Dr. Alina Laura Tiews has been granted a fellowship of the
Leibniz Research Alliance 'Historical Authenticity': From January 2018 on, she will spend three months as a fellow at the
Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung (ZZF) in Potsdam.
The
Leibniz Research Alliance Historical Authenticity had invited applications for up to four Leibniz Fellowships "Historical Authenticity" for the academic year 2018. These one to three-month fellowships provide an opportunity to research in the alliance's research field and its main topics in cooperation with one of the participating institutions.
The work of the
Leibniz Research Alliance Historical Authenticity is based on the observation that society's engagement with the past is increasingly determined by a striving for historical authenticity. The value placed on "tradition", "contemporary witnesses", "authentic locations" and "authentic objects" reflects a new desire for historical experience. These subject- and object-related claims of authenticity are accompanied by a desire for things regarded as "genuine", with a wish to reconstruct or preserve the "true" and "original". The research alliance seeks to explore how contemporary conceptions of authenticity affect the way we deal with our cultural heritage by examining the reconstruction and conservation of historical artefacts, by studying the function of language as a cultural repository and instrument, by tracing the development of school textbooks and maps, and looking at the conception of museums, archives, monuments and memorial sites. In four main topics, the research alliance will examine how the discourse on authenticity has changed over the centuries, how museums identify, (de)construct and communicate authenticity, and look at the role of authenticity in constructions of space, as well as in political conflicts and power relationships.
The Leibniz Research Alliance Historical Authenticity includes historical, educational, social sciences and spatial research institutes as well as research museums. It spans a wide range of disciplines from cultural studies to science and technology. Nineteen Leibniz institutes and four external partners are currently involved.
The fellowships are intended to promote academic research that fit into the alliance's research profile. Fellowship holders can, for example, use the stipend to research in the field of the alliance's research areas, to develop a research project in cooperation with the host institution or to write an article or chapter of a book. The project should be presented in a seminar or colloquium or at one of the alliance's meetings. Applicants must have a PhD and an outstanding academic record. Holders of Leibniz Research Alliance Fellowships receive a monthly grant of 2,000 EUR. The funding should cover all expenses including travel, housing, and insurance.
The host institutes will provide office space and other relevant research facilities where possible.
