The hand as a secret: new project on mnemotechnics in Erlangen!

The hand as a secret: new project on mnemotechnics in Erlangen!

Erlangen, Deutschland - On April 23, 2025, the research project "Knowing Hands" starts at the Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU). The aim of the project is to investigate the use of the hand as a memory and oracle in Chinese culture. Prof. Dr. Marta Hanson, a medical historian and project manager, has developed a special interest in this topic since 2000. Their research project is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and extends over the period until 2028. to be classified.

The tradition, which has existed in China since the 7th century, includes a variety of applications in the hands ranging from diagnoses, horoscope calculations to rituals. In cooperation with internationally renowned researchers, such as the anthropologist and sinologist Stéphanie Homola, a comparative analysis of the types of knowledge is sought. This includes areas such as poetry, linguistics, law, mathematics, medicine, esoteric Buddhism, fortune telling and war art.

goals and methods of the project

A central goal of the project is to understand the cognitive use of the hands and their role in mnemotechnics. Mnemotechnics describe techniques that improve memory. Originally developed by Simonides from Keos, a Greek poet of the 5th century BC, the method includes the association of materials with striking locations. This shows how the arrangement and visual access to information can promote the memory processes. Planet Wissen describes that the famous speaker cicero emphasized the importance of these techniques for speech and used them to prepare for lectures.

As part of the project in Erlangen, a digital exhibition and an archive are also sought, in which the techniques of mnemonative technology from East Asia are documented. An example of such a technology is the use of the finger bones to determine the moon direction depending on the time and moon phase. These innovative approaches should not only address the experts, but also the public and expand the knowledge of culturally specific memory aids.

an international perspective

Another aspect of the project will be the cross -cultural perspective. The influence of memory practices in different cultures is examined. In Europe, mnemotechnics developed over the centuries and was used in rhetoric and education. Despite this distribution, there were also critical voices, such as those of Themistokles, which was skeptical of mnemotechnics. According to Planet Wissen , modern mnemotechnics are particularly popular with learners of vocabulary and telephone numbers.

The projects such as "Knowing Hands" enable a unique view of the linking of tradition, science and memory culture. This could not only contribute to a better understanding of mnemotics, but also re -evaluate their importance in today's world.