examine topics of particular significance in the current sociopolitical climate.

These include social change and linguistic variation in Berlin after the Wall, the political language of the Right and Left, the speech of youth subcultures, language and gender, language and television, and language in intercultural communication.