In the summer semester of 2021, the Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies at the University of Erfurt will once again welcome numerous new researchers from Germany and abroad.
The research group „Religion and Urbanity: Reciprocal Formations“, which focuses on India, welcomes the new coordinator Dr Klara-Maeve O’Reilly (Dublin/Görlitz) this semester. In addition, the following new fellows are welcomed: Professor Konstantin Akinsha (Italy), who will come to Erfurt again to work on the topic „Writing the 5th Gospel“; Professor Meera Dass (India), who will work on the topic „Through the Pillar: Religion and Urbanity of Besnagar 2nd century BCE to 7th century CE“, and Professor Cristiana Facchini (Italy), who is continuing her project „As a nautilus shell… Religious Diversity and Urbanity. An historical journey“. Dr. Francesca Fulminante (UK) will discuss her project on „Religion and Urbanity in its Formation: A case study from Early Rome and Central Italy“ in the collegiate research group. Professor Nimrod Luz (Israel) is investigating „The Infrastructures of Religiocity in Acre. Materialities of Faiths and their Politics in a Mixed Israeli City“. Dr Harry Maier (Canada) is working on „Practising the City: Spatial Imagination, Imperial Location, and Reciprocal Processes of Urban Transformation in Second Century Christianity“. And Professor Joachim Trezib (Germany) is investigating „Spatial formations of ‚Geist‘: Edgar Salin’s nomological concept of statehood and its relationship to the circle of Stefan George“.
The group „Social Theory and Social Philosophy“ welcomes the Predocs Heinrich Hofer and Steven Sello, who want to develop initial ideas for doctoral projects into an exposé within the framework of their Predoc fellowship. Associate Junior Fellow Dr Moritz von Kalckreuth is researching „On the interdisciplinary and inner-philosophical justification of a philosophy of values“. Associate Fellow Dr Christoph Baumgartner (Netherlands) is coming for another short stay to work on „Civil Relations under Conditions of Religious Diversity“.
In the International Graduate School „Resonant Self-World Relations in Ancient and Modern Socio-Religious Practices“, which is carried out in cooperation with the University of Graz, the doctoral student Seraphim Schirrmacher was associated, who will work on the topic „Music Lessons as a Space for Resonance in School?
The new special research area Transregio 294 „Strukturwandel des Eigentums“ is conducting research in cooperation with colleagues from Jena. In this context, we welcome Dr. Stefan Schmalz as Junior Research Team Leader as well as the Junior Researchers Jing Cheng, Helen A. Gibson, Sanjay Jothe, Ling Li, Anna Möllers, Moana Jean Packo, Varun Patil and Dirk Schuck. Maria Dell’Isola, Sofia Bianchi Manchini and Asfia Jamal will join them in the course of the summer semester.
The director of the Max-Weber-Kolleg, Hartmut Rosa, is pleased about the newcomers from Germany and abroad and emphasises: „On the one hand, we are happy to be able to offer the young researchers a great research environment and exciting contact persons thanks to the many experienced fellows at the Max-Weber-Kolleg, and on the other hand, we have made the experience that our fellows learn a lot from the young researchers. All the more reason for us to look forward to joint research and learning processes.“