The journal Italienisch was founded in 1979 by Arno Euler and Salvatore A. Sanna on behalf of the Fachverband Italienisch in Wissenschaft and Unterricht and came to be the first scientific periodical in Germany which exclusively concentrated an Italian language and literature. The journal is addressed to university professors, lecturers, teachers and students of Italian as well as to all those who are interested in Italy.

Italienisch presents contemporary Italian authors by means of interviews and previously unpublished primary texts. To mention only a few of those authors that appeared in the last issues: Leonardo Sciascia and Gesualdo Bufalino Luigi Malerba and Vincenzo Consolo, Luciano De Crescenzo, Susanna Tamaro, Andrea De Carlo, Umberto Eco and Ermanno Cavazzoni.

Italienisch also contains essays an Italian literature (primarily 19th and 20th centuries), articles on linguistics and on Italian civilisation. Some essays are focused an italo-german topics (such as literature concerning travelling and emigration), others on current political issues.

The "Biblioteca poetica" deals with selected pieces of Italian poetry and their interpretation and translation into German.

The section "Zur Praxis des Italienischunterrichts" analyzes theoretical Problemens regarding the methodology of language teaching and offers propositions for working with primary texte in class. "Sprachecke Italienisch" discusses current issues of the Italian language

Book reviews, bibliographies (e.g. "Informazione bibliografica per l'insegnante d'italiano") and announcements aim at giving information for further studie and encouraging scientific exchange among universities and professors, lecturers and students of ltalian. In every issue there is a list of all current university courses dealing with Italian topics offered in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.