Research Activities at the Faculty

Reports of the Institutes and Departments

Research Activities at the Faculty

Research and teaching at the Faculty of History, Art and Oriental Studies are linked with the

• Centre of East Central European History and Culture (GWZO) and the
• Simon Dubnow Institute of Jewish History and Culture at the University of Leipzig.

Research Profile

Research Profile

Research activities in the Faculty's departments include individual research projects by professors, the doctoral and postdoctoral projects they supervise, and interdisciplinary co-operation. The Faculty's profile is characterised by its combination of disciplines relating to history, the arts and area studies, together with manifold interconnections both within the Faculty and with other departments of the University, with affiliated institutions, Max Planck Institutes and other research centres in Germany and abroad. Its research has focused upon the historical dimensions of social processes and phenomena. Particular emphasis is placed on the study of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South and East Asia. Some of the departments concerned combine linguistic, literary, legal and economic research.

This report lists a wide variety of projects. Major interdisciplinary projects include the following:

• Collaborative Research Centre (Sonderforschungsbereich) 417: "Regionally-oriented Identification Processes. The Case of Saxony". Scientists of the Department of History are involved in projects A2, A3 and A5; scientific co-operation takes place with projects on theology, history, political science, educational, cultural studies, sociology and geography.
• Collaborative Research Centre (Sonderforschungsbereich) 1844: "Difference and Integration. Interaction between Nomadic and Settled Forms of Life in the Civilisations of the Old World". Preparation of a special research programme by the Universities of Halle-Wittenberg and Leipzig (Institute of Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Institute of Egyptology, Department of History and Institute of Oriental Studies).

Department of History

• The Department of History is participating in Collaborative Research Centre (Sonderforschungsbereich) 417: "Regionally-oriented Identification Processes. The Case of Saxony" with the projects A2 (Prof. H. Zwahr), A3 (Prof. U. v. Hehl/Prof. G. Heydemann) and A5 (Prof. S. Rieckhoff).
• Prof. C. Schubert (Ancient History): Tradition and flexibility – Roman government in Maghreb between settlement and nomadism
• Prof. U. von Hehl (Modern History): National Socialism and its political system; social and religious history of the GDR; the history of Catholicism; the history of science in the 18th and 19th centuries. Edition of sources on modern history
• Prof. G. Heydemann (Modern and Contemporary History):

• Empirical research on the comparison of the Nazi and SED dictatorships (several projects in co-operation with the Universities of Bremen and Hanover and Berlin Free University)
• Research on the process of revolution and transformation in the GDR 1989/90 (several projects in co-operation with the Universities of Erfurt and Rostock)
• Research on the cultural history of travelling to Italy from the late 17th to the early 20th century
• Under the guidance of Professors G. Heydemann and U. von Hehl, the Department of History is co-operating with the Hannah Arendt Institute, Dresden, in a project entitled "Saxony under Totalitarian Rule 1933– 1961" sponsored by the Volkswagen Foundation.

• Prof. W. Höpken (East and South-east European History):

• "South-east Europe as Part of European History" with funding under the DAAD special programme "Rebuilding Academic Structures in South-east Europe"
• "Protestantism of Minorities and Modernisation: Hungarian Protestantism 1887–1914" with funding from the Volkswagen Foundation

Institute of Egyptology

• Catalogue of Egyptian Collections in Leipzig
• German–Swiss excavations on Elephantine Island/Assuan (Egypt), in co-operation with the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo and the Swiss Archaeological Institute in Cairo

Institute of Ancient Near Eastern Studies

• Adoption in Ancient Mesopotamia: a study of the history of law and society (DFG/Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) – Prof. C. Wilcke and Dr E. Dombradi
• Old Babylonian Law of Litigation: an edition of Old Babylonian court documents – Dr E. Dombradi
• Difference and integration of Amorites: a study of social difference and integration of sedentary and migratory parts of the populace – Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) 1844: "Difference and Integration. Interaction between Nomadic and Settled Forms of Life in the Civilisations of the Old World" Prof. C. Wilcke, C. Dittrich, MA.
• Grasping the world mentally in the Ancient Near East – Colloquium 16–18 November 2000, sponsored by Gerda Henkel Foundation, Association of Supporters and Friends of the University of Leipzig (Vereinigung von Förderern und Freunden der Universität Leipzig e.V.), Centre for International Academic Exchange, Leipzig (Akademisches Begegnungszentrum Leipzig e.V.)

Institute of African Studies

African Languages and Literatures
(Prof. E. Wolff):

In September 2000 the section "African Languages and Literatures" held in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology (Prof. Comrie) an international symposium on "Areal Typology of West African Languages". The results are to be published shortly.

History and Culture in Africa
(Prof. A. Jones):

For many years, the section "History and Culture in Africa" has participated in interdisciplinary lecture series. Together with colleagues from the University of Rostock and the Humboldt University in Berlin, the section is involved in setting up a research group on "Transculturation: Mission and Modernity", in which international collaboration (especially with South African universities) is hoped for.

Economics, Politics and Society
(Prof. R. Kappel)

The following interdisciplinary topics were covered in collaboration within and outside the university:

• Colloquium on "Global Commodity Chains" (Prof. R. Kappel with Prof. J. Gertel, Institute of Oriental Studies)
• Research group on development theory: Prof. R. Kappel and Dr U. Engel in collaboration with colleagues from political science, history and Oriental studies (H. Elsenhans, P. Gaertner, J. Gertel, M. Riekenberg, H. Zinecker)
• Events, discussions and publication of a series entitled "d+dt – University of Leipzig Papers on Development and Development Theory"
• Memorandum proposing a new basis for German policy towards Africa, published by Dr U. Engel and Prof. R. Kappel together with S. Klingebiel (Bonn), S. Mair (Ebenhausen) and A. Mehler (Hamburg), S. Schmidt (Landau). The memorandum was discussed in public in Hamburg, Hanover and Berlin, as well as by all the political parties in the Bundestag (Germany's Lower House of Parliament) and several foundations and ministries.

Institute of Ethnology

Preparation of the special research programme "Difference and Integration. Interaction between Nomadic and Settled Forms of Life in the Civilisations of the Old World" by the Universities of Halle-Wittenberg and Leipzig – Prof. B. Streck (vice chairman), PD Dr A. Nippa

Institute of Indian and Central Asian Studies

• Work on an inventory of Nepalese documents (copper plates) (DFG)
• Research within the faculty on "Kingship and Holiness"
• Participation in the New Orissa Research Project (DFG)

Institute of Oriental Studies

• Morphological-syntactical investigations of Arabic based on original digitised sources – Prof. E. Schulz, Dr A. Shivtiel (Leeds University)
• Islamic Law of Inheritance in Arab Countries: Prof. H.-G. Ebert
• Food Security of Urban and Peri-urban Systems in Developing Countries: Prof. H.-G. Bohle (University of Heidelberg); Prof. J. Gertel; Said Samir (Roxy Research Centre, Cairo)
• Case Studies on Urban Agriculture: Prof. J. Gertel; Said Samir (Roxy Research Center, Cairo)

Institute of Classical Archaeology

• Prof. H.-U. Cain co-operates with scientists from various disciplines in the study of "Rule and Sacredness". In a lecture series during the summer semester 2000 and at the „Historikertag" (Historians' Conference) in Aachen on 27 September 2000, he gave a paper on "Emperor and God on Roman Fora".
• New non-destructive techniques such as X-ray fluorescence for the analysis of surfaces of various materials could be useful tools for determining the surface characteristics and chemical composition of ancient objects. Co-operation was established between the Institute of Classical Archaeology (Prof. H.-U. Cain and Dr H.-P. Müller) and the Institute of Analytical Chemistry (Prof. J. Broekaert, Dr N. Bings and Prof. W. Engewald).

Institute of Art History

• Research into culture and the nation in Bohemia – Prof. M. Marek.
• Co-operation with the GWZO: Prof. M. Marek was appointed project director/co-ordinator of the interdisciplinary research project "Cultural Diversity, National Identity and Modernisation in Metropolitan Cities in Eastern-Central Europe 1900–1930".

Institute of Art Education

• Basics for understanding and teaching historical and modern art within art education at schools – Prof. F. Schulz, Dr R. Meinel, Dr I. Seumel, J. Kirschenmann (Bad Homburg Gymnasium), B. Uhlig (University of Cologne), U. Bornemann (Bernburg Gymnasium), M. Fiebig (Neuseddin Gymnasium)
• Development of visually creative talents in ontogeny – Prof. F. Schulz, Dr I. Seumel, Institute students
• Possibilities and limitations of working with art therapy within art education at schools – Dr I. Seumel

Institute of Music Education

• Values and standards in music. The application of musicological and educational fundamentals in teaching
• Integrative music education. Emphasis on music reception
• Interrelation between music, literature and the arts
• Learning by doing. Ways of analysing music and musical forms

Institute of Theatre Research

• Theatre art in its variety of forms in theory, aesthetics and history.
• Theatrical forms of non-artistic reality, theatrical aspects of the history of culture and civilisation
• Theatre and anthropology
• Theatre and media; intermediality
• Dance research in theory, aesthetics and history (offered in co-operation with Leipzig Dance Archive
• Preparation for a research subproject entitled "Theatre and Gender Roles" under the project "Gender Relations and Gender Differences in the Political Order" at the Centre for Women and Gender Research at the University of Leipzig (in preparation)

Important events

Important events

The Saxon Academy of Sciences, Leipzig (Sächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Leipzig) gave the Friedrich Weller Award 2000 to Dr Sebastian Richter.

International Research Co-operation

International Research Co-operation

Department of History

Pre-history (Prof. S. Rieckhoff):
• Centre Archéologique Européen; SAEMN Mont BeuvraPartproject

Modern and Contemporary History (Prof. G. Heydemann):
• Universitá di Roma III/Istituto Storico degli Filosofici, Naples
• History Department of Ohio University Athens, USA

Comparative Historical Research and Spanish/Latin American History (Prof. M. Riekenberg):
• Participation in an international research team dealing with developments in North and South America during the 19th century in comparative perspective

Institute of African Studies

• SOCRATES:
  Exchange of students and lecturers, crash-courses, curricular development. The network includes universities in Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland (observer status), Portugal, Switzerland and the UK.
• AEGIS:
  The Africa–Europe Group of Interdisciplinary Studies (http://aegis.eu.org) is an open network of universities and research institutes within the European Union. All are interested in Africa from the viewpoint of the social sciences and humanities.
• East and Central Europe:
  In accordance with longstanding tradition the department continues to maintain partnerships with Warsaw, Prague, St. Petersburg and Moscow.
• Africa:
  Partnerships exist at university or departmental level with universities in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda and South Africa. Partnership with the University of Ghana is in preparation.

• Research collaboration by Prof. E. Wolff with Prof. A. Huskainen (Helsinki), Prof. J. Roux (Stellenbosch), and Profs. S. Bosch and D. Prinsloo (both Pretoria).
• Partners in South Africa: Prof. V. Webb (Pretoria), Prof. J. Roux (Stellenbosch) and Prof. N. Alexander (Cape Town).
• Stellenbosch: Visit by Prof. C. McCarthy (Dept. of Economics, University of Stellenbosch).

Institute of Indian and Central Asian Studies

• Legal Documents from Nepal – a project with the Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
• Mediaeval Indian Poetry – a project with the Universities of Prague and Milan
• Tibet Project – a project with the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna
• The National Library of Bhutan – a project with the government of Bhutan, the National Library of Bhutan and the Royal Library of Denmark
• Academy of Social Sciences, Lhasa, Tibet
• Mongolian State University of Ulan Bator

Institute of Oriental Studies

• Co-operation with universities and research institutes in Cairo (Egypt), Leeds (UK), Toronto (Canada), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
• Co-operation in translation training with institutes in: Cairo, Tangier (Morocco) and Bahrain (Dr. Matthias Kluge).

Institute for Religious Studies

• "Le Collège de Sociologie et la Science des Religions" – international project in co-operation with the Universities of Paris, Pisa, Rome, New York and Montreal – Prof. H. Seiwert.
• "Popular religious sects in early modern China" – joint research project with Professor Ma Xisha, Institute for World Religions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, sponsored by the Volkswagen Foundation – Prof. H. Seiwert.
• Special collection of pamphlets and journals published by religious minorities and new religions in Germany – project in co-operation with the Institute for the Study of American Religion (ISAR) in Santa Barbara (G. Melton) and the Institute for Religious Studies at Kokugakuin University in Tokyo (Prof. Abe).

Institute of Classical Archaeology

• Research project at Pompeii (Italy) – Dr F. Pirson, together with Dr J.-A. Dickmann (Munich University) and scientists from Italy, the UK, Austria and Germany
• In co-operation with two Russian archaeologists, Dr V. Mordvintseva and Dr M. Treister, PD Dr F. Fless is investigating the phenomena of acculturation in the Sarmatian culture.

Institute of Music Education

• Co-operation with the Institute for Integrative Music Pedagogy and Polyaesthetic Education" of the University Mozarteum, Salzburg.
• Co-operation with the "International Society for Polyaesthetic Education".

Institute of Theatre Research

• Member of the research group "Theatre Anthropology/Ethnoscenology" at the Maison de les sciences de l'homme, Paris, in co-operation with scientists from France, Italy, Austria – Prof. G. Baumbach.
• Membership in the European Network of Research and Documentation of Ancient Greek Drama – Prof. T. Girshausen.