Herzog Ernst Fellowships
The programme aims at promoting academic research through the use of the resources of the Gotha Research Library and of the associated historical collection of the Justus Perthes Gotha Publishing House. Its academic orientation aims to continue the universal spirit of the library itself and its diverse resources. In this sense, the programme has an open thematic and disciplinary character. The holdings of the Thuringian State Archive of Gotha, which is located in the Perthes Forum, as well as collections held by the museums of the Friedenstein Castle Foundation can be included in the research project as well. Nevertheless, the following focal points are emphasised and applications should reflect the clear-cut fields of the Research Library:
- The ducal court in Gotha as an example for European court culture
- History of science and cultures of knowledge as global history, history of transfer and entangled history, 16th to 20th century
- History of European literature, particularly 16th to early 19th century
- History of publishing and the book trade
- The early Modern and 19th-century study of Classical religions, history of Protestantism and Islam
- Philosophy and history of the German and European Enlightenment
- Heterodoxy, dissidence and subversion
- History of the humanities, e.g. numismatics, Oriental studies, philology
- History of the natural science, e.g. alchemy, astronomy, physics and botany
- History of spatially-oriented disciplines, 16th to 20th century, e.g. ethnology, geology, geography and statistics
- History of cartography and imperial history
- Cartography and “critical geopolitics”
- History of objects and the historical study of material culture
- Collection and museum studies
The following fellowships are can be awarded for academic engagement with the resources held in Gotha:
- Herzog Ernst Fellowships for PhD students (€ 1,300 per month, plus a family allowance of € 100 per month if applicable) for periods of up to nine months;
- Herzog Ernst Fellowships for Postdocs (€ 1,800 per month, plus a family allowance of € 100 per month if applicable) for periods of up to six months;
Two short-term grants (3 months) from the "Thüringer Programm zur Förderung von Nachwuchswissenschaftlerinnen und Nachwuchskünstlerinnen" will also be awarded within the framework of this call for applications, including a staggered family allowance. Applications from qualified female academics (not only) with children are therefore particularly welcome.
In 2021, the University of Erfurt was once again awarded the berufundfamilie / family-friendly university audit certificate and was thus certified as being particularly family-friendly. If you have young children, we will happily assist in finding appropriate child care.
Depending on their focus, the fellows are connected to the Gotha Research Centre or to the Centre for Transcultural Studies / Perthes Collection. They join the academic community on the Gotha Research Campus, and present their projects to the public. In addition, they submit a short report on the findings gained from the Gotha collections after completing their studies. For the duration of the fellowship we expect you to reside in Gotha. Earliest starting date for a fellowship is 1 February 2025.
The programme is supported by the Ernst-Abbe-Stiftung and the Thüringer Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft und Digitale Gesellschaft.