Recruiting Organisation: University of Bamberg (UNI BA)

We are offering a 3-year PhD position with a generous research allowance in an international, multi-partner EU project. This subproject will use a wide literary corpus, including medieval German courtly romances, hagiography, chronicles, and small epics, to examine (recurring) stories of healing featuring female characters. It will explore rituals of female healing and their narrativisation. Female healers’ portrayal and staging in relation to genre will also be examined. Additionally, this subproject will delve into the transmission history of recurring stories, exploring how characterology differs from one story’s retelling to another and how episodes with female healers are incorporated into manuscript collections, such as the Leipzig Small Epic Manuscript Ms. 1279 (15^th c.).

The successful candidate will be employed at UNI BA and enrolled in the Centre for Medieval Studies. The training includes a three-month academic secondment at Cardiff University and a one-month non-academic secondment at the National German Museum in Nuremberg. At UNI BA the PhD candidate will work under the supervision of Gesine Mierke while Shaun Tougher will act as a supervisor at Cardiff University.

Objectives

Fellow 4 will aim at achieving the following results: (1) offer the first comprehensive examination of women healers in medieval German literature; (2) illuminate gendered generic conventions; (3) work towards establishing the textual transmission and reception history of popular healing stories.

Specific Requirements

A Master’s Degree in Medieval German Literature, Medieval Studies, German or Cultural Studies, Comparative literature and an in-depth knowledge of the historical language levels (Old, Middle, and Early Modern High German) are required. Candidates holding a Master’s degree in another field should prove that their competence in medieval culture and medieval German literature is equivalent.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

UNI BA promotes professional equality between women and men. We endeavour to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching and therefore strongly encourage suitably qualified women to apply. Severely disabled applicants will be given preferential consideration if they are otherwise equally qualified.

UNI BA has been certified by the Hertie Foundation as a family-friendly university. It is particularly committed to the compatibility of family and working life.

Main Training Activities Specific to the Project

• Induction Week (University of Cyprus; UCY)
• Training in Critical Discourse Analysis (Lund University)
• Training in Narrative and in Literary Criticism (UCY)
• Training in Intersectionality, Sexuality, and Gender (UCY)
• Summer School (University of Bamberg)
• Training in Obtaining Funding in Project Management (online)
• Training in Entrepreneurship (online)
• Training in Publishing Industry (Bamberg State Library)

Expectations

The PhD candidate will fulfil the requirements of the PhD programme (Bamberger Graduiertenschule für Mittelalterstudien (BaGraMS), https://www.uni-bamberg.de/bagrams/), lead their research under the guidance of the supervisors and present their work at international conferences, in accordance with the consortium’s communication and dissemination plan. Furthermore, they will cooperate with other fellow PhD students to fulfill the StoryPharm’s training and other objectives. Participation in StoryPharm’s training and other activities is compulsory. The PhD thesis can be written in German or English.

Salary

The successfull candidate will be employed full-time. The gross salary before taxes will be €3,342.20/month plus mobility allowance (€600) and, only if applicable, family allowance (€495).

The Application

The application package should contain a short document (max 2 pages) describing how candidates would approach the research. This is a crucial part of the evaluation as it is meant to reflect writing ability, creativity and grasp of theory and research. It is therefore crucial that candidates make their best effort toward making the document reflective of their true abilities.

When composing the text regarding the project, candidates may wish to consider:

• What is the relationship between literature and medicine? What about the function of literature as medicine and the use of medicine in literature?
• What are the uses of storytelling in (medieval) literature?
• To what extent are healing processes aestheticized?
• What concepts of female healers can be detected in medieval literature and in different genres?

Short Bibliography

Bulang, Tobias and Regina Toepfer. 2020. Heil und Heilung: Die Kultur der Selbstsorge in der Kunst und Literatur des Mittelalters und der frühen Neuzeit.Heidelberg.

Feistner, Edith. 2014. “Krankheit als Heil? Genderperspektiven auf das Opfer der Gesundheit in der Literatur des Mittelalters,” in Anne-Julia Zwierlein and Iris M. Heid (eds),Gender and Disease in Literary and Medical Cultures. Heidelberg, 27–48.

Fischer, Pascal and Mariacarla Gadebusch Bondio (eds) 2016. Literatur und Medizin: Interdisziplinäre Beiträge zu den ‛Medical Humanities’. Heidelber.

Keen, Suzanne. 2007. Empathy and the Novel. Oxford.

For more information about thisfellowship, contact Prof. Gesine Mierke (gesine.mierke@uni-bamberg.de).

Recruiting Organisation: University of Bamberg (UNI BA)

We are offering a 3-year PhD position with a generous research allowance in an international, multi-partner EU project. This subproject will examine forms of illicit and immoderate sexual desire in a variety of sources (historiographical, hagiographical, theological, and medical texts) to see how far and in what manner the verbalisation of such sexual desires and acts were seen and understood as part of healing processes. This approach will provide some answers to a series of questions, such as why Constantine the African stated in his treatise “On sexual intercourse” that nobody could remain healthy without frequent intercourse, while theological treatises praised the virtues of chastity and abstinence; why homosexual behaviour was frequently implied in chronicles and saints’ lives even though it was considered to be the “unmentionable vice”; why chroniclers in favour of King Richard the Lionheart would describe in detail that he confessed his life’s depravity and took seriously a hermit’s warning concerning the fate of Sodom; and why the leading theologian of confession Jean Gerson (15^th c. CE) chose masturbation as the topic of his treatise on confessional interrogation of adolescents.

The successful candidate will be employed at UNI BA and enrolled in the Centre for Medieval Studies. The training includes a three-month academic secondment at the University of Cyprus (UCY) and a one-month non-academic secondment at the Diocesan Museum in Bamberg. At UNI BA, the PhD candidate will work under the supervision of Klaus van Eickels while Dionysios Stathakopoulos will act as a supervisor at UCY.

Objectives

Fellow 10 will aim at achieving the following results: (1) trace the medieval forms of illicit desire through an investigation of different sources being co-examined for the first time; (2) offer answers to questions concerning the ways in which medieval authors chose to refer to or hide transgressive desire; (3) explore in how far the evolution of penance and confession had an impact on norm-transgressive sexual behaviour.

Specific Requirements

A Master’s Degree in History (with a focus on the Western Middle Ages) or in Medieval Studies. Candidates holding a Master’s degree in another field should prove that their competence in medieval cultural history is equivalent.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background. Candidates from non-Western countries are particularly encouraged to apply.

UNI BA promotes professional equality between women and men. We endeavour to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching and therefore strongly encourage suitably qualified women to apply. Severely disabled applicants will be given preferential consideration if they are otherwise equally qualified.

UNI BA has been certified by the Hertie Foundation as a family-friendly university. It is particularly committed to the compatibility of family and working life.

Main Training Activities Specific to the Project

• Induction Week (University of Cyprus; UCY)
• Training in Critical Discourse Analysis (Lund University)
• Training in Narrative and in Literary Criticism (UCY)
• Training in Intersectionality, Sexuality, and Gender (UCY)
• Summer School (University of Bamberg)
• Training in Obtaining Funding in Project Management (online)
• Training in Entrepreneurship (online)
• Training in Publishing Industry (Bamberg State Library)

Expectations

The PhD candidate may write their thesis in English, French or German and fulfil the requirements of UNI BA PhD programmes in History (BaGraHist; https://www.uni-bamberg.de/bagrams/) and Medieval Studies (BaGraMS; https://www.uni-bamberg.de/bagrams/). The candidate will lead their research under the guidance of the supervisors and present their work at international conferences, in accordance with the consortium’s communication and dissemination plan. Furthermore, they will cooperate with other fellow PhD students to fulfill the StoryPharm’s training and other objectives. Participation in StoryPharm’s training and other activities is compulsory.

Salary

The successfull candidate will be employed full-time. The gross salary before taxes will be €3,342.20/month plus mobility allowance (€600) and, only if applicable, family allowance (€495).

The Application

The application package should contain a short document (max 2 pages) describing how candidates would approach the research. This is a crucial part of the evaluation as it is meant to reflect writing ability, creativity and grasp of theory and research. It is therefore crucial that the best effort is made toward making the document reflective of candidates’ true abilities.

When composing the text regarding the project, candidates may wish to consider:

• the essentialist-constructivist debate about the perception of same-sex desire;
• the evolution of the theology and practice of confession and penance;
• the evolution of the concept of sodomy in medieval Western theology.

Short Bibliography

Jordan, Mark D. 1997. The Invention of Sodomy in Christian Theology. Chicago.

Harvey, Katherine. 2021. The Fires of Lust: Sex in the Middle Ages. London.

Karras, Ruth Mazo. ²2012. Sexuality in Medieval Europe: Doing unto Others. London.

For more information about thisfellowship, contact Prof. Klaus van Eickels (klaus.van-eickels(at)uni-bamberg.de).

Recruiting Organisation: University of Bamberg (UNI BA)

We are offering a 3-year PhD position with a generous research allowance in an international, multi-partner EU project. This subproject will explore visual storytelling strategies in medieval medical manuscripts and herbals. The starting point of the investigation will be the Lorsch Medical Manual (late 8^th c. CE), a unique composite manuscript (BSL, Msc. Med. 1). Complex text layouts (like the Lorsch Medical Manual) and illuminated manuscripts (like the Pseudo-Apuleius manuscripts in Kassel, Montecassino and London, 9^th/11^th c. CE) will be juxtaposed to explore the distinctiveness of both models. The subproject will mainly focus on the role of plants as non-human actors sharing a common ecosystem with humans and objects. Materiality (parchment, ink, pigments) and object histories (actors, places, changing performative and functional contexts) will be an integral part of the analysis. Descriptions and depictions of plants in medieval encyclopaedias and world maps will be part of the comparative framework, as will medical manuscripts from the Islamic world.

The successful candidate will be employed at UNI BA and enrolled in the Centre for Medieval Studies. The training includes a three-month academic secondment at the University of Salerno (UNI SALERNO) and a one-month non-academic secondment at the Bamberg State Library. At UNI BA, the PhD candidate will work under the supervision Katharina Schüppel while Maddalena Vaccaro will act as a supervisor at UNI SALERNO.

Objectives

Fellow 14 will aim at achieving the following results: (1) open up new research avenues by analysing medical and herbal manuscripts as “storytelling objects” within the medieval discourse on healing; (2) foster research on plants as non-human actors in interdisciplinary medievalist contexts.

Specific Requirements

A Master’s Degree in Art History, Cultural Studies, or Medieval Studies is required.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

UNI BA promotes professional equality between women and men. We endeavour to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching and therefore strongly encourage suitably qualified women to apply. Severely disabled applicants will be given preferential consideration if they are otherwise equally qualified.

UNI BA has been certified by the Hertie Foundation as a family-friendly university. It is particularly committed to the compatibility of family and working life.

Main Training Activities Specific to the Project

• Induction Week (University of Cyprus; UCY)
• Training in Critical Discourse Analysis (Lund University)
• Training in Narrative and in Literary Criticism (UCY)
• Training in Intersectionality, Sexuality, and Gender (UCY)
• Summer School (University of Bamberg)
• Training in Obtaining Funding in Project Management (online)
• Training in Entrepreneurship (online)
• Training in Publishing Industry (Bamberg State Library)

Expectations

The PhD candidate will fulfil the requirements of the PhD programme of the Bamberger Graduiertenschule für Mittelalterstudien (BaGraMS; https://www.uni-bamberg.de/bagrams/), lead their research under the guidance of the supervisors and present their work at international conferences, in accordance with the consortium’s communication and dissemination plan. Furthermore, they will cooperate with other fellow PhD students to fulfill the StoryPharm’s training and other objectives. Participation in StoryPharm’s training and other activities is compulsory. The PhD thesis may be written in German or English.

Salary

The successfull candidate will be employed full-time. Gross salary before taxes will be €3,342.20/month plus mobility allowance (€600) and, only if applicable, family allowance (€495).

The Application

The application package should contain a short document (max 2 pages) describing how candidates would approach the research. This is a crucial part of the evaluation as it is meant to reflect writing ability, creativity and grasp of theory and research. It is therefore crucial that candidates make their best effort toward making the document reflective of their true abilities.

When composing the text regarding the project, candidates may wish to consider:

• current research on the medieval book as object (material, performative, also transcultural contexts)
• materiality and object histories as art-historical research perspectives
• the relevance of current cultural-historical discourses on plants and plant agency for medieval studies.

Short Bibliography

Chavannes-Mazel, Claudine A. and Linda IJpelaar (eds) 2023. The Green Middle Ages: The Depiction and Use of Plants in the Western World 600-1600. Amsterdam.

Hériché-Pradeau, Sandrine and Maud Pérez-Simon. 2013.“Du texte à l’image et de l’image au texte. En pratique et en théorie,” in Sandrine Hériché-Pradeau and Maud Pérez-Simon (eds), Quand l’image relit le texte:Regards croisés sur les manuscrits. Paris, 11–38.

Treharne, Elaine. 2021. Perceptions of Medieval Manuscripts: The Phenomenal Book. Oxford.

For more information about thisfellowship, contact PD Dr Katharina Schüppel (katharina.schueppel(at)uni-bamberg.de).

Recruiting Organisation: University of Bamberg (UNI BA)

We are offering a 3-year PhD position with a generous research allowance in an international, multi-partner EU project. Hildegard von Bingen’s (12^th c.) work related to well-being and healing has exercised a great influence on feminist movements of the 20^th and 21^st centuries. It has become part of a new female empowerment in issues related to birth-giving, breastfeeding, contraception, and abortion. This subproject will investigate the ways in which Hildegard’s medicinal power and work have informed feminist theory and art thematising women’s embodiment and healing traditions in a contemporary male-centred medical world. The work of feminist thinkers (e.g. Luce Irigaray, Julia Kristeva, and Barbara Newman), will be examined along with the work of feminist artists and authors (e.g. Judy Chicago, Mary Sharrat).

The successful candidate will be employed at UNI BA and enrolled in the Centre for Medieval Studies. The training includes a three-month academic secondment at the University of Cyprus (UCY) and a one-month non-academic secondment at David Collection (Copenhagen). At UNI BA, the PhD candidate will work under the supervision of Ingrid Bennewitz while Stavroula Constantinou will act as a supervisor at UCY.

Objectives

Fellow 18 will aim at achieving the following results: (1) reveal the importance of a medieval female healer to contemporary culture; (2) show how Hildegard’s personality and work has informed contemporary feminism, art, and literature; (3) significantly contribute to the writing of the cultural history of female healing.

Specific Requirements

A Master’s Degree in German Literature, Medieval Studies, German or Cultural Studies, and Comparative Literature is required. Candidates holding a Master’s degree in another field should prove that their competence in medieval culture and literature is equivalent.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

UNI BA promotes professional equality between women and men. We endeavour to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching and therefore strongly encourage suitably qualified women to apply. Severely disabled applicants will be given preferential consideration if they are otherwise equally qualified.

UNI BA has been certified by the Hertie Foundation as a family-friendly university. It is particularly committed to the compatibility of family and working life.

Main Training Activities Specific to the Project

• Induction Week (University of Cyprus; UCY)
• Training in Critical Discourse Analysis (Lund University)
• Training in Narrative and in Literary Criticism (UCY)
• Training in Intersectionality, Sexuality, and Gender (UCY)
• Summer School (University of Bamberg)
• Training in Obtaining Funding in Project Management (online)
• Training in Entrepreneurship (online)
• Training in Publishing Industry (Bamberg State Library)

Expectations

The PhD candidate will fulfil the requirements of the PhD programme (Bamberger Graduiertenschule für Mittelalterstudien (BaGraMS); https://www.uni-bamberg.de/bagrams/), lead their research under the guidance of the supervisors and present their work at international conferences, in accordance with the consortium’s communication and dissemination plan. Furthermore, they will cooperate with other fellow PhD students to fulfill the StoryPharm’s training and other objectives. Participation in StoryPharm’s training and other activities is compulsory. The PhD thesis may be written in German or English.

Salary

The successfull candidate will be employed full-time.Gross salary before taxes will be €3,342.20/month plus mobility allowance (€600) and, only if applicable, family allowance (€495).

The Application

The application package should contain a short document (max 2 pages) describing how candidates would approach the research. This is a crucial part of the evaluation as it is meant to reflect writing ability, creativity and grasp of theory and research. It is therefore crucial that candidates make their best effort toward making the document reflective of their true abilities.

When composing the text regarding the project, candidates may wish to consider:

• The importance of feminists’ rediscovery and re-evaluation of the women’s contribution to European history and culture from the second half of the 20^th c. onwards.
• The potential identification that a female scholar and healer, such as Hildegard von Bingen, offers to contemporary women in a world where the art of healing is still male-dominated.
• The importance of medievalism in reframing European cultural heritage, especially through popular novels and films (e.g. Marion Zimmer-Bradley’s, Mists of Avalon versus Noah Gordon’s The Medicus; J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series).
• The reframing of premodern female healers and female medicine in the context of current medical discussions (“gender-sensitive medicine”).

Short Bibliography

Bulang, Tobias and Regina Toepfer (eds) 2020. Heil und Heilung: Die Kultur der Selbstsorge in der Kunst und Literatur des Mittelalters und der Frühen Neuzeit. Heidelberg.

Dieterich, Susanne 2016. Weise Frau: Hebamme, Hexe und Doktorin: Zur Kulturgeschichte der weiblichen Heilkunst. Karlsruhe.

Reddig, Wolfgang 2000. Bader, Medicus und weise Frau: Wege und Erfolge der mittelalterlichen Heilkunst. Munich.

Embach, Michael 2023. Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179): Leben, Werk und Wirkung. Trier.

Hopson, Kathryn 1993. Re-visioning Morgan Le Fay: A Unifying Metaphor for the Image of Woman in Twentieth Century Literature. PhD thesis, University of Southwestern Louisiana.

Hill-Zenk, Anja 2008. “Der Medicus & Co.: Ärzte, Bader, Heiler und eine Apothekerin in zeitgenössischen historischen Romanen,” in Gesund und krank im Mittelalter: Marburger Beiträge zur Kulturgeschichte der Medizin. Leipzig, 357–373.

Gössmann, Elisabeth 1995. Hildegard von Bingen: Versuche einer Annäherung. Munich.

Matthews, David 2015. Medievalism: A Critical History. Cambridge.

For more information about thisfellowship, contact Prof. em. Ingrid Bennewitz (ingrid.bennewitz(at)uni-bamberg.de).