Wolf Kittler's research interests are interdisciplinary. They include Western literature from Greek antiquity to the present, philosophy, art history, history of science, media technology and critical theory.

After studying German and Romance languages and literatures in Freiburg and Toulouse, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg in 1979. In 1986 he completed his Habilitation at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. He taught at that university as well as at the universities of Erlangen-Nürnberg and Munich.

Author of Der Turmbau zu Babel und das Schweigen der Sirenen. Über Das Reden, Das Schweigen, die Stimme und die Schrift in vier Texten von Franz Kafka (1985) and Die Geburt des Partisanen aus dem Geist der Poesie. Heinrich von Kleist und die Strategie der Befreiungskriege (1987). Together with Gerhard Neumann co-editor of Franz Kafka. Schriftverkehr (1990) and Franz Kafka. Drucke zu Lebzeiten. Kritische Kafka-Ausgabe, two volumes 1996.

Recent graduate courses included seminars on "Artificial Memories," "Mirror Stages," and "Masters of the Perverse."