Ongoing (Current) Projects

Research Group “Aschkenas in neuen Lebenswelten”  (Stephan Laux – Spokesperson)

[“Ashkenaz in New Living Worlds”]
On December 12, 2024, the German Research Foundation (DFG) approved the funding of the research group (FOR) 5663 “Ashkenaz in New Living Worlds. Actors, Practices, and Spaces in the Jewish History of Central Europe during the 15th and 16th Centuries”, based in Trier and led by Professor Dr. Stephan Laux (University of Trier), with a grant of approximately 2.5 million euros.
The project begins with the historical fact that from around 1390, Jews in Central Europe—known as Ashkenazim—were subject to widespread expulsions over a period of roughly 200 years. This era is now being examined over four years through six sub-projects from the disciplines of History, Jewish Studies, and Digital Humanities. Participating institutions include the Universities of Trier and Münster as well as the Ludwig Steinheim Institute in Essen. A second funding phase is planned. [more]

„Extra muros, intra muros“ (Stephan Laux)

As part of the research group “Aschkenas in neuen Lebenswelten” (see above), sub-project no. 3 addresses the question of the legal and practical conditions under which Jews were granted access to imperial and autonomous cities in the Holy Roman Empire after their expulsions in the late Middle Ages. Working title: “Extra muros, intra muros: Regulations of Jewish Access to Imperial and Autonomous Cities in the Early Modern Period between Norm and Practice”. Although the project must necessarily focus on a selected number of cities and apply varying degrees of empirical depth, it will be the first to attempt a systematic analysis of this topic. [more]

Paths to Democracy in Rhineland-Palatinate (Stephan Laux)

This compendium includes 50 biographical texts on individuals who contributed in various ways to the democratic development of the historical predecessor states of what is now Rhineland-Palatinate. The time frame spans roughly 100 years, from 1750 to 1850, a period defined in the title as “Enlightenment and Early Liberalism 1750–1850”—a transitional phase in the emergence of modern liberalism. The volume is intended as the first in a two- or three-part series on the democratic history of Rhineland-Palatinate and is funded by the Historical Commission for the History of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate. [more]

Collapse of the Walls and Modernity: The Dismantling of City Fortifications in the 19th Century (Stephan Laux)

In the 19th century—especially during its second half—a large number of German cities dismantled their fortifications, primarily city walls and gates. This transformation represents a significant—perhaps the most significant—“change in form” (W. Conze) in the history of urban development. It had concrete implications in urban planning, infrastructure, law, and notably, in social structures. The often-controversial perception of these sweeping changes reflects the ways in which actors and local publics understood both the past and the future. [more]