Academic Career
In 1967 Siebald graduated from secondary school in Kassel. While on tour in America with the German Youth for Christ Choir, he studied at Manchester College, North Manchester, Indiana, in 1969. He then read German and English philology at Philipps University of Marburg. He trained to be a secondary school teacher of English and German, taking his first state diploma examination in 1972. After his marriage in 1973 he paused his studies for three years, completing his teacher training by taking the second state examination in 1976.
In 1977 he did a PhD in American studies at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. His dissertation dealt with the topic Auflehnung im Werk Herman Melvilles - Rebellion in Herman Melville's Novels. In 1983 he was made Assistant Professor (tenured) for American Studies at Johannes Gutenberg University and continued his academic work after completion of his PhD. He interrupted his work at Mainz by taking sabbaticals at Wheaton College (Illinois) (Clyde S. Kilby Professor in 1992) and Guest Professor at Georgia State University in Atlanta (1996 and 1997). In the first year (1996) Siebald produced the monograph Der verlorene Sohn in der amerikanischen Literatur - The Prodigal Son in American Literature - which was published in 2003. He was made Associate Professor in American Studies in Mainz in 2002 and has remained there to the present.
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