Research Fellowships: Empires of Memory: The Cultural Politics of Historicity in Former Habsburg and Ottoman Cities

The Max-Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Göttingen 

Postdoctoral and Doctoral Research Fellowships

A new Research Group at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, under the direction of Dr. Jeremy F. Walton, seeks to appoint postdoctoral and doctoral research fellows with outstanding academic records. We welcome applicants from a variety of fields in the social sciences and humanities, including Anthropology, History, Sociology, Geography, Urban Studies, Art History, Architectural History, and Comparative Literature, to work on a collaborative, five-year research project titled “Empires of Memory: The Cultural Politics of Historicity in Former Habsburg and Ottoman Cities.” The overarching objective of our project is to examine the forms, textures, and effects of imperial memories in relation to contemporary urban culture and politics in six cities: Vienna, Istanbul, Budapest, Sarajevo, Trieste, and Thessaloniki. Fellows will be expected to pursue their own individual projects in light of the following set of broad research questions: In what forums, genres, and media—narrative, visual, architectural, scholarly, etc.—are memories of Habsburg and Ottoman pasts articulated and elaborated? How do imperial memories, both positive and negative, inform and underwrite contemporary projects of urban preservation and transformation? In what ways and contexts do the imperial pasts of cities link up with national and EU-wide political debates and projects? What frictions do narratives of imperial pasts provoke in contemporary political life? Finally, how do memories of empire inform the politics of nationalism and the nation-state in these various cities? We especially encourage applications from scholars with linguistic expertise pertinent to one or more of our six sites. Awards will be made on the basis of scholarly excellence and research promise.

The Institute operates in English and is located in the scenic university town of Göttingen. All research fellows in residence are expected to devote the majority of their time to their individual research projects, take leadership in organizing international conferences and other academic events, publish their work in leading academic venues, and participate fully in the intellectual life of the Institute. 

Postdoctoral fellows will be appointed for an initial period of two years, while doctoral fellows will be appointed for an initial period of three years. Compensation will be based on the German public service scale TVöD, level E 13 (50% for PhDs). The envisaged starting date is 1 May 2016.

The deadline for applications is 31 December 2015. Applications should include a cover letter, CV, writing sample, a brief research statement (approximately 1000 words), and the names and contact details of two academic referees. Applicants should also send a record of university diplomas and transcripts. Interviews for positions will occur via Skype in January 2016. 

The Max Planck Society wishes to increase the participation of women wherever they are underrepresented; therefore, applications from women are particularly welcome.

Following its commitment to an equal opportunities employment policy, the Max Planck Society also especially encourages persons with disabilities to submit applications.

Please submit your application electronically to jeremyfwalton@gmail.co