History Department
The University of Trier’s History Department is set up in a complementary fashion, both with regard to content and chronology. With its ten full professorships it is a highly dynamic and internationally visible research unit, conducting a wide range of interdisciplinary research projects. In teaching, it has been equally successful, offering lectures, seminars at various levels, and various other types of courses including small-group tutorials. The research-oriented study program strives for excellence and is guided by innovative teaching methods.
With regard to doctoral education the history department offers a structured program “PROMT” for all doctoral students enrolled in history. In addition, the University of Trier is the host institution for an International Research Training Group focusing on “Diversity: Mediating Difference in Transcultural Spaces”. In cooperation with the Université de Montréal and Universität des Saarlandes the DFG-funded doctoral program offers 20 doctoral fellowships every three years.
Ancient History
At the University of Trier, Ancient History - represented by three professorships: Prof. Dr. Christoph Schäfer, Prof. Dr. Frank Daubner and JProf. Dr. Pascal Warnking - deals with the broad temporal and spatial horizon of the Greek, Hellenistic and Roman eras. Geographically, from a social and cultural historical perspective, it focuses on the Eastern Mediterranean under Greek and Roman influence and the Latin West of the Imperium Romanum. The junior professorship has a focus on maritime antiquity. In terms of methodology, Ancient History is strongly engaged in the fields of experimental archeology and digital humanities. The latter constitutes a strong link between all historical epochs and historical sub-disciplines of the University of Trier’s history department. Institutionally, the section of Ancient History closely collaborates with the “Center for Ancient Studies Trier” (ZAT) and the “Research Center Greco-Roman Egypt”. It thus plays a crucial role in the integration of the so-called ‘small disciplines’ (Archeology, Egyptology, and Papyrology) within the larger context of historical research in Trier.
Medieval History
Medieval History covers the period between 500 and 1500 with a special emphasis on Europe and the Mediterranean. Research and teaching concentrate on the history of entanglements and cultural transfers, as well as processes of spatial and cultural differentiation and demarcation.
The sub-discipline of Medieval History is represented by a professorship for Medieval History (Prof. Petra Schulte) and a second for Medieval History and Ancillary Sciences of History (Prof. Lukas Clemens). Both focus on how - after the collapse and dissolution of the Roman Empire - new cultural spaces with distinct political, economic, social, religious and ideational characteristics and qualities were formed. Particular attention will be paid to the origins and influences of moral and social conventions in the wide range of intellectual history (Prof. Schulte) and questions of inter-religious relations and interactions (Prof. Clemens).
Early Modern History
Both professorships in the department focus on the period from the late 15th to the mid-19th century. The Chair of Early Modern History (Prof. Dr. Damien Tricoire) is dedicated to researching and imparting knowledge about European and colonial societies from the late 15th to the 19th century. Particular focuses are on the history of European expansion, transculturality, slavery and racism; the political role of religion; the history of the public, ideas and intellectuals; the role of the high nobility and class social structures. For historical regional studies (Prof. Dr. Stephan Laux), the geographical focus is on the greater Rhine-Meuse-Moselle area and the Saar-Lor-Lux border region. The methodological interest lies in specific regional and local phenomena from a comparative socio-historical perspective. The professorship is an important link in the cooperation between the history department and archives, libraries and museums in the city and the state.
Modern and Contemporary History
Modern and Contemporary History has three professorships and covers the period since 1800 with a focus on Europe and its global connections. In terms of content, it is characterized by the embedding of local or national topics in their international contexts and thus by multi-perspectivity, comparative analysis and transfer history. The Professorship of Modern History (N.N., formerly Prof. Dr. Christian Jansen) primarily deals with the history of “Germany” and Italy between 1750 and 1950. The Professorship of Modern History (N.N., formerly Prof. Dr. Sonja Levsen) covers the The field of recent European history with a focus on the history of the 20th century. In addition, there is a senior research professorship in the department (Prof. Dr. Lutz Raphael).
The research and documentation center SEAL (Structures and Memory. Applied History and Digital Teaching) is located in the specialist section (Dr. Thomas Grotum, Dr. Lena Haase and Prof. Dr. Lutz Raphael).
International History
The Professorship for International History of the 19th and 20th Century (Prof. Dr. Ursula Lehmkuhl) deals with the history of North America and Asia from a colonial, environmental and migration history perspective.
Digital historical heritage
The task of the cross-sectional professorship of Digital Historical Heritage is to research and develop new digital methods at the intersection between historical, art historical and archaeological subjects and computer science and their representation in teaching (Prof. Dr. Leif Scheuermann). The aim is to work on historical, art historical and archaeological questions in the analytical combination of analogue tradition with digital methods and to develop tools, with a central focus on spatial analysis and the use of simulation systems in historical sciences.
Didactic of Social Science
The history department shares another professorship with the political science department. The Professorship for Didactics of the Social Sciences (Prof. Dr. Matthias Busch) offers optimal conditions and opportunities to benefit from the practical experience of the lecturers who are active in school. In addition, teacher training students in Trier acquire additional didactic knowledge and skills explicitly tailored to history and social studies through the courses offered by the Professorship for Didactics of Social Sciences.