News
Workshop: 'Learning to Listen: A workshop and discussion on research methodologies, focusing on oral history, research ethics, and responsibilities', led by Urvashi Butalia.
The workshop will primarily draw from Urvashi Butalias research on the histories of women and marginalized communities affected by conflict, particularly during the Partition of India. It will explore what oral histories contribute beyond more “conventional” historical narratives, as well as the ethical challenges researchers encounter when working with personal testimonies.
The session will be divided into two parts: the first will consist of a short presentation of the her work and the challenges identified; the second will involve listening to the participating scholars discuss their own research and the difficulties they face, followed by a collective discussion on possible ways to address these challenges.
If you are interested in participating please register by the 18th of November via
ambivalent-enmity@hcts.uni-heidelberg.de
.
Workshop: 'On Identity and Enmity: From a “Clash of Civilisations” towards an "Axial Age"', led by Dr Sasha Dehghani
In this workshop, participants are invited to critically reflect on problematic aspects of dominant academic paradigms within political science, Middle Eastern and cultural studies, and psychology. The workshop aims to move beyond enemy-centered notions of human identity and to contribute to a more peaceful understanding of shared reality. The workshop is structured in two parts. In the first part, the Dr. Dehghani presents current research examining how influential theories such as The Clash of Civilizations and Orientalism have, in the post–Cold War era, fueled disputes and tensions. These frameworks not only divided the U.S. academic landscape but also continue to shape discourses surrounding geopolitical conflicts, including those in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, and U.S.–China relations. He argues that overcoming this intellectual habit of “foeing” requires rethinking the very concepts of civilization, religion, and the human image (Menschenbild). In this context, Karl Jaspers’ theory of the “Axial Age” is presented as a valuable alternative. After a short break, the second part centers on a discussion informed by a case study concerning the experiences of Elias Khoury and the literary work of Amos Oz. This case demonstrates how a dualistic worldview of friend and foe can be transcended, revealing the innate dignity and “constructive resilience” of human beings in their ability to respond to trauma with creativity and non-violence. Participants are encouraged to share their perspectives and reflections on the issues discussed.
If you are interested in participating please register by the 12th of November via
ambivalent-enmity@hcts.uni-heidelberg.de
.
Zoom Discussion: “It ain't Europe here: Theorizing Israel as a Middle Eastern Society”, with Dr. Prof. Johannes Becke
The Columbia University Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies invites you to a virtual lecture by Professor Johannes Becke, the Ben Gurion Professor of Israel and Middle East Studies at Heidelberg University's Institute for Jewish Studies. In his talk, “It ain't Europe here: Theorising Israel as a Middle Eastern Society’, Dr Becke will explore the evolving conceptualisation of Israel within its regional context. He will engage with questions of identity, state formation, and the changing relationship between Zionism and the Middle East.
Enemy Encounters in East Asia (Webinar)
Enemy Encounters in East Asia, a webinar offered by the Research Training Group Ambivalent Enmity: Dynamics of Antagonism in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
This webinar invites speakers from across different academic disciplines working on East Asia, who deal with antagonisms and processes of enemization in their research. Contributing speakers are encouraged to discuss the enmities and associated ambivalences as they have historically manifested in the concrete conflicts they are studying. The research presented considers both states and non-state actors like religious and terrorist movements. The webinar also includes research which looks at antagonisms within societies, such as those revolving around gender differences and class conflicts. The webinar encourages speakers to elaborate on how enmity and processes of enemization took shape, evolved over time and influenced identities, perceptions of self and others, as well as comportment and state policies.
Please find attached the program for the upcoming term at Heidelberg University, covering October 2025 until February 2026.
Research Colloquium: RTG 2840 "Ambivalent Enmity", Winter Semester 2025/2026
The Research Training Group RTG 2840, “Ambivalent Enmity: Dynamics of Antagonism in Asia, Europe and the Middle East”, cordially invites you to its interdisciplinary research colloquium for the winter semester of 2025/26.
Spread across twelve thought-provoking sessions, international scholars will explore how enmity is shaped by paradox, proximity, and shifting power relations. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore a variety of topics, ranging from maritime rivalries and legal frameworks to gendered violence and nationalist ideologies. Please note that registration is required to attend the talks. Participants are kindly asked to register in advance by scanning the provided QR code.
New book by Prof. Dr Nikolas Jaspert: Fischer, Perle, Walrosszahn – Das Meer im Mittelalter (Fishing, Pearls and Walrus Ivory: The Sea in the Middle Ages), Berlin: Propyläen, 2025
Our image of the Middle Ages is shaped by farmers and knights, and when we think of medieval seafaring, we picture bulbous Hanseatic cogs and fast Viking ships. But what did people know about the sea itself and its creatures? How did they benefit from its raw materials? In his book, historian Nikolas Jaspert presents the first history of the Middle Ages from the perspective of the sea. He recounts tales of fishing and whaling, and of the trade in elegant shell silk, fragrant ambergris, and imperial purple. Above all, however, his book is about the treasures of the sea and their breathtaking beauty and diversity.
By describing an entire epoch of human history through the creatures and materials of the sea for the first time, Jaspert vividly demonstrates that our survival as a species depends on this ecosystem.
Interview Prof. Dr. Johannes Becke on the Topic: Teheran hat Angst vor der Eskalation
On the 18th of June 2025 our colleague Prof. Dr. Johannes Becke was interviewed on the current conflict in the Near East.
Alexander Nove Book Prize 2025 awarded to Fabian Baumann for Dynasty Divided: A Family History of Russian and Ukrainian Nationalism
“Dynasty Divided is a fascinating family history, but it is much more than that: through the complicated twists and turns of several generations and branches of the Shul’gin/Shul’hyn family, Fabian Baumann traces the emergence and interplay of multiple visions of Ukrainian identity, with profound implications for our understanding of 19th, 20th and 21st century history.”
Winner of W. Bruce Lincoln Book Prize 2024 Fabian Baumann for Dynasty Divided: A Family History of Russian and Ukrainian Nationalism
Fabian Baumann, one of the postdoctoral scholars in the RTG Ambivalent Enmity, was awarded the 2024 W. Bruce Lincoln Book Prize at the recent annual convention of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies in Boston. The W. Bruce Lincoln Prize is awarded annually for an author’s first published monograph or scholarly synthesis that is of exceptional merit and lasting significance for the understanding of Russia’s past. The prize jury praised Baumann’s monograph Dynasty Divided: A Family History of Russian and Ukrainian Nationalism as “an exquisitely sophisticated study of how individuals came to embrace identities with profound political meaning.”
A new issue of the Journal of Transcultural Studies has been published!
We are excited to announce that a new issue of the Journal of Transcultural Studies has appeared on 6 May 2024.
This is a Special Issue on the theme of Ambivalent Enmity, guest edited by Johannes Becke, Nikolas Jaspert, and Joachim Kurtz. It features contributions from Heidelberg-based scholars Tanja Penter, Svenja Taubner, Monica Juneja, Johannes Becke, Joachim Kurtz, and Sebastian Harnisch, as well as a piece by Derek Penslar (Harvard).
The issue is closely connected to our RTG Ambivalent Enmity
Meyer-Struckmann Prize
Award for Monica Juneja: Transculturality Established as a Method
We congratulate our Principal Investigator Monica Juneja on being honored for her lifelong academic achievements!
She is to receive this year’s Meyer-Struckmann Prize, which is awarded by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and acknowledges Monica’s accomplishments as an expert on Global Art History and theoretician in the field of Transcultural Studies. The award is granted annually for research achievements that transcend disciplinary boundaries. The prize is endowed with 20,000 euros.