Dr. Dégh Linda | Humaniora, International Relations in Humanities of the University of Debrecen

Linda Dégh (1918–2014), former professor of Indiana University Bloomington (USA) and doctor honoris causa of the University of Debrecen, would be celebrating her 108th birthday today, on the 18th of March.

Dégh was born in Budapest, where she earned her doctorate in humanities. The main areas of her academic work were narrative genres in folklore, identity, and the most recent forms of folk religiosity. Her most important achievements were in the field of tale and legend research. Her name is associated with the exploration of American legends, the organization of American legend research, and the establishment of its theoretical foundations.

Her works on the folklore of mass communication are particularly noteworthy. She maintained close personal and professional ties with our University and its Faculty of Humanities. As a guest professor, she regularly lectured in our Ethnography and American Studies programmes and contributed to our doctoral programmes as well.

In 2002, she was awarded the title of doctor honoris causa of the University of Debrecen.