Abt. Geschichtswissenschaft

Transatlantic PhD Workshop in History at the University of Notre Dame: The first trilateral edition of a longstanding academic exchange

2025-07-02T00:00:00+02:00

Group portrait at the Hancock Tower in Chicago. L to R: Volodymyr Sklokin (UCU), Victoria Basulto, Marirose Osborne, Svitlana Tryhub (UCU), Wenzheng Fang, Tamila Heptinh (UCU), Gion Wallmeyer (Bielefeld), Alexander Martin, Jakob Krusche (Bielefeld), Frank Grüner (Bielefeld), Marthe Becker (Bielefeld), Malte Speich (Bielefeld).

The first trilateral edition of a longstanding academic exchange

As the Spring 2025 semester drew to a close, the History Department at the University of Notre Dame hosted the Transatlantic Workshop by welcoming professors, postdoctoral researchers, PhD candidates, and graduate students from institutional counterparts in Germany and Ukraine. Generous funding from the Nanovic Institute and the History Department made the workshop possible. While the workshop follows a tradition of academic exchange with Bielefeld University since 2010, this year’s iteration welcomed, for the first time, participants from the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv. All of this to promote academic exchange and professional networking between Notre Dame’s sister institutions, organized by Professor Alexander Martin and his Bielefeld colleagues, Bettina Brandt and Professor Frank Grüner.

Beneficial interdisciplinary dialogue between peers

Over the course of four days, from May 2 to May 5, thirteen PhD candidates and graduate students from all three universities presented and workshopped research papers within seven sessions, including two lectures on current research projects by Professor Volodymyr Sklokin (UCU) and postdoctoral researcher Gion Wallmeyer (Bielefeld). Topics ranged from ancient and medieval histories to contemporary history, shedding new light on actors and historical events from the Roman and Hellenistic empires, Eastern European borderlands, and historical processes in the Americas from the early colonial period to the 20th century. By employing diverse analytical lenses from various fields, such as environmental, gender, religious, and borderlands history, as well as perspectives from law, warfare, the arts, and violence studies, participants’ papers provided each other with a fruitful space to give and receive feedback. The resulting thematical variety encompassed research projects on the socio-political status of an ethnographer in late antiquity, on similarities between Basilian iconographies and their devout in eighteenth century Ruthenia, as well as on the role of the kudzu vine in the US state of Georgia, from a profitable soil-rescuing and aesthetic plant to an invasive non-indigenous weed in the mid twentieth century.

The subject-specific depth and thematic range of the contributions discussed, as well as the dialogue between three academic cultures and different disciplinary approaches, was perceived by the participants as very beneficial for their work, as Nataliia Fedyshyn, a PhD candidate in History at UCU summarized: “The workshop offered a valuable opportunity to reflect on how my research, rooted in Ukrainian material, resonates within broader historiographical and methodological discussions. It was especially helpful to hear feedback on the clarity of my research question and the relevance of my methodological approach from colleagues with diverse academic backgrounds.” In particular, the underlying idea of the workshop format—dedicating a whole session to each participant’s research and having a designated discussant open the dialogue with individuals providing perspectives from different academic career levels—ensured a constructive working atmosphere, which both organizers and participants perceived as mutually beneficial. Additionally, Marthe Becker, a PhD candidate at Bielefeld and participant of previous Transatlantic Workshops, felt that the extension of this year’s edition to three universities was an enriching asset. Marirose Osborne, a rising second-year PhD student at Notre Dame, also agreed with this, adding: “It gave me an opportunity to learn a lot—both about advanced degree programs in Germany and Ukraine, and about life as an advanced PhD student at Notre Dame.”

Beyond the program and scheduled activities, the visiting participants had the opportunity to engage with Notre-Dame-based scholars in their respective fields and gain insight into the US university system and life on campus by conversing with their peers between workshop sessions. These discussions were facilitated by time away from a strictly academic setting during lunch at the South and North dining halls on campus, as well as during a guided tour where participants were introduced to Notre Dame’s history by the current Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of History, Alex Martin.

Exploring new sites and learning about the global within local history

As part of the workshop experience, participants had the opportunity to take a day trip to Chicago, allowing them to gain insights into the Midwest’s geographic and environmental characteristics, as well as its historical development from the onset of French and British colonization. They learned about Chicago’s rapid ascent as a juncture of national commodity transport flows between the East and West coasts during the nineteenth century, and the role of industrial growth and decline in key cities like Gary and South Bend. In Chicago, the participants visited one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic houses, currently located within the University of Chicago Campus, a milestone in global architectural history. The participants traced the city’s status as an international hub for urban development from above, admiring the skyline and the shores of Lake Michigan from the Hancock Tower in downtown Chicago. The tour concluded with a meal at a local restaurant and a short stroll through Millennium Park.

The 2025 edition of the Transatlantic Workshop ended with a visit to South Bend’s The History Museum and the Oliver Mansion, where participants learned about the lifestyle of the city’s industrial aristocracy dating to the late 19th century. Many students found this introduction to South Bend’s local history instructive for their understanding of the city’s development beyond the Notre Dame campus. For example, Wenzheng Fang, a PhD candidate at Notre Dame, said about the experience of learning about South Bend’s history: “Having been to the Bielefeld side of the workshop, I did not expect the experience of the workshop in my home department to match the excitement of visiting another country, but it did!...I also, surprisingly, got more interested in the local history of The Oliver Plow Works as an agricultural historian through our well-organized excursion!”

The workshop concluded with many heartfelt and collegial goodbyes with local Irish food, music, and conversation at Fiddler’s Hearth in downtown South Bend. This included a productive exchange of ideas, feedback, and networking among graduate students from Bielefeld, Lviv, and Notre Dame, fostering professional relationships among historians at different stages of their academic careers. Many participants expressed in their reflections how they will carry forward what they learned at the workshop as they complete their studies in the coming years, especially as it served as an instructive experience for younger academics on what it takes to set up functional international cooperation with colleagues from around the world.

By Jakob Krusche and Victoria Basulto

Change. Momentum of its own in pre-modern Latin America (19/20th October)

2023-10-16T15:23:46+02:00

On October 19-20th, 2023, the Faculty of History, Philosophy and Theology with the Center for InterAmerican Studies (CIAS), will organize a conference on "Change. Momentum of its own in pre-modern Latin America". With this we would like to explore two theses:

First, we assume that pre-modern socities share common structural elements that continued to represent drivers of change. To capture this, we adapt the theoretical concept of 'momentum of its own' ('Eigendynamik') or 'inherent dynamism' for our period of investigation.
Second, we postulate that such a momentum was inherent in many pre-modern socities. In this way, we question the wide-spread and politically relevant view that, in the pre-modern period, there were fundamental differences in the aiffinity for change in one region of the world or another.

Further on, we would like to stimulate research towards a change of perspective: It is less a development converging over centuries culminating in the present that emerges then. Rather in pre-modern socities similar impulses for chang eseem to be detectable, which first of all further shaped the structres of these socities themselves.

Updated detailed program will be published soon, so stayed tuned.

The program is also published under: https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/einrichtungen/cias/veranstaltungen/Flyer_Change_04_2023_08_23-[2150].pdf

Guests are very welcome, for mandatory registration please contact: premodern-momentum@uni-bielefeld.de

If you want to participate via Zoom, use the following login details:

Meeting-ID: 630 8531 2136

Password: 058441

Conference on 19-20th October 2023 at University Bielefeld, room X-A2-103.

Organizers: Franz-Josef Arlinghaus, Eleonora Rohland and Andreas Rüther

Conference: Change. Momentum of its own in pre-modern Latin America

2023-07-17T14:16:34+02:00

First, we assume that pre-modern socities share common structural elements that continued to represent drivers of change. To capture this, we adapt the theoretical concept of 'momentum of its own' ('Eigendynamik') or 'inherent dynamism' for our period of investigation.
Second, we postulate that such a momentum was inherent in many pre-modern socities. In this way, we question the wide-spread and politically relevant view that, in the pre-modern period, there were fundamental differences in the aiffinity for change in one region of the world or another.

Updated detailed program will be published soon, so stayed tuned.

The program is also published under: https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/einrichtungen/cias/veranstaltungen/Flyer_Change_04_2023_08_23-[2150].pdf

Guests are very welcome, for mandatory registration please contact: premodern-momentum@uni-bielefeld.de

If you want to participate via Zoom, use the following login details:

Meeting-ID: 630 8531 2136

Password: 058441

Conference on 19-20th October 2023 at University Bielefeld, room X-A2-103.

Organizers: Franz-Josef Arlinghaus, Eleonora Rohland and Andreas Rüther

Bericht online: Transatlantic Workshop Notre Dame/Bielefeld 2022

2022-10-21T07:00:00+02:00

Vom 13. bis 16. Mai 2022 hat an der Universität Bielefeld der „Transatlantic Workshop Notre Dame/Bielefeld“ stattgefunden. Drei Teilnehmer*innen, alle Promovierende des Department of History der University of Notre Dame, Indiana/USA, haben dazu einen Bericht verfasst, der nun veröffentlicht wurde.

Seit 2010 bietet die Kooperation der Historiker*innen beider Partneruniversitäten Notre Dame und Bielefeld Promovierenden die Möglichkeit, sich im Rahmen eines theorie- und methodenorientierten Workshops über ihre Dissertationsprojekte auszutauschen. Auch Promovierende des SFB 1288 nehmen an dem Programm teil.

Der Workshop findet jährlich alternierend in Bielefeld und an der University of Notre Dame statt. Promovierende profitieren von den Perspektiven der Peers und der Professor*innen der Partneruniversitäten in Deutschland und in den USA, schreiben und diskutieren Research Paper und erleben die akademische Atmosphäre und den Alltag des Gastlandes. Der nächste Workshop findet vom 04. bis 09. Mai 2023 an der University of Notre Dame statt.

Workshop: Heimat Praktiken 19. - 20. Mai 2022 Stadtarchiv Dresden

2022-05-17T12:40:07+02:00

Workshop: Heimat Praktiken

19. - 20. Mai 2022 Stadtarchiv Dresden

Aneignungsformen und alltägliche Konstruktionen von Heimat in historischer Perspektive

Die Auseinandersetzung mit Heimat hat gegenwärtig nicht allein Konjunktur, sie ist fast zu einer Art Dauerbrenner avanciert. Dies betrifft tagesaktuelle Debatten ebenso wie die Auseinandersetzung in zahlreichen kultur- und geisteswissenschaftlichen Disziplinen. Die
geschichtswissenschaftliche Perspektive hat sich dabei vorwiegend auf die Begriffs- und Ideengeschichte sowie die institutionalisierte Heimatbewegung gerichtet. Anders als in soziologischen und kulturanthropologischen Forschungsarbeiten wurde der praxeologischen Dimension von Heimat und deren Wechselwirkungen mit den
gesellschaftlich jeweils wirkmächtigen Heimatvorstellungen
weit weniger Beachtung zuteil.

Angesichts dieses Befunds rückt der Workshop Heimat-Praktiken in den Fokus und nähert sich deren Analyse
aus zweifacher Richtung: Zum einen werden die theoretischen Implikationen, methodischen Herausforderungen
und interdisziplinären Möglichkeiten einer praxeologischen Erforschung von Heimat problematisiert.
Zum anderen werden Untersuchungen zu empirischen Fallbeispielen zur Diskussion gestellt, wobei der zeitliche Schwerpunkt auf dem 19. und 20. Jahrhundert liegt. Ein solches Vorgehen verspricht Klärung darüber, welche historischen Phänomene sich unter dem Begriff „Heimat-
Praktiken“ subsumieren und wie sie sich erforschen lassen.

Flyer.pdf

Workshop: Momentum of its own Inherent Dynamism in Pre-Modern Societies

2020-09-24T12:20:14+02:00

Momentum of its own Inherent Dynamism in Pre-Modern Societies

28.-30. Jan. 2021 | ZiF

Convenors:
Franz-Josef Arlinghaus (Bielefeld), Jörg Quenzer (Hamburg), Andreas Rüther (Bielefeld)

Programm

International PhD Conference in History Lund - York - Bielefeld 2019

2019-06-12T13:42:38+02:00

11^th - 13^th June 2019 | Bielefeld University | X-B2-103

Schedule

6.-8.12.18 Tagung: Bedingungen möglicher Geschichten. Die Vielfalt Reinhart Kosellecks

2018-11-12T13:02:02+01:00

Vom 6.-8. Dezember 2018 findet im ZiF der Universität Bielefeld die Tagung "Bedingungen möglicher Geschichten. Die Vielfalt Reinhart Kosellecks" statt.

Das Programm dazu kann man hier finden.

21.11.2018 Informationsveranstaltung: ERASMUS - Auslandssemester Geschichtswissenschaft und Philosophie

2018-11-09T11:05:13+01:00

21.11.2018 | 16-18 Uhr | X-B2-103

- Informationen des International Office zum ERASMUS+ Programm
- Informationen der ERASMUS-Programmbeauftragten der Abteilungen Geschichte & Philosophie über Partneruniversitäten und Bewerbungsmodalitäten
- Erfahrungsberichte von ERASMUS-Studierenden

Weitere Informationen gibt es hier (PDF)

8./9.11.2018 Workshop: Handlungsakte. Mediale Formen von Anleitungen in den Künsten.

2018-11-02T11:14:08+01:00

08. - 09.10.2018 | X-A4-113

‚Anleitungen‘ adressieren in den unterschiedlichen zeitlichen, kulturellen und technischen Zusammenhängen eine Praxis, die im Sinne einer ‚Gebrauchsanweisung‘ die Handhabung von Dingen und/oder Abläufen leitet. Einerseits realisieren sich Anleitungen in unterschiedlichen Medien, andererseits produzieren wiederum verschiedene Medien auch jeweils spezifische Formen von Anleitungen. In diesen Formationsverfahren entsteht zwischen Ding und Mensch ein wechselseitig konstituierendes Verweisungsverhältnis.

Anleitungen, verstanden als Handlungspraktiken, sind bislang nur wenig kulturhistorisch und -theoretisch bearbeitet worden. Der zweitägige Workshop fragt nach medialen Erscheinungsformen von Anleitungsformaten. Referierende aus der Kunstgeschichte, sowie der Bild- und Medienwissenschaften diskutieren dabei, welchen Stellenwert Anleitungen in den Künsten zu verschiedenen Zeiten und Epochen einnehmen und wie diese letztlich unterschiedliche Handlungen oder Betrachtungsweisen formieren. Der historische sowie mediale Wandel von Anleitungen und wie sie Praktiken in Routinen überführen können, bildet den Rahmen des bildwissenschaftlich/kunstgeschichtlich ausgerichteten Workshops.

Um eine kurze Anmeldung per E-Mail wird gebeten:
veronica.peselmann@uni-bielefeld.de

Flyer

Plakat

Bild-Vergleiche. Formen, Funktionen und Grenzen des Vergleichens von Bildern

2018-11-02T11:09:35+01:00

Das vergleichende Sehen prägt die Rezeption vieler Ausstellungen. Auch die kuratorische Praxis selbst besteht in der Regie einer Vielzahl von Vergleichen. Was sind Formen, Voraussetzungen und Grenzen des Vergleichens, die in Ausstellungen wirksam werden, etwa durch die Auswahl der Exponate, deren räumliche Anordnung den Einsatz von Zeigemedien und Paratexten?

Mit dem Fokus auf Praktiken des Vergleichens werden auch die Materialität und der situative Kontext der Ausstellung in ihrer Wirkmacht deutlich - Faktoren, welche das vergleichende Sehen beeinflussen. Im Zentrum der Tagung stehen die Varianz und der Wandel der Praktiken des Vergleichens in Hinblick auf die Historizität von Ausstellungen, die verschiedenen Objekte und die Zuordnung zu Disziplinen und Institutionen.

Neben Vorträgen und Diskussionen werden innerhalb der 'Ortsbegehungen' von Ausstellungen in verschiedenen Bielefelder Institutionen kuratorische Mikrosituationen und die damit verbundenen Praktiken des Vergleichens vorgestellt.

15. -17. November 2018

The 9th International PhD Student Exchange Workshop Notre Dame / Bielefeld will take place from 19 until 24 May 2018 at Bielefeld University

2018-05-15T15:31:41+02:00

The workshop is part of the cooperation between the Department of History at Bielefeld University, the BGHS and the Department of History at the University of Notre Dame du Lac/Indiana, USA. It aims at bringing together PhD students for a transatlantic conversation about their dissertation projects. A particular importance is given to theories and methods in historical research. The participants write and exchange research papers in advance. The focus is on a detailed commentary by a colleague from the partner university and a plenary discussion.

The workshop is taking place every year and is hosted by both partners in turn. The PhD students usually take part in the workshop twice, once in Bielefeld and once at Notre Dame, thus having the chance to discuss the progress of their projects and to deepen personal contacts.

Program

C04 Workshop: "Practices of Comparing and Narrating in Sciences"

2018-03-29T11:06:12+02:00

Subproject C04 organizes an international workshop to open up a debate on the functions of comparison for a closer look at narratives and narrative insights into the history of science. To illustrate the great variety of their functions, the case studies during the workshop will explore epistemic strategies and narrating structures in comparative arrangements.

Detailed Programme (PDF)

Poster (PDF)

Project description of C04

23.03.2018 Workshop: Geschichtswissenschaftliches Schreiben lehren? Studierende bei der Entwicklung fachspezifischer Schreibkompetenz unterstützen

2018-03-19T10:50:08+01:00

23. März 2018, 9.00-17.45 Uhr, X A2 103

Der Workshop bietet Historiker/innen, die sich für eine geschichtsspezifische Schreibdidaktik interessieren bzw. erfolgversprechende schreibdidaktische Elemente in ihre geschichtsspezifischen Lehrveranstaltungen einbauen wollen, die Gelegenheit zum Austausch. Im kollegialen Rahmen werden Aufgabenstellungen und Lehrmethoden vorgestellt, erprobt und reflektiert.
Programm abrufbar unter: https://www.hsozkult.de/event/id/termine-36676

International kickoff conference "Practices of Comparing: Ordering and Changing the World"

2017-09-28T13:04:06+02:00

Programme (PDF)

8. International PhD Student Workshop Exchange

2017-05-16T12:01:10+02:00

From 4-8 May 2017 the 8th International PhD Student Exchange Workshop Bielefeld/Notre Dame took place at the University of Notre Dame. The emphasis of the workshop is on research papers which may address a chapter or the analytical design of the dissertation project. At the workshop, each participant is both getting an intensive feedback by a discussant from the partner university and acting as a discussant for a colleague's paper. The workshop is taking place every year since 2010 and is hosted by both partners in turn.

Program