New research on antiquity: Institute for Antiquity Sciences founded!

New research on antiquity: Institute for Antiquity Sciences founded!

This day, May 8, 2025, a ceremony took place in the Holzersaal of the summer residence, which marked the founding of a new Institute for Antiquity Sciences on the KU. This step aims to promote closer cooperation between the various antiquity disciplines, although these are often structurally separated at German universities. The professors involved include Verena Schulz and Tobias Dänzer from classical philology, Nadin Burkhardt from classical archeology, Michael Rathmann from old history and Andreas Weckwerth from the old church history, all of which participate in this important initiative. According to ku.de have already initiated many joint projects in teaching and research, and weekly research colloquia are an integral part of the academic Exchange.

The establishment of the institute underlines the goal of promoting visibility and strengthening existing teaching and research activities. In a worldwide upheaval process of antiquity, a new thinking of the subjects is essential. In addition, the establishment of the institute is hoped for perspectives for the development of modern, networked disciplines based on solid specialist knowledge. Professor Jens Hogreve, Vice President of the KU, emphasized the advantages of the networking options of small subjects and emphasized the importance of cooperation in the KU research college dialogue cultures. He thanked the university management for her support in the founding of the institute.

ceremony with a lecture

Around 70 guests took part in the event, including representatives from the preservation of monuments, museums and historical associations. The lecture by Prof. Dr. Gregor Weber from the University of Augsburg dealt with the cultural history of mushrooms in the Greek-Roman antiquity. This illustrates the diverse topics that are to be dealt with as part of the new facility.

The interdisciplinary orientation of antiquities is of crucial importance for understanding the present and offers numerous approaches to research various cultural and historical aspects. These developments are important in a broader context, which is also visible at other universities such as the Goethe University in Frankfurt. In 2009, the work area of ​​interdisciplinary aging research at the Institute for Social Pedagogy and Adult Education under the direction of Prof. Dr. Frank Oswald established. This area of ​​work pursues a cultural and social science approach and has institutionally anchored in the Goethe University. Central guidelines are pursued, which, among other things, emphasize the view of the aging person in social and spatial contexts. The recognition of the diversity of age and focus on developmental processes in the second half of the life are other essential aspects of the research field, as described.