Biography

1 Short-CV

In March 2025, I retired from my academic positions to focus on writing.

From 2004 to 2025, I taught at the ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln, first as Professor of Aesthetics and Communication, then as Professor of Applied Media Studies, and finally as Associate Professor of Comparative Media Studies.

In 2010, I co-founded the Cologne Game Lab at the Technical University of Cologne with Prof. Björn Bartholdy and served as Co-Director for 15 years. From 2014 to 2025, I was also a Full Professor of Media and Game Studies at CGL.

From January 2020 to January 2021, I was a Visiting Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University.

For the 2023/24 academic year, I received the “Opus Magnum” grant from the Volkswagen Foundation to complete my monograph, Play: Audiovisuality in the Modern Era—Theater, Film, Television, Games. The study is scheduled for publication in German by transcript Verlag in 2026 and in English in 2027.

Before starting my teaching career, I worked as an editor for TransAtlantik, served as a department head and reporter for Stern, was a chief reporter for Tempo, and spent over a decade in the USA as a freelance author, focusing on the social, cultural, and aesthetic effects of digitalization on (audio-)visual art and communication.

I studied General and Comparative Literature, German Studies, and American Studies at the Free University of Berlin (FU Berlin). My Master’s thesis analyzed modern drama, and my dissertation explored the digitalization of art and entertainment.

I have written a double-digit number of non-fiction books in German and English, including Reise in die Verlorengegangenheit. Auf den Spuren deutscher Emigranten (1990) and Cyberland. Eine Führung durch den Hightech-Underground (1996); three novels, including Bogarts Bruder (1996); several screenplays and radio scripts; as well as around 500 articles, essays, short stories, and reports.

In 2015, Games, Game Design, Game Studies. An Introduction was published in print by transcript, and as a Kindle e-book by Amazon and Apple. Most recently, I published Wer war WM? Auf den Spuren eines Televisionärs: Wolfgang Menges Leben und Werk (2024).

Since 2012, I have been co-editing the publication series “Studies of Digital Media Culture” with Prof. Dr. Lisa Gotto at transcript Verlag, Bielefeld. Recent volumes in the series include Playing Utopia: Futures in Digital Games (2019) and Paratextualizing Games: Investigations on the Paraphernalia and Peripheries of Play (2021), both co-edited by Benjamin Beil and Hanns Christian Schmidt; Playful Materialities: The Stuff That Games Are Made Of (2022), co-edited with Benjamin Beil, Hanns Christian Schmidt, Raven Rusch; and Gaming the Metaverse (2025), co-edited with Benjamin Beil, Isabelle Hamm, and Vanessa Ossa.

From 2018 to 2025, I was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies at the University of Tampere (Finland).

From 2015 to 2022, I served as Chair of the Program Board for the “Clash of Realities – International Conference on the Art, Technology, and Theory of Digital Games,” alongside Prof. Björn Bartholdy.

From 2019 to 2021, I was a member of the funding committee for “Digital Games and Interactive Content” at the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW.

From 2015 to 2018, I served on the expert jury for the German Computer Game Award (Deutscher Computerspielpreis).

From 2011 to 2019, I was the Filmstiftung NRW’s commissioner for the development of new media funding and the pilot funding project for innovative audiovisual media content.

From 2008 to 2010, I served on the jury for the Innovation Award for German Film, presented by Minister of State Neumann.

From 2009 to the end of 2010, I was a member of the Film Funding Committee of the Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen.

2 Academic Career

2021-2025
Re-Election as Director of the Cologne Games Lab at TH Köln (together with Bjoern Bartholdy, term of office four years)

2018-2025
Member of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies at the University of Tampere (Finland) headed by Frans Mäyrä.
Member of the Advisory Board of the “Cologne Game Incubator.”

2015 to 2022
Chair of the program board of the annual research conference “Clash of Realities – International Conference on the Art, Technology and Theory of Digital Games” (together with Prof. Björn Bartholdy); sponsored by the Film und Medien Stiftung NRW, the City of Cologne, the Staatskanzlei NRW and Electronic Arts, among others

2020
Visiting Professor at the University of Manchester

2018
Member of the Program Committee (PC) for the research conference DiGRA2018
Reviewer for MIT Press

2017, June
Election as Director of the Cologne Games Lab at TH Köln (together with Bjoern Bartholdy, term of office four years)

2017, April
Conception of the research project “Literality of the Game(s): Playful Communication of Media Competence in the Field of Analog, Digital, and Hybrid Games” (LdS; together with Prof. Dr. Benjamin Beil, Dr. Hanns Christian Schmidt and Sebastian Felzmann); funded by the Rheinenergiestiftung (2018-2019)

2017, March
Member of the “Social Sciences and Humanities Review Panel for the Center of Excellence Program 2018-2025”, Academy of Finland, Helsinki

2015, Summer
Reviewer of the Science Council for the Institutional Accreditation of the Mediadesign Hochschule für Design und Informatik (MD.H)

2014, September
Election to the Faculty Council of the Faculty 02 Cultural Sciences of the TH Köln; appointment as Chairman of the Examination Committee of the Cologne Game Lab (second term of office)

2014, March
Appointed Professor for Media and Game Studies at the Cologne Game Lab / Cologne University of Applied Sciences and founding director of the Cologne Game Lab; simultaneous acceptance of job offer as Associate Professor for Comparative Media Studies at the ifs internationale filmschule köln

2013, Fall
Conception of the research and publication project “Der Televisionär. Wolfgang Menges transmediales Werk” (together with Prof. Dr. Lisa Gotto); funded through the Film and Media Board NRW

2013, Fall
Offered position at the Cologne Game Lab of the Cologne University of Applied Sciences as Professor for Media and Game Studies (accepted)

2013, Fall
Offered position at the Games Academy Hochschule der digitalen Gesellschaft Berlin as founding president and Professor for Media Studies (declined)

2013, Spring
Conception of an integrated introductory Games education (Bachelor / Master) for the Cologne Game Lab at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences (together with Prof. Björn Bartholdy and André Czauderna)

2013, Januar
Appointment chairperson of the Examination Committee of the ifs internationale filmschule köln (fourth term)

2012, Fall
Advisor to the GAH – Games Academy Hochschule in Gründung, Berlin (until the start of 2014)

2012, Summer
Conception of the publication series “Bild und Bit. Studien zur digitalen Medienkultur” (in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Lisa Gotto, at the transcript-Verlag, Bielefeld). At the end of 2023, 17 volumes had been published.

2011, April
Appointment to chairperson of the Examination Committee of the ifs internationale filmschule köln (third term)

2010, June
Head of the summer school “People on Sunday 2010,” a collaboration between the ifs internationale filmschule köln and the UCLA Film School

2010, May
Accreditation of the Master program Game Development and Research at the Cologne Game Lab

2010, April
Appointment to the position of part-time director of the Cologne Game Lab (together with Prof. Björn Bartholdy)

2009, January
Among the winners of the first funding competition Medien.NRW are the Cologne Game Lab (Cologne University of Applied Sciences, in collaboration with Prof. Bartholdy) and the Serious Games project “ssl – sportlich spielend lernen” (ifs köln, in collaboration with Prof. Wessely).

2008, September
Conception of the research and further education project in the field of Serious Games “ssl – sportlich spielend lernen” at the ifs (in collaboration with Prof. Dominik Wessely).

2008, March
Entry into the executive committee of the project Cologne Game Lab (Content & Design for Games / Nonlinear Media), as person responsible for teaching Game Design (in collaboration with the initiator Prof. Björn Bartholdy, KISD, / responsible for A/V Design); the goal is a Master course of study in Game Development and Research as well as continuing education and research

2008, January
Appointment to the position of chairman of the Examination Committee of the ifs internationale filmschule köln (second term)

2006, August
Professor for Media Studies with a focus on audiovisual art and communication, ifs internationale filmschule köln / Fachhochschule Köln (change in contract after negotiations to remain in office)

2006, July
Appointment offer at the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt, declined

2006, July
Increase of the half to a full professorship at the ifs internationale filmschule köln

2005, February
Appointment to the position of chairman of the Examination Committee of the  ifs internationale filmschule köln

2004, November
Job offer at the  ifs internationale filmschule köln for Professor of Aesthetics and Communication with a focus on the aesthetic and communicative consequences of the Digitalization (temporary, part-time)

2004, February
Completion of doctorate proceedings: summa cum laude

2000-2003
Writing of Ph.D. dissertation Digitalisierung. Die transmediale Konversion von Kunst und Unterhaltung in der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts (Digitalization. The Transmedial Conversion of Art and Communication in the Second Half of the 20th Century).

2000
Separate publication of the communication-theoretical and communication-historical parts of the research project on digitalization (esp. Kommunikette 2.0, see German List of Publications)

1995-2000
Conception of a new academic-aesthetic research project concerning a transmedia theory and history of the digitalization of art and communication

1993 ff.
Research into the consequences of the Digitalization for art and communication; publication in anthologies and trade and general-interest magazines (as well as literary-journalistic activity, see below: media practice)

1993
Publication of parts of my studies on adaptation and media transfer  (“The Postman Never Stops Ringing”, see German List of Publications)

1989-1992
The insight into the aesthetic turn, which digitalization meant for all arts, leads to reorienting my research toward the connection between artistic and media-technical progress

1985-1990
Academic assistant at the Institute of Comparative Literature at the FU Berlin. Independent holding of introductory courses and introductory seminars as well as advanced seminars together with Prof. Eberhard Lämmert, Ph.D. Work on a dissertation on adaptation and media transfer.

1981
Enrollment in the “Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes.” Conception of a dissertation on the history and theory of adaptation and media transfer.

1979/80
Master of Arts: with distinction

1979
Assistant to a storytelling research project of the Volkswagen Foundation (directed by Prof. Eberhard Lämmert, Ph.D.)

1977/78
Student tutor at the Institute of Comparative Literature at the FU Berlin

1973-1980
Studied at the Free University Berlin: Comparative Literature, German and American Literature as well as History. Focus: Media theory, media history, aesthetics & communication; the relationship between literature and (audio-) visual media (visual art, drama, radio, film, TV)

3 Media Practice: Author, Editor, Advisor 

2019-2021
Member of the jury of the subsidy program for “Digital Games and Interactive Content,” Media and Film Board NRW, Duesseldorf
Member of the competence group “GamesTalente”

2015 – 2018
Juror of the German Computer Game Award

2011-2018
Chair of the advisory panel for the subsidy program “Innovative Audiovisual Media Contents,” Media and Film Board NRW, Duesseldorf

2011, September
Release of the German-language documentary film Wolfgang Petersen: Mein Leben, mein Werk (22 minutes, scriptwriter and director) on the BluRay-Edition of Das Boot – Steelbook (Anniversary Edition, 3 Disc, Eurovideo)

2011, Juli
Release of the English-language documentary film Wolfgang Petersen: Back to the Boat (45 minutes, Writer / Director) on the BluRay edition of Das Boot. Director’s Cut (Sony America)

2011, Januar
Representative of the Filmstiftung NRW for the development of new media funding projects and the pilot funding project for audiovisual media content.

2009, Oktober
Juror of the Bild-Kunst-Förderpreis of the KunstFilmBiennale 2009

2009, Juni
Appointment by the Minister for Federal Affairs, Europe and Media of the State Northrhein-Westfalia Andreas Krautscheid to the film funding committee of the Film and Media Board North Rhine-Westphalia (until December 2010)

2008, Juli
Appointment by State Minister Bernd Neumann to the jury for the awarding of the Innovation Prize of the German Film Funds (for three years)

2005 ff.
Journalist and media advisor in Germany. Focus: computers and networking, digital media and communication. Contributions to anthologies as well as magazines, incl. Der Spiegel, NZZ Folio, Film-Dienst, Telepolis, Zeitschrift für Personalführung, Schweizer Monatshefte

2001
Work on Kommunikette 2.0 (SC 2002)

1999
Exhibition concept for the section “Digital Future of the Cinema” in the Film Museum Berlin; contribution to the museum catalog

1998
Novel Bogarts Bruder receives the German Mystery Award

1997
Work on the novel Perlen für die Säue (HC 1999, PB 2001)

1995/96
Work on the novel Bogarts Bruder (HC 1997, PB 1998)

1995
Work on the Bukowski book Portrait of a Dirty Old Man Dying (Ger. HC 1996, Eng. SC 2000)

1995-2004
Freelance journalist in the US. Focus: digitalization – digital media, digital art, digital communication, computer, and networking. Contributions, among others, in the dailies Berliner Zeitung, Frankfurter Rundschau, Los Angeles Times, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Tagesspiegel, Die Welt; the weeklies Financial Times Deutschland, Der Spiegel, Weltwoche, Die Zeit; the monthlies Cinema, DU, Internet Professionell, NZZ Folio, Spiegel Special; also Kursbuch, pl@net, Telepolis, c’t – magazin für computertechnik

 1994-1996
Work on the book Cyberland. Eine Führung durch den Hightech-Underground. Research on the US West Coast, numerous interviews with researchers and theoreticians of the cultural process of digitalization. Magazine publications and book publications (SC 1996, PB 1998)

 1993-1994
Work on the film book Spion unter Sternen. Lauschangriffe auf Hauptdarsteller (SC 1994)

1993
Work on the film book Der Übernehmer. Volker Schlöndorff in Babelsberg (SC 1993)

1992-1995
Chief reporter Tempo (Hamburg)

1992
Work on Endspieler, a collection of essays, reporting, and short stories from the dying “old” Federal Republic of Germany (SC 1993)

1990-1991
Advisor to the editor-in-chief of Elle (Munich).

1987-1989
Work on the novel Der Ausweg (HC 1989, pre-publication in stern)

1985ff.
Work on the film and cultural history project Reise in die Verlorengegangenheit. Auf den Spuren deutscher Emigranten (1933-1940). Publication as a series in stern (1988) and in book form (HC 1990, PB 1993)

1983-1990
Head of department & reporter stern (Hamburg)

1981-1982
Editor TransAtlantik (Munich)

1980
Freelance journalist in Berlin. Reporting and essays, among others, for TransAtlantik, Tip; radio, and film work.

4 Skills & Biographical Data 

General Skills

Communicative and intellectual strengths: transcultural and transdisciplinary knowledge transfer; especially between the US and Europe, between academia and popular media as well as older studies of the arts (literature and art studies, aesthetics) and the newer culture, communication, and media studies shaped by the digitalization

Language skills: Spoken and written fluency in German (native), author of fiction and non-fiction; spoken and written fluency in English (near-native), author of non-fiction; Latin proficiency certificate; rudimentary knowledge of French

Professional Skills

Pedagogical Practice: extensive teaching experience, incl. through university instruction, lecturing, and advising

Journalistic Practice: extensive editing and management experience; incl. through work as head of department and reporter at stern as well as a chief reporter at Tempo; experience as a freelance writer and journalist specializing in computers, networking, digital media, incl. seven years for c’t – Magazin für Computertechnik

Artistic Practice: multimedial storytelling and media designer; incl. as the author of novels and screenplays as well as through work on numerous off- and online A/V media productions; aesthetic focus: the amalgamation of European-American narrative traditions in text and A/V media

IT-Practice: professional knowledge of Mac OS (since 1984); familiarity with roughly two dozen relevant communication, narration, and multimedia applications through critical testing as a technology journalist as well as personal use in academic work and aesthetic production

Biographical Data

1955: Born, German citizenship (Hanover)
1973: Graduation with “Abitur” from Leibnizschule (Hanover)
1980: Magister Artium, with distinction (FU Berlin)
1983: Marriage to Elke Mignon Maria Freyermuth, née Waldvogel (Berlin)
1989: Immigration into the US (New York, NY)
1994: Birth of son Leon S. Freyermuth (Los Angeles, CA)
1997: Birth of son George S. Freyermuth (Los Angeles, CA)
2001: Adoption of US citizenship (Phoenix, AZ)
2004: Doctorate, summa cum laude (FU Berlin)
2005: Relocation to Germany (Berlin / Cologne)