The Foundation
100 Doctoral Students

"My best memory: On a research trip to Ghana I gave a pastor letters from the early 19th century written in his mother tongue, the West African Twi language. He took a look at the letters, jumped up with glee and went into the kitchen to read from them to his wife."

"I am still concerned with my topic, because exploring the stories of people’s lives still fascinates me today, particularly in HR management. Writing my Ph.D. thesis on a West African missionary, it was the first time I delved into the ramifications of someone else’s life, also in an effort to understand another human being."

Dr. Sonia Abun-Nasr
Director of Vadiana Cantonal Library, St. Gallen
Born in Beirut, Libanon, lives today in St. Gallen, Switzerland

Dissertation topic: Christianisierung und historischer Wandel. Afrikanische Gesellschaften und die Basler Mission, 1844–1902
completed in: 2000

"The topic still concerns me today, because the question as to what makes people suitable for assuming particular duties is bound up with the education they have received. It is education that nurtures talents or indeed allows them to shrivel and dry up. Precisely in democratic societies the question of elite education on the basis of personal suitability and irrespective of origin is of great significance. The Karg Stiftung works to support and promote gifted children and young people in the education system."

"I almost gave up once, because, having focussed for so long on the ethics of rulership in the 16th century, I was on the verge of losing sight of the relevance of the topic. On a rainy Saturday in London in the year of the Kohl government donations scandal, my boss Ralf Dahrendorf explained to me that my question regarding the morality of governance was extremely topical. Did I not follow the news? he wanted to know."

Dr. Ingmar Ahl
CEO of the Karg-Stiftung, Frankfurt am Main
Born in Darmstadt, lives today in Frankfurt am Main

Dissertation topic: Humanistische Herrschaftslehre in Deutschland in der Mitte des 16. Jahrhunderts - Der Fürstenspiegel des kurkölnischen Kanzlers Jakob Omphalius
completed in: 2001

“My topic still concerns me today: If in today’s globalized world philosophy is to continue to encourage appropriate reflection of the times in which they live then we need to compare even more the relevant historical factors across the extensive spectrum of traditions of European and Asian thought – and make them our own.”

David Bartosch
Philosopher, presently preparing a new academic project
Born in Erfurt, lives today in Nußloch near Heidelberg

Dissertation topic: "Wissendes Nichtwissen" oder "gutes Wissen"?
completed in: 2013 (doctorate completed; dissertation awaits publication)

"My topic continues to fascinate me to this day as there is still so much to be told about it. Many people do not realize there was more to Leipzig’s music history in the 18th century than Bach cantatas, and that above all Bach’s students were great fans of Italian opera, which was hardly known here at the time. Which is why I gladly give talks, introduce concerts and create exhibition concepts as a way of filling in the gaps."

"What especially helped me was that I could do my doctorate as part of the ‚Johann Sebastian Bachs Thomaner‘ research project supported by the Gerda Henkel Foundation and conducted by the Bach Archive Leipzig. Being attached to this institute meant it was easy to discuss research issues with my colleagues there at any time. Moreover, working daily with the outstanding scholars at the Bach Archive provided me with additional motivation."

"The best experience I had while a doctoral student was my stay in Paris. From a cultural regard the time I spent researching there was just as interesting and exciting as finally being able to look at the immense store of original historical musical artifacts in the Bibliothèque nationale."

Dr. Manuel Bärwald
Musicologist at the Bach Archive in Leipzig, research scholarship holder of the Gerda Henkel Foundation within the project “Johann Sebastian Bachs Thomaner”
Born in Leipzig, where he lives there today, too

Dissertation topic: Italienische Oper in Leipzig (1744–1756) (dissertation awaits publication)
completed in: 2014

"The most extraordinary experience I had when working on my Ph.D. was the lasting understanding of the incredible extent to which ‘results’ in the humanities are the consequence of a subjective perspective and personal touch. It became very clear to me back then that it is not about ‘truths’, but in the best case about ‘ponderables."

"My best experience during the time I was doing my doctorate was the trip to Syria and Turkey with my then girlfriend and now wife. We wandered round as we pleased with rucksacks on our backs and discovered one country and culture after another. That is what I most miss today, namely the freedom and the opportunity to go on long trips."

"I almost gave up once, but what does ‘give up’ really mean? A beneficial dedication to a particular subject must not necessarily culminate in a doctorate. Looking back I find that an academic career is not the sole purpose in life. Had I ‘given up’ back then, I would have found another fulfilling task in life."

"I am still concerned with my topic, because I am still perceived as ‘Mr. City, Square and Monument’ in the academic environment and am still asked about the topic of my dissertation, even though I have now left it far behind me. To me it seems that today the real problem is the narcissistic motivation behind my doctorate and the one-sided orientation of my lifework on ‘admirable’ books."

"The recognition of my work, which took the form of regular scholarship awards, was a particular help at the time. That was something really special for me then: being financially independent for the first time and earning money doing something that lots of people simply shook their head at."

Prof. Dr. Franz Alto Bauer
Professor of Late-Ancient und Byzantine Art History at LMU München (University of Munich)
Born in Furth, lives today in München

Dissertation topic: Die frühbyzantinische Stadt
completed in: 1993

"My most extraordinary experience was meeting an almost 90-year-old man in a village in 'my' region in southwest Spain. I knew his name from a thick bundle of case files from the year 1918. As a young man he had been brought before a military tribunal as a 'revolutionary'. This unexpected meeting touched us both very much."

"My best experiences during the time of my doctorate arose in the course of my extended archive trips deep into provincial Spain. On these trips I 'rediscovered' the country, after already having spent a year there."

Prof. Dr. Martin Baumeister
Director of the German Historical Institute in Rome

Dissertation topic: Ländliche Unterschichten in Südwestspanien: Großgüterwirtschaft und Konfliktverhalten in der Provinz Badajoz (1880–1923)
completed in: 1992

“My most extraordinary experience in an archive took place in the Historical Archive of the City of Cologne. Despite there being obvious cracks in the walls (and one of the steps in the staircase had become displaced), the specialist consultants advising the City said that the archive was perfectly safe to use. Only a few weeks after my last visit to the reading room the building collapsed around noon one day.”

“My best experience during the time of my doctorate was the sense of inner calm that set in when those countless jigsaw pieces from the research literature, my own archival findings and deliberations suddenly started to combine into a coherent whole.“

“My topic still concerns me today because strictly speaking you will always keep part of your dissertation topic in your mind.”

“A particular help to me at the time was that I had the freedom to explore my topic independently, and could travel to various archives.”

Dr. Daniel Bellingradt
Junior Professor of Bibliology at the University of Erlangen-Nuremburg
Born in Würselen (Kreis Aachen), lives today in Munich/Nürnberg

Dissertation topic: Flugpublizistik und Öffentlichkeit um 1700
completed in: 2010

"My most important experience during the time of my doctorate was the freedom to be able to delve into a scholarly problem without intellectual limitations or a set programme."

"A particular help to me at the time was that the Gerda Henkel Foundation, in addition to my doctoral scholarship, facilitated a costly residence as a graduate visiting student at Brasenose College in Oxford."

Prof. Dr. Frank Bernstein
University professor, Chair of Ancient History, Goethe University Frankfurt
Born in Duisburg, Lives today in Frankfurt am Main

Dissertation topic: Untersuchungen zur Entstehung und Entwicklung der magistratischen Spiele im republikanischen Rom
completed in: 1994

"I almost gave up once, because large sections of my Ph.D. thesis in manuscript form were destroyed, together with original research material."

"A particular help to me at the time was the fact that colleagues encouraged me to continue. My photographic memory helped me to quickly relocate the information I needed in the original literature and in architectural treatises. The Gerda Henkel Foundation grant gave me essential support."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was coming across material on my dissertation topic, theories on the origin of the Gothic, in what was then the Northern Library at the British Museum and in the Drawings Collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Even life was “Gothic”; a colleague invited me to view his Neo-Gothic kitchen, which he had pieced together from London flea markets."

Dr. Sigrid Bertuleit
Director of Museum Georg Schäfer in Schweinfurt, art historian, teacher
Born in Bad Segeberg, lives today in Schweinfurt

Dissertation topic: Orient und Okzident – Englische Theorien zum Ursprung der Gotik um 1800 und ihr Einfluss in Deutschland. Eine Darstellung am Beispiel von James Cavanah Murphys Theorie (1795)
completed in: 1989

"I almost gave up once when my supervisor returned my dissertation shortly before the submission date. I burrowed myself away in my room in my student accommodation and listened to dark Mahler symphonies, until my housemates were seriously concerned. But on hindsight it was worth revising my dissertation for another six months. It was really good in the end and it meant I won the DAI travel grant."

"A particular help at the time was that my research funding was secured by the Gerda Henkel Foundation. Seriously. I’m not just going for sweet talk here. I would not have been able to afford my long stay in France without it."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was meeting my friend Mireille Chérubini in France. We had a wonderful time together in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, one of the best periods of my life. Today, by chance, she does almost the same thing I do: She sells specialties made according to original Roman recipes and runs a Roman restaurant at the Glanum Archaeological Site near Saint-Rémy. We regularly share our ideas and experiences."

Dr. Annette Böhm
Proprietor of Römerlein Express
Born in Marl, lives today in Haltern am See

Dissertation topic: Römische Bogenmonumente der Gallia Narbonensis in urbanem Kontext
completed in: 1993

“My topic still concerns me today because, among other things, I am responsible for our in-house publications here. Meaning I can make very good use of the experiences I gained through my dissertation.”

“My best experience during the time of my doctorate was the opportunity to visit the archives and libraries in Zurich and London and to make new acquaintances and contacts with researchers there.”

“I almost gave up once because the work dragged on for so very long (five years) and I lost the will to carry on ‚stewing in my own juices‘…”

“A particular help to me at the time was the support from other researchers and the ‚18th-century research group‘ which consisted of humanities students studying for their doctorates. Since they were also working on the 18th century they had problems similar to mine to cope with.”

Dr. Gisela Bungarten
Project Manager and Deputy Director of "Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel"
Born in Cologne, lives today in Kassel and Berlin

Dissertation topic: Johann Heinrich Füsslis (1741-1825) "Lectures on Painting". Das antike Vorbild und die moderne Nachahmung
completed in: 2002

"A particular help at the time was that my husband and several friends proofread my Ph.D. thesis, because it was a challenge for me back then, as an Italian, to write in German. The unbureaucratic support from the Gerda Henkel Foundation enabled me to concentrate exclusively on my research."

"My topic still concerns me today, because I work at the ZERO Foundation and continue to research the ZERO movement. My current research project, like my doctorate, is being supported by the Gerda Henkel Foundation."

Dr. Tiziana Caianiello
Research Assistant, ZERO Foundation, Düsseldorf
Born in Naples, lives today in Cologne

Dissertation topic: Der Lichtraum (Hommage à Fontana) und das Creamcheese im museum kunst palast: Zur Musealisierung der Düsseldorfer Kunstszene der 1960er Jahre
completed in: 2003

"My most extraordinary experience in an archive was a little gecko that simply did not want to budge from the clay tablet I was working on – in the tablets collection of the Deir-ez-Zor Museum in Syria."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was always that moment when it ‘clicked’, and the fragments of a text slid into place. Many of the clay tablets I worked on were broken, and like today, that moment when you complete a puzzle and it all fits into place is hugely satisfying."

"I almost gave up once, because ... No! There were crises, and phases of doubt, but I never actually thought of giving up."

"My topic still concerns me today, because this field has become one of the subjects I focus on and still fascinates me – and keeps me on my toes – to this day."

"A particular help to me was the support readily offered by the Gerda Henkel Foundation for my wish to combine having a family with obtaining an academic qualification. I gave birth to our two children while working on my doctorate. So I look back on this period with especial gratitude."

Prof. Dr. Eva Cancik-Kirschbaum
Assyriologist, University Professor in Ancient Oriental Studies, Freie Universität Berlin
Born in Tübingen, lives today in Berlin

Dissertation topic: Briefe aus Dur-Katlimu. Zur Geschichte Nordsyriens in der zweiten Hälfte des 13. Jahrhunderts v. Chr.
completed in: 1994

"My topic still concerns me today, because my professional career has, in a roundabout sort of way, led me back to the field of my dissertation. One of my fields of occupation back then, starting from the grave finds, was early Medieval settlements and today they are once again one of the scientific focal points of my work."

"A particular help at the time was that the close-knit community of doctoral students in Mainz was always on hand to exchange ideas, a ready source of mutual motivation. The friendships I made during this period are still going strong today, even across great distances."

"My most extraordinary experience in an archive was a find in the collection of casts at the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz, with which I was able to piece together a Merovingian-era spatha in the Landesmuseum Karlsruhe from individual parts, some of which could no longer be assigned."

Dr. Folke Damminger
Head Conservator, responsible for archaeological monument preservation (Middle Ages) in the Karlsruhe administrative district
Born in Kirchheimbolanden, lives today in Stuttgart

Dissertation topic: Untersuchungen zur merowingerzeitlichen Besiedlung im Bereich des südlichen Kraichgaus
completed in: 1993

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was a tour of all the large and small storerooms, restoration workshops, and a number of secret side corridors at the National Gallery London, during which I was able to study in depth all the relevant material."

"My topic still concerns me today, because I still like to critically discuss it with students and my colleagues."

"A particular help to me at the time was that the Foundation showed such great confidence and interest in my research."

"At the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan the restorers spontaneously invited me into the glass workshops in the middle of the exhibition halls, where I was able to view unframed altarpieces and learn a great deal about the fascinating work on them. An extraordinary, completely unexpected and one-off experience."

Dr. des. Anna Degler
Research Assistant at the Institute for Art History, Free University of Berlin
Born in Dinslaken, lives today in Berlin

Dissertation topic: "Weder einfach außen noch einfach innen" - Zum bildästhetischen Status des Parergons in der oberitalienischen Malerei zwischen 1450 und 1530
completed in: 2012

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was my field research in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait between 2009 and 2011. In particular I enjoyed the hospitality and cordiality of many Arabs."

"My topic still concerns me today, because I live and work on the Arabian Peninsula. I teach History to Arab and other students."

"A particular help at the time was the support I received from Arab friends and the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies."

"My most extraordinary experience in an archive was an invitation to an Arabian breakfast on the floor with employees of the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives."

Dr. Jörg Matthias Determann
Assistant Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Born in München, lives today in Doha/Katar

Dissertation topic: Globalization, the State, and Narrative Plurality: Historiography in Saudi Arabia
completed in: 2012

"My topic still concerns me today, because I teach and research late 19th-century French art and culture almost every day."

"A particular help to me at the time was the fact that the Gerda Henkel Foundation enabled me to spend almost two years in Paris and southern France."

Dr. André Dombrowski
Assistant Professor of History of Art, University of Pennsylvania
Born in Minden, lives today in Philadephia, PA/USA

Dissertation topic: Von Geschichte und Sinnlichkeit: Zu den politischen und nationalen Inhalten des frühen Impressionismus in Frankreich (1865–1875)
completed in: 2006

"My topic still concerns me today, because how are we to separate them, academia and laudationes?"

"A particular help to me at the time was the fact that in Göttingen the historical inventory of the library was organized according to the old system and freely accessible – as though time had stopped around 1900. Individual film teams, indeed even the smattering of readers of the criminal code with the notorious earphones, were able to create a real science-fiction atmosphere here."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was the brief nomination: In the dimly lit hallway I stumbled upon a large letter from the Gerda Henkel Foundation. It announced an academic award. In addition to the honour, from a doctoral student’s perspective the rough equivalent of ten further years of independent research beckoned. Euphoric, we celebrated the supposed possibility of a nomination, until my boyfriend realized: The winner would not be chosen from among the projects the Foundation was supporting at the time, but among researchers worldwide."

Dr. Anna Echterhölter
Research Assistant at the Institute for Cultural History and Theory at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Humboldt University of Berlin); in summer semester 2014 acting Junior Professor “History of the Humanities” at the university
Born in Göttingen, lives today in Berlin

Dissertation topic: Schattengefechte. Genealogische Praktiken in Nachrufen auf Naturwissenschaftler (1710-1860)
completed in: 2009

"A particular help to me at the time was the swift and entirely unbureaucratic support I received from the Gerda Henkel Foundation, especially in a critical and crucial phase relating to access to an important collection of files."

"My topic still concerns me today, because when working on it I met many interesting people and became familiar with their research projects, which led to a whole series of new projects and collaborations."

Dr. Jacob S. Eder
Research Assistant at the Chair for Modern and Contemporary History, Institute for Historical Research, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (University of Jena)
Born in Bad Aibling (Oberbayern), lives today in Jena

Dissertation topic: The Federal Republic of Germany and Holocaust Memory in the United States, 1977–1998
completed in: 2012

"My most extraordinary experience in an archive was when I was conducting literature research and I pulled out a card tray under “Sh” and found inside not index cards, but instead a full bottle of sherry and set of glasses. The digital library age rules out such finds today…"

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was the week-long spontaneous visit of a friend, who came to New York in 1988 during my research stay in the USA. He liberated me from my archive and library work for a few days so we could explore the city together, which is fascinating musically too, and we then went on to enjoy an urban adventure or two."

"My topic still concerns me today, because it proved to be extremely relevant: Relevant and inspirational for others’ research projects (several popular [also in the good sense] works on the reception of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony have now been published), but also relevant for my future research work, in that many of my research topics in the following years directly or indirectly stemmed from my dissertation. Incidentally, I believe that among my academic works my Ph.D. thesis is still the most important."

Prof. Dr. Andreas Eichhorn
Director of the Institute of Music Education, University of Cologne
Born in Hanover, lives today in Cologne

Dissertation topic: Untersuchungen zur Wirkungs- und Rezeptionsgeschichte der Neunten Symphonie Ludwig van Beethovens
completed in: 1991

"A particular help to me at the time was that the Gerda Henkel Foundation supports not only research, but also the communication of our findings. Contact to the press, the L.I.S.A. portal, the poster presentation at the 'Historikerta'” and the scholarship alumni network – all this was valuable help back then."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was networking with people from the academic and museum worlds. For my thesis I visited roughly 250 museums and spoke to 150 experts in four years. I am still in contact with these sources today, when I conduct research for authors writing historical novels."

Dr. Barbara Ellermeier
Historian and operator of the portal www.recherchefuerromane.de
Born in Nassau (Lahn), lives today on the Middle Rhine

Dissertation topic: Neue Römer braucht das Land. Aktuelle Museumskonzeptionen zur Römerzeit in Deutschland
completed in: 2009

"I almost gave up once, because I almost drowned in the flood of images of Putin."

"My topic still concerns me today, because the protagonist of my dissertation is still the Russian head of state."

Dr. des. Alexandra Engelfried
Art historian and Slavic specialist
Born in Ostfildern-Ruit, lives today in Stuttgart

Dissertation topic: Eine Ikonographie der Macht – Vladimir Putin in Kunst und Massenmedien Russlands
completed in: 2013

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was seeing lots of things gradually fitting together: the plug and bracket holes in the reliefs examined with possible installation contexts in the necropolises, the pictorial scenes and their typical conventions for the respective city with the social structures of a city documented in inscriptions."

"My topic still concerns me today, because research into Hellenistic necropolises and their funerary monuments is still topical and publications in German on the subject are only now gradually finding an audience in the English-speaking world."

"A particular help to me at the time was that, for some reason, I believed that after a relatively long course of study one could write a dissertation in less than two years and in a comparatively relaxed setting, and I was then able to apply on time and with success for the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) travel grant."

Prof. Dr. Johanna Fabricius
Professor of Classical Archaeology at Freie Universität Berlin
Born in Murnau, lives today in Berlin

Dissertation topic: Die hellenistischen Totenmahlreliefs – Bürgerliche Selbstdarstellung auf Grabreliefs ostgriechischer Städte
completed in: 1992

"My most extraordinary experience was a lecture in the context of a science slam organized by the foundation on a drizzly evening in an allotment in Berlin. For me the entire undertaking from my arrival to my return to Munich was unique and highly eventful. I will cherish fond memories of it."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was the moment I held in my hands the bound copy of my finished dissertation after an intensive, but unforgettable final phase."

"I almost gave up once when I heard about a parallel study on my topic that was to be published before the completion of my own project. I started doubting whether I would succeed in notably advancing knowledge in this field given the general flood of scientific publications."

"My topic still concerns me today, because I am currently preparing my work for publication. Moreover the question of how to write history never really leaves you alone as long as you are working as a historian."

"A particular help to me at the time was several things actually. The scholarship granted me a freedom that I will never again have in my life in that form. My supervisors let me work undisturbed, but always gave me a feeling of confidence in what I was doing. In addition, the social environment at LMU made many a working day a pleasant experience."

Dr. Alexander Free
Research Assistant at the Institute for Ancient History, LMU Munich
Born in Bremerhaven, lives today in Munich

Dissertation topic: Geschichtsschreibung als Paideia. Lukians Schrift „Wie man Geschichte schreiben soll“ in der Bildungskultur des 2. Jahrhunderts n. Chr. (dissertation awaits publication)
completed in: 2014

"A particular help to me at the time was that I was lucky enough to get one of the extremely rare crèche places (a total of only 20 were available at the time at my uni). It so happened that the crèche was just 50 metres from my study, so I could simply sit down at my desk and start work."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was without a doubt finally submitting it. After making the final corrections on the home straight, it was a very strange feeling suddenly having nothing to do in the afternoon and wondering: What shall I do today? If I remember correctly, I had an incredible slice of Black Forest gateau."

"My topic still concerns me today, because I teach Ancient History, and historiography plays an important role in it. I use sources and research texts I examined for my doctorate, as well as things that don't feature in my dissertation, such as photos of historical locations in Greece and Turkey."

Dr. Susanne Froehlich
Research Assistant at the Professorship for Ancient History, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (University of Giessen)
Born in Stein (Franken), lives today in Marburg

Dissertation topic: Handlungsmotive bei Herodot
completed in: 2011

"My topic still concerns me today, because 1. I work in an institution that focuses on migration, and 2. I myself have married, thus putting theory into practice."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was eating wurst and kraut with the German-American community in Cincinnati on a beautiful sunny day in Mecklenburg’s Garden."

"I almost gave up once, because for a short while I was simply overwhelmed by the statistics."

"A particular help to me at the time was that I was able to talk to other doctoral students and academics about problems relating to the subject. Without this network I would never have been able to write a dissertation of that quality."

"My most extraordinary experience in a library was when a librarian in the USA spontaneously presented me with a pile of letters written in German by her ancestors and asked me to translate them. She invited me to dinner by way of thanks. She later visited me in Germany on a research trip working as a genealogist and we are still in contact today."

Dr. Robert Fuchs
Project Manager for the development of a virtual migration museum
Born in Leverkusen, lives today in Cologne

Dissertation topic: Das Heiratsverhalten deutscher Migrantinnen und Migranten in den USA - Cincinnati 1850-1920
completed in: 2012

"My topic still concerns me today, because the history of the Reformation has been “following” me as a research subject throughout my entire working life."

"My most extraordinary experience in an archive was: In 1992 I was in the State Archive in Zurich on a research residence. After I had registered, an archivist came up to me to inquire what topic I was working on and how she could be of assistance. I explained to her the topic of my dissertation, to which she more or less commented that that had all been thoroughly researched already. Then she turned on her heel, and went. Strangely I had another such encounter of the third kind while working on my post-doctoral thesis, but that time it was in the Hessen State Archive in Marburg."

"A particular help to me at the time was that the scholarship also included travel money and a printing allowance."

Prof. Dr. Thomas Fuchs
Head of the Special Collections and Digitalization section at the University Library Leipzig
Born in Bruchsal, lives today in Leipzig

Dissertation topic: Erinnerungspolitik und Traditionsstiftung. Geschichtsschreibung in Hessen in der Frühen Neuzeit
completed in: 1993

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was the writing stage. At that point in time I had a handle on my topic, was able to classify the discourses and debates in research circles and realized that my theories could not only be thought, but also written down."

"My topic still concerns me today: My dissertation centred on the discourse on the consumer in the modern consumer society. Exploring the history of 20th-century consumer theory decisively influenced my perception of my life and my view of historical social systems and communicative processes."

Dr. Nepomuk Gasteiger
Managing Director of visionbites GmbH
Born in Memmingen, lives today in München

Dissertation topic: Der Konsument. Verbraucherbildung in Werbung, Konsumkritik und Verbraucherschutz 1945-1989
completed in: 2009

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was not submitting the dissertation, but defending it at the European University Institute in Florence. Suddenly something I had been thinking about for years had come to life."

"I almost gave up once, because although there’s nothing better in the world than academic scholarship world, as a profession it can be highly risky, full of imponderables and sometimes also frustrating."

"My topic still concerns me today, because the great international exhibitions simply don’t want to fade, and so interest in their history does not flag."

"A particular help to me at the time was that I had such wonderful supervisors, who did their utmost to assist me both academically and personally, and that over many years."

"My most extraordinary experience in an archive was when I was only allowed to use the toilet under supervision at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The archive was in the same building complex as the highly secured storeroom, and I guess they were afraid I might steal a silver bedpan."

Dr. Alexander C. T. Geppert
Historian and Head of the Emmy Noether Research Group “The Future in the Stars: European Astroculture and Extraterrestrial Life in the 20th Century” at the Friedrich Meinecke Institute at Freie Universität Berlin (Free University of Berlin)
Born in Mülheim an der Ruhr, lives today in Berlin

Dissertation topic: London vs. Paris: Imperial Exhibitions, Urban Space and Metropolitan Identities, 1886-1931
completed in: 2005

"My most extraordinary experience in an archive was when, lost in the old excavation diaries, I didn’t notice the last custodian leave and was locked into the Ostia archaeological site. To escape the guard dogs I had no choice but to spend the night in a 2,000-year-old bedroom in a Roman house."

"I almost gave up once, because following a private tour of Rome I was made an offer, that it was hard to refuse financially, to become a journalist. The only thing that stopped me from taking it was the many questions that I would have had to leave unanswered – aware of the irresistible need to explore them on site in further research projects."

"A particular help to me at the time was that the opportunity presented itself for me to spend a longer period of time in Rome, to personally meet almost all the researchers there working on the same topic as myself, many of whom I had hitherto admired only through their publications. I was even lucky enough to become friends with some of them."

"My topic still concerns me today, because ultimately it is only excavations that can prove what I imagined to be a possible outlook in my dissertation. That said, in terms of both content and time it was still a long way from living in the ‘insula’ in the heyday of the Roman Empire to urban decay and coming to terms with it in Late Antiquity."

PD Dr. Axel Gering
Private lecturer (PD) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Humboldt University of Berlin), Head of the Humboldt Ostia Forum excavations
Born in Munich, lives today in Berlin

Dissertation topic: Ostia: Wohnen in der Insula
completed in: 1999

"I almost gave up once, because one ignorant fool didn’t want to let me hire a car in Hartford, Connecticut with my German driver’s licence – 'It’s the law!' – and I almost didn’t make it to the archive of the first telephone company."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was an art-historical dinner in Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin, where I met my future wife. Can it be a coincidence that she was also a Gerda Henkel Foundation scholarship holder?"

 "My topic still concerns me today, because the print version is to be published by Kulturverlag Kadmos Berlin in 2014 entitled 'Die Verbundenheit der Dinge. Eine Kulturgeschichte der Netze und Netzwerke' (The connectedness of things. A cultural history of nets and networks)."

"A particular help to me at the time was that the Gerda Henkel Foundation generously enabled me to complete research residences in archives and libraries in France, the UK, the USA, and Switzerland."

"My most extraordinary experience in a library/archive was holding a copy of the first telephone directory in my hands after all, after a long taxi ride through Connecticut."

Dr. Sebastian Gießmann
Cultural and media scientist, Universität Siegen (University of Siegen)
Born in Weimar, lives today in Cologne

Dissertation topic: Die Verbundenheit der Dinge. Eine Kulturgeschichte der Netze und Netzwerke
completed in: 2012

"A particular help to me at the time was that my family and friends always supported me during the 'PhD adventure'."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was visiting the church of Santa Caridad in Seville for the first time, with its impressive paintings by Murillo and Juan de Valdés Leal, sculptures by Pedro Roldán and the glittering gold retables. I was immediately absolutely sure that, yes, this was my topic."

"My most extraordinary experience in an archive was when the archivist at the private archive of the Brotherhood of Santa Caridad ignored his strict working hours one evening and we sat together admiring the collection’s treasures, all of which I was even allowed to photograph."

Dr. des. Jana Glorius
Academic trainee at the Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg (Prussian Palaces and Gardens)
Born in Berlin, lives today at the same place

Dissertation topic: Erlösung durch Barmherzigkeit. Bildausstattung und Baugeschichte der Kirche und des Hospitals de la Santa Caridad in Sevilla (Veröffentlichung in Vorbereitung)
completed in: 2013

"A particular help to me at the time was the great patience of my supervisor, Prof. Karl J. Narr, as well as the scholarships from the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (German National Academic Foundation) and Gerda Henkel Foundation. They enabled me to document and evaluate the burials of 1,608 individuals in 23 European countries from the Mesolithic Age and supplement the material on study trips."

"My topic still concerns me today. Indeed, this year I organized an international and interdisciplinary specialist conference at the Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte (State Museum of Prehistory) in Halle (Saale) as a further exploration of my dissertation topic. The conference, the first to focus exclusively on this topic, encompassed 81 participants from 16 European countries and from the USA and Canada (see photo)."

Dr. Judith M. Grünberg
Archaeologist, specialist field: Palaeolithic/Mesolithic
Born in Frankfurt am Main, lives today in Halle (Saale)

Dissertation topic: Mesolithische Bestattungen in Europa. Ein Beitrag zur vergleichenden Gräberkunde
completed in: 1994

"My topic still concerns me today, because I am as ever interested in this area and find great enjoyment in library and archive research. My most extraordinary experience in a library or archive was in London at the British Library, reading the manuscripts. (Attached is a photo at the British Museum in London.)"

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was from January 2007 to September 2009, when me work was supported by the Gerda Henkel Foundation as part of its Special Programme Central Asia. For this reason I would like to express my especial thanks to the Gerda Henkel Foundation, without whose help I would never have completed my dissertation. The Gerda Henkel Foundation also forged a link between Europe and China Xinjiang and supported scientific collaboration between researchers in the two locations."

Dr. Bahargül Hamut
Lecturer at the Institute of Philology, Xinjiang University, PR China
Born in Turfan, Xinjiang, lives today in Urumchi, Xinjiang, Uigurisches Autonomes Gebiet, PR China

Dissertation topic: Silsilat az-zahab. Edition und Kommentierung einer tschaghatai-uighurischen Handschrift zu den Aq Taghliq Hojalar, einer mystischen Gruppierung in Xinjiang vom 16. bis 18. Jahrhundert
completed in: 2009

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was the birth of my daughter Annalena – even though things got pretty difficult afterwards."

"I almost gave up once, because the pleasant, unbureaucratic support from the Gerda Henkel Foundation ended after two and a quarter years, I had not finished my dissertation and my young family slid into a financially precarious situation. The necessity to ensure our livelihood threatened to take precedence over work on the PhD, but I never considered giving up the doctorate."

"My topic still concerns me today, because among other things my colleagues repeatedly ensure, with conference invitations and the like, that I never lose sight of my academic beginnings and in so doing offer me ever new insights into what is for me an old topic. Thanks!"

"A particular help to me at the time was my academic tutor, Volker Press, who worked tirelessly to arrange the basic conditions of my work such that (over a long period) I was able to complete my doctorate in an untroubled and therefore concentrated manner – not least thanks to his help looking for a scholarship.

"My most extraordinary experience in an archive was the very obliging and circumspect support of my archival work at the German Central Archives of the GDR, Merseburg office. It was not unusual in that the staff at other libraries and archives had been less cooperative, but because I had been plagued by considerable fears regarding working conditions in Merseburg in the run-up to my trip."

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Haug-Moritz
University professor of Modern History, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz
Born in Geislingen, lives today in Graz

Dissertation topic: Herzog Carl Eugen von Württemberg und die Landschaft (1744–1793)
completed in: 1989

"My best experiences during the time of my doctorate were always the on-site residencies. At the time it was entirely new and exciting for me to be allowed to view a cathedral as I pleased, exploring the fascinating perspectives of triforia and attics and the traces left behind by the craftsmen and builders."

"My topic still concerns me today to an extent, because both professionally and privately I am still very much involved with architectural history and research. My primary interest is still Medieval architecture and questions relating to architectural history or the methodology of investigation and analysis."

Dr. Dorothee Heinzelmann
Monument conservator
Born in Darmstadt, lives today in Köln

Dissertation topic: Die Kathedrale von Rouen
completed in: 1998

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was time and again walking around the ruins of Selinunte in the early morning when no-one was about; discovering the propylaeum on the Acropolis, until then unknown to the master; the hospitality of E&G in Marinella."

"I never wanted to give up, but often despaired at ever the same question: What is Punic?"

"My topic still concerns me today, because so few experts work in the Phoenician-Punic field and for that reason one is repeatedly approached on the topic."

"A particular help to me at the time was that I didn’t have to worry about the monthly income while I was grappling with academic problems. And the encouragement of my then boyfriend and now husband was of course also helpful."

"My most extraordinary experience in a library or an archive was: Not so much unusual, but unexpected and exciting was again digging out early Hellenistic painted stucco fragments from the old boxes, between all the little silverfish and mouse droppings."

Dr. Sophie Helas
Research Assistant, University of Bonn
Born in Dresden, lives today in Cologne

Dissertation topic: Die Häuser punischer Zeit in Selinunt - Wohnen zwischen punischer Tradition und griechischem Einfluss
Completed in: 1999

"My topic still concerns me today, because I still live in Tarent and also supervise and support doctoral students working on research projects linked to my dissertation."

"A particular help to me at the time was that other researchers introduced me to the topic of my thesis."

"An extraordinary experience I had when gathering material for my dissertation in the museum in Tarent was that a long-lost grave inventory suddenly resurfaced, which decisively enriched our knowledge of the material culture of the era I had chosen to focus on."

Dr. Karl Gerhard Hempel
Professore aggregato (roughly equivalent to W1), Università del Salento (University of Salento), Lecce
Born in Münster, lives today in Taranto (Tarent)/Italien

Dissertation topic: Die Nekropole von Tarent im 2. und 1. Jahrhundert v. Chr. Studien zur materiellen Kultur.
completed in: 1995

"A particular help to me at the time was the support I received from the contact persons on site in Sicily; this helped me overcome the despondency I sometimes felt looking at the numerous boxes containing many thousands of found objects that I would have to sift through."

"My topic still concerns me today, because I now also come across the little everyday objects such as lamps in other fields I work in within the subject."

Dr. Marcus Heinrich Hermanns
Archaeologist, scientific advisor at the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), Madrid office
Born in Mönchengladbach, lives today in Madrid

Dissertation topic: Die Tonlampen aus Selinunt (Sizilien)
completed in: 2003

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was the three months I spent conducting research in Jerusalem. I was able to make many visits to see the sites that were the subject of my doctorate with my own eyes."

"I almost gave up once, because the main topic I had originally planned had already been studied. I then switched my focus to another aspect, which proved to be significantly more fruitful."

"My topic still concerns me today, because the region continues to fascinate the scholar in me."

"A particular help to me at the time was that, in addition to my scholarship, the Gerda Henkel Foundation also paid for my travel expenses to Jerusalem."

"My most extraordinary experience in a library or an archive was meeting precisely the scientist I had wanted to talk to for so long, and with whom I was unable to get an appointment: for five o’clock tea at the British Institute in Jerusalem."

Dr. Stefanie Hoss
Post-excavation small finds specialist metaal en glas (own company Small Finds Archaeology)
Born in Frankfurt am Main, lives today in Nijmegen-Lent/Netherlands

Dissertation topic: Bad und Baden: Eine Gegenüberstellung der hellenistisch-römischen und jüdischen Bäder (miqwa'ot) und den dahinter stehenden Badetraditionen von Herodes bis Theodosius im Gebiet des heutigen Israel
completed in: 2002

"A particular help to me at the time was that the scholarship represented not only financial support, but also constituted recognition of my planned research project."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was being in direct contact with the objects, 15th-century relics, and working on site. The Gerda Henkel Foundation scholarship enabled me to travel to the relevant collections and study there."

"My topic still concerns me today, because I work in the service of the Church and come into contact on more than the odd occasion with works in gold as well as the broad field of Christian iconography."

Dr. Simone Husemann
Art historian, responsible for the section “Church and culture” of the Catholic Church of the City of Wiesbaden
Born in Münster, lives today in Wiesbaden

Dissertation topic: Kleinformatige Bildschnitzereien aus Perlmutter: ihre Ikonographie unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Materials und ihrer Verwendung als Andachtsobjekt
completed in: 1999

"My topic still concerns me today, because I am still researching and publishing material in this field."

"I almost gave up once, because for a long time I couldn’t find a supervisor for my dissertation topic."

Dr. Mahmoud Kandil
Freelance publicist/historian
Born in Inden-Schophoven, lives today in Linnich

Dissertation topic: Das französische Vorbild – Untersuchungen zur Innenpolitik im Großherzogtum Berg unter Napoleon (1806–1813)
completed in: 1994

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was having daily meetings and encounters with experts from all over the world in the Ottoman Archive (Istanbul), just a stone’s throw from the Hagia Sophia. And the moment I started reading over 150-year-old handwritten documents in Arabic script."

"My topic still concerns me today, because I couldn’t stop thinking about the city of Baghdad even after my doctoral disputation and publication. I then decided to make it my hobby, with the goal of publishing an encyclopaedia of the history of the city of Baghdad in 2016. After that perhaps the foundation of cities in Iraq?"

"A particular help to me at the time was that, thanks to a generous and uncomplicated scholarship from the Gerda Henkel Foundation, I was free of financial concerns and able to devote my full attention to my studies, and also visit all the relevant archives in Istanbul and London. That is something I would wish for all doctoral students."

Dr. Kerem Kayi
Freelance lecturer for Turkish and intercultural mediation / freelance academic author
Born in Stuttgart, lives today in Berlin

Dissertation topic: Die Geschichte Bagdads, 1831-1869
completed in: 2004

“I almost gave up once when I received the news that a dissertation on the same subject was almost complete. But, after a sleepless night, the next day it turned out to be a mistake.”

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was when viewing the murals in Pirna discovering that Caritas, the personification of love, is scolding her child. It was this example that made it clear to me that numerous depictions of virtues after the Reformation propose very curious new creations, which ultimately did not catch on."

“A particular help to me at the time was, of course, the bursary from the Foundation. Thanks to this sponsorship that I was able to focus entirely on my work.”

Prof. Dr. Margit Kern
University professor, Department of Art History, Universität Hamburg (University of Hamburg)
Born in Oberaudorf, lives today in Hamburg

Dissertation topic: Der Tugendbrunnen in Nürnberg. Normen einer bürgerlichen vita activa des späten 16. Jahrhunderts im Spannungsfeld zwischen späthumanistischer Ethik und protestantischem Bekenntnis
completed in: 1998

"My topic still concerns me today, because the “history of education”, which I was interested in at the time, has now gone on to spawn the current field of the “history of knowledge” in international discourse and I have the honour of heading an interdisciplinary “Gesellschaft für Universitäts- und Wissenschaftsgeschichte” (Society for the history of universities and of science), which is active in this field."

"A particular help to me at the time was the fact that I received willing support when it suddenly came to light while working at the various sources that I would unexpectedly need to visit the papal archives (Città del Vaticano). The Foundation generously and, as always, unbureaucratically agreed to finance my flight and my time in Rome. It was also my first trip to Rome and first international research residence."

"Someone t r i e d to make me give up once, when a foreign scholar who had travelled from afar tried to convince me right at the beginning of my work in a library near my place of study not to continue, because he had already studied everything. It later emerged that he had worked on a different time to me and his book wasn’t published until long after mine. I did not allow myself to be intimidated by him, because I was convinced I had a worthwhile topic and this was also confirmed by the fact that the Foundation had agreed to support me with this project."

Prof. Dr. Martin Kintzinger
Professor of Medieval History at the University of Münster
Born in Offenbach, lives today in Münster

Dissertation topic: Sächsische Kloster- und Domschulen vor der Reformation
completed in: 1987

“A particular help to me at the time was a friend who compared a doctoral thesis with a huge mountain of rice, which you can only get to grips with spoonful by spoonful. After that I split up the material into small portions and many sources never made it into the book.”

“I almost gave up once, because the material I had collected was piling up in frightening amounts, and I was asking far too many questions.”

“During my research I had an extraordinary experience in the National Library in St. Petersburg. There were so-called bibliographers there whom you could approach with a topic or certain key questions, upon which they would immediately give you extensive information on the library’s inventory, without even once looking in a catalogue or database.”

Prof. Dr. Yvonne Kleinmann
Professor of East European History at Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg; Director of the Aleksander Brückner Center for Polish Studies
Born in Kassel, lives today in Halle (Saale) and Berlin

Dissertation topic: Neue Orte - neue Menschen? Jüdische Lebensformen in St. Petersburg und Moskau im 19. Jahrhundert
completed in: 2006

“My topic still concerns me today because in my literature research I now and again come across additional, more recently published fragments of mummy bandages in the Book of the Dead, some of which I analysed as part of my doctoral studies. I must say that for me those Egyptian funerary texts on linen still continue to be a most exciting and fascinating subject for research.”

“At the time what was a particular help to me was that the Gerda Henkel Foundation provided such generous funding for research trips to European and American museums and collections. The opportunity to study those linen manuscripts in the original meant that I was able to complete my dissertation based on research of the requisite standard. I still think back to those research trips with gratitude, as they were such enriching experiences for me, and not only in the professional sense.”

Dr. Holger Kockelmann
Research assistant on the project „The temple as a canon of religious literature in Egypt“ (Heidelberg Academy of Sciences), co-editor and Field Director on the project „Edition of the hieroglyphic temple inscriptions of Philae“ Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna
Born in Prüm, lives today in Tübingen

Dissertation topic: Das Totenbuch auf den Mumienbinden des memphitischen Priesters Hor (M. Berlin P. 3073 + M. London BM EA 10265-10266 + M. New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, Amherst 41). Studien zu den späten Totenbuch-Handschriften auf Mumienbinden
completed in: 2005

"A particular help to me at the time was that the Russian staff at the regional archive were so taken with my interest in their region and resolve to go to remote sources to research my doctoral topic that they generously ignored a formality or two."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was being able to help the head of the former Party archive in the Tambov region in her search for her father, who went missing in the War in 1941; she was subsequently able to get files released for me from the local secret service administration."

"My most extraordinary experience in an archive was that the heat from the fans of doctoral students’ laptops in the reading rooms of Russian archives, which are not heated in the early autumn, can raise the room temperature so much that people spontaneously get talking with one another about it in the lunch break."

Dr. Martin Krispin
Project coordinator at the German House of Research and Innovation (DWIH) in Moscow
Born in Gelsenkirchen, lives today in Moskau

Dissertation topic: "Für ein freies Russland..." Die Bauernaufstände in den Gouvernements Tambov und Tjumen 1920-1922
completed in: 2008

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was my first extended research trip to the Swedish Imperial Archive in Stockholm in 1993."

"My topic still concerns me today, because it brought me into contact with numerous other researchers both in Germany and abroad with whom I still often engage in a lively exchange of ideas."

"A particular help to me at the time was that the support from the Gerda Henkel Foundation was very unbureaucratic and closely in tune with the needs of its scholarship holders."

Prof. Dr. Stefan Kroll
Research Professor, Head of the field Historical Geography and Demographics at the Institute for Media Research at Universität Rostock (University of Rostock)
Born in Buxtehude, lives today in Rostock

Dissertation topic: Die Sozialstruktur der Städte Stade und Stralsund in der Endphase der schwedischen Großmachtzeit 1700-1715
completed in: 1995

"My most extraordinary experience in an archive was the fact that it was not the employee behind the desk, but the cleaner in the overalls and carrying a wet mop who answered my questions, fetched the handwritten manuscript from the archive (without the mop) and in the end also obtained a digital copy for me."

"There was no one single best experience, as I instead have a series of fond memories of encounters and developments during and revolving around my work. They include the moments I came upon the solution to a particular problem. But also the fact that a long-time colleague of mine has become a dear friend thanks to our many conversations and discussions."

"I almost gave up once, because shortly after the first year I was confronted in a colloquium with criticism that was as fundamental as it was harsh, which shook the very foundations of the work I had constructed up to that point. I was completely disheartened and needed quite some time to get over it. In the end however it was a cathartic experience, which led me to new perspectives and insights."

"My topic still concerns me today, because every answer posed new questions, which are the subject of my current research."

"A particular help to me at the time was the confidence and support given me by my supervisor Prof. Birgitt Hoffmann."

Dr. Şevket Küçükhüseyin
Research assistant / post-doctoral student, Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg, Iranian Studies
Born in Hohenlimburg, now Hagen, lives today in Bamberg

Dissertation topic: Selbst- und Fremdwahrnehmung im Prozess kultureller Transformation: Muslimische Quellen aus Anatolien über Türken, Christen, Konvertiten
completed in: 2009

"My most extraordinary experience in a library was in 2002 in the abbey library of St. Gallen, when the then Indian defence minister entered the reading room with no prior announcement and expressed an interest in the exquisite Carolingian manuscripts that were lying on the desk in front of me, asking 'is this Latin?'."

"My best experiences during the time of my doctorate were the many library trips to European cities such as Paris, London, Cividale del Friuli, Florence and Rome, and working there with the original Carolingian and Ottonian handwritten manuscripts."

"My topic still concerns me today, because I bear the responsibility in Quedlinburg, one of the most impressive Ottonian-era towns, for the magnificent treasure of the collegiate church of St. Servatius, most of which can be traced back to Ottonian endowments."

Dr. Thomas Labusiak
Cathedral curator and Managing Director of the Halberstadt and Quedlinburg Cathedral Treasure
Born in Illertissen, lives today in Quedlinburg

Dissertation topic: Die Ruodprechtgruppe der ottonischen Reichenauer Buchmalerei. Bildquellen - Ornamentik - stilgeschichtliche Voraussetzungen
completed in: 2004

"My topic still concerns me today, because taxidermy has become so popular in the UK that instead of knitting groups, workshops are now taking place where participants can learn how to prepare small animals for display. Stuffed animals are ambivalent things and as such ever interesting for artists."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was cooperating with a taxidermist who had worked as a theatre decorator in east Germany and with whom I shared a lively interest in contemporary art, historical taxidermy instructions and the history of his craft."

"A particular help to me at the time was being able, without any great bureaucratic measures, to travel to Ottawa, New York, Baltimore, London and Paris for my work."

"My most extraordinary experience was having to cancel my first trip to the USA because of 9/11."

Dr. Petra Lange-Berndt
Lecturer in Art History, History of Art Department, University College London
Born in Hamburg, lives today in London

Dissertation topic: Animal Art. Präparierte Tiere in der Kunst, 1850-2000
completed in: 2005

“My most extraordinary experience in an archive was that it was precisely those documents that I had been alerted to by another book happened to be missing from the archive in the United States National Archives.”

“My topic still concerns me today because since working on my dissertation I have been in close contact with a large number of people in the field of Latin American Studies even though I am ‚by trade‘ a historian specializing in the United States. In addition to this, analysing dangers has just kept on cropping up at regular intervals throughout my academic career – from my Master’s thesis that was on the subject of the purported threat to the US’s national security by oil imports, to my doctorate thesis on the Nazi threat to Latin America from the US perspective all the way through to my postdoctoral lecture qualification in which I investigated the ‚nature of the danger‘ in the form of stream flooding on the banks of the Ohio River.”

“A particular help to me at the time was the fact that by confirming my scholarship, from one moment to the next the Gerda Henkel Foundation immensely improved the feasibility of a vague future project with many hurdles. The prospect of a n straightforward two-year sponsorship alone had a major positive influence on my motivation.”

PD Dr. Uwe Lübken
Project Director, "Climates of Migration", Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, LMU Munich
Born in Oldenburg, lives today in Munich

Dissertation topic: Bedrohliche Nähe: Die USA und die nationalsozialistische Herausforderung in Lateinamerika
completed in: 2002

"I almost gave up once, because I was already in employment during the final stage of my dissertation. Working on it every morning between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m. and for large parts of the weekend while also having a ‘weekend’ relationship pushed me to my limits. But my research was important to me. I really wanted to get it finished and managed it in the end."

"A particular help to me at the time was that I had close and competent friends at the university with whom I could repeatedly discuss my dissertation project. A specific question, a relevant contextualization, a fitting criticism: It was often friends who, with their comments, opened up new perspectives to me and my work and as such also introduced me to new ways of thinking."

Dr. Ute Lucarelli
Head of the Research Promotion department at Zeppelin Universität (Zeppelin University)
Born in Freiburg, lives today in Friedrichshafen am Bodensee

Dissertation topic: Exemplarische Vergangenheit. Valerius Maximus und die Konstruktion des sozialen Raumes in der Frühen Kaiserzeit
completed in: 2006

"My most extraordinary experience in an archive was sitting with Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, a great-grandson of the last German Kaiser Wilhelm II, flicking through his great-grandfather’s school books and reading his timetable live on camera. It was later broadcast on television."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was receiving the news that the Gerda Henkel Foundation had accepted my scholarship application. My contract at the University of Giessen had just expired, and so the scholarship enabled me to continue my research with documentary material to the degree I had planned and complete my doctorate."

"My topic still concerns me today, because it has given me plenty of food for thought for my professional work at the Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Prussian Privy State Archives). It brought me the most benefit when organizing a conference concluding the inventory, supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG), of the Imperial Chamber Court files."

"A particular help to me at the time was the fact that my supervisor Peter Moraw was ideally suited to supporting my doctoral thesis given his own research on scholarly lawyers in the Late Middle Ages and that he always took great interest in how my work was progressing.
My most extraordinary experience in an archive was sitting with Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, a great-grandson of the last German Kaiser Wilhelm II, flicking through his great-grandfather’s school books and reading his timetable live on camera. It was later broadcast on television."

Dr. Ingrid Männl
Chief Archive Consultant, Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preußische Kulturbesitz
Born in Lehrbach (Hessen), lives today in Berlin

Dissertation topic: Die gelehrten Juristen in den deutschen Territorien im späten Mittelalter
completed in: 1987

"A particular help to me at the time was that the Gerda Henkel Foundation was willing to support a topic from extra-European history, which in the 1980s was something that most certainly could not be taken for granted."

"My topic still concerns me today, because when teaching I occasionally organize events on the history of research and a few years ago we realized an editorial project on Heinrich Barth, the explorer of Africa, whose travel accounts I had already analysed in my dissertation."

Prof. Dr. Christoph Marx
Professor of Extra-European History at Universität Duisburg-Essen (University of Duisburg-Essen)
Born in Landau (Pfalz), lives today in Essen

Dissertation topic: Die geschichtliche Erfassung des vorkolonialen Schwarzafrika in Deutschland (1850-1930)
completed in: 1987

"My topic still concerns me today, because I am currently exploring issues of urbanism in reference to the spatial layout of settlements in the Aeolis region during the 4th century BCE – and am repeatedly studying towns and cities whose coin designs I already examined in my dissertation."

"A particular help to me at the time was that, thanks to the Gerda Henkel Foundation, I was able to work for 30 months in the library of the German Archaeological Institute in Rome."

Dr. Albrecht Matthaei
Gerda Henkel M4HUMAN Fellow at Università degli Studi Roma Tre (Roma Tre University)
Born in Göttingen, lives today in Rome

Dissertation topic: Münzbild und Polisbild
completed in: 2006

"My topic still concerns me today, because it gave me an excellent basis for researching Medieval art in central Germany, which is still, both professionally and privately, the focus of my interest."

"A particular help to me at the time was that my scholarship enabled me to concentrate exclusively on my dissertation and complete it in two years."

Dr. Markus Leo Mock
Research assistant on the Academy project “Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi. Stained Glass Studies” at the Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities)
Born in Bad Neustadt a. d. Saale, lives today in Berlin

Dissertation topic: Kunst unter Erzbischof Ernst von Magdeburg (1464-1513)
completed in: 2005

"My most extraordinary experience was in the music department of the Russian State Library in Moscow. The scores I wanted to see there (namely previously completely unknown compositions by Weinberg, a sensation for me!) dated to 1949-52. When I picked them up from the loans desk the strict woman behind the counter couldn’t help but smile – I was the very first who wanted to see this ‚old stuff‘, she said."

"My best experiences during the time of my doctorate was suddenly realizing and literally sensing how the countless pieces of material I had gathered and individual fragments of knowledge fit together into one great whole – and make sense!"

"I almost gave up once... No, I would never have given up. I sometimes wanted to throw in the towel – but never did."

"My topic still concerns me today, because my work was only the first step in exploring Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s creative cosmos. And his music is finally being increasingly heard in concert halls."

"What especially helped me was that, thanks to the support of the Gerda Henkel Foundation, I was able to engage in free, independent work. And that with the scholarship not only was I financially independent, but it was also a sign of confidence in my research. A good feeling."

Verena Mogl
Prepares currently her dissertation for publication
Born in Vilsbiburg, lives today in Hamburg

Dissertation topic: "Juden, die ins Lied sich retten" - der Komponist Mieczyslaw Weinberg (1919-1996) in der Sowjetunion
completed in: 2014

"It was a great experience that, as a Gerda Henkel Foundation scholarship holder, there was no long questioning on why one needed this or that book from the Rara Collection."

"My topic “Gestures and signs” still concerns me today, because they always accompany interpersonal communication – be it in daily life or depicted in artworks."

"A particular help to me back then was that both my supervisor and the Foundation accepted a change of focus for my dissertation with no ifs or buts. And it was a generous printing allowance from the Foundation that enabled me to publish my work in illustrated book form in 2005 in the first place."

Dr. Marcus Mrass
Freelance art historian and restorer
Lives today in Bonn

Dissertation topic: Gesten und Gebärden. Begriffsbestimmung und -verwendung in Hinblick auf kunsthistorische Untersuchungen
completed in: 1996

"My best experience during the time I spent on my doctorate was the birth of my daughter."

"My topic still concerns me today, because I continue to take an academic interest in the establishment and emergence of Medieval settlements in Eastern Europe."

"A particular help to me at the time was the fact that my wife was always offering support and encouragement, and the Gerda Henkel Foundation provided essential material security with its scholarship."

"My most extraordinary experience in a library was only being allowed to have ten pages copied per day at what was then the Lenin State Library in Moscow (after making it to the top of the long waiting list of applicants for copy permission)."

Prof. Dr. Eduard Mühle
University Professor of East-Central European and East-European History
Born in Bad Rothenfelde, lives today in Münster

Dissertation topic: Entstehung und frühe Entwicklung altrussischer Städte (9. bis Mitte 12. Jahrhundert)
completed in: 1990

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was in Bayeux (Normandy). The director of the municipal library there had refused my request to borrow “manuscrit no1”, which would have been the world-famous tapestry. Her mistake, which she admitted, gave me 30 minutes alone with the 11-century artwork one evening by way of recompense."

Prof. Dr. Harald Müller
Chair of Medieval History at RWTH Aachen University
Born in Stolberg, lives today in Aachen

Dissertation topic: Studien zur päpstlichen Delegationsgerichtsbarkeit in der Normandie im 12. und beginnenden 13. Jahrhundert
completed in: 1996

"My topic still concerns me today, because over the years working in Messene I have grown very fond of the beautifully situated town, and its walls also play an important role in my current projects."

"My most extraordinary experience in a library happened late on the night before my dissertation was to be printed. I was adding the finishing touches to plans when the FU Berlin warden crept into the library at the Institute of Classical Archaeology, because he had seen a light on, and we scared each other almost to death."

Dr. Silke Müth-Frederiksen
Archaeologist, DFG Research Fellow at the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) at Athens
Born in Gedern (Hessen), lives today in Athens

Dissertation topic: Messene. Topographie und Stadtplan in spätklassischer und hellenistischer Zeit
completed in: 2005

"My topic still concerns me today, because creative artistic processes are an ever-recurrent and central issue at the Academy."

Prof. Dr. Johannes Myssok
Professor of Modern Art History at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf Academy of the Arts)
Born in Bielefeld, lives today in Düsseldorf

Dissertation topic: Werkkonzeption und plastisches Modell in der italienischen Skulptur des Cinquecento
completed in: 1996

"My most extraordinary experience was being allowed to spend an evening in a private collector’s house – on my own with her precious treasures."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was climbing the Hua Shan, one of China’s Five Sacred Mountains; images of it were a central focus of my dissertation. Its steep slopes are breathtakingly beautiful. Fortunately there are steps hewn into the rock, so that today you no longer need to heave yourself up using branches as did travellers in centuries past."

Dr. Juliane Noth
Project Manager, DFG project “Landscape, Canon and Intermediality in Chinese painting of the 1930s and 1940s”, Freie Universität Berlin (Free University of Berlin), Institute of Art History
Born in Heidelberg, lives today in Berlin

Dissertation topic: Shi Lus Darstellungen des Huashan: Politik, Abstraktion und Expressivität in der VR China der 1970er Jahre
completed in: 2006

“I almost gave up once when I found myself standing in front of sheer endless rows of shelves spilling over with boxes full of finds, waiting to be processed. My academic supervisor provided invaluable support at the time. And when not long after that the Gerda Henkel Foundation approved the funding for my dissertation project, I was able to put to rest my last remaining doubts.”

PD Dr. Salvatore Ortisi
Assistant Professor for Archaeology of Roman Provinces at Cologne University
Born in Palling (Krs. Traunstein), lives in Cologne

Dissertation topic: Die Stadtmauer der rätischen Provinzhauptstadt Aelia Augusta-Augsburg
completed in: 1998

"I almost gave up once, because for two years running I planned to submit my dissertation before Christmas. In the end it was spring of the following year."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was the birth of our two daughters."

"My topic still concerns me today, because successful intercultural encounters are among the major issue we all face today."

"A particular help to me at the time was that I was able to discuss the topic of artists’ journeys with my partner too, who is an ethnologist and artist."

Dr. Christoph Otterbeck
Director of the Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte der Philipps-Universität Marburg (Marburg University Museum of Arts and Cultural History)
Born at the Lower Rhine, lives today in Marburg

Dissertation topic: Europa verlassen. Künstlerreisen am Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts
completed in: 2004

"My dissertation topic still concerns me today, because I am the first female Turkish architect to work on ancient architecture in the Archaeological Dept. of a Turkish university. In this way I can continue my career in the field of research into archaeological buildings."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was completing the process: I was awarded a “summa cum laude” on 19 December 1999, shortly before the year 2000, fpr a thesis on the architecture of an ancient Roman theatre. Mine was the first doctorate awarded at the Chair for Architectural History at BTU Cottbus (Brandenburg University of Technology). These were wonderful gifts for me at the start of the new millennium."

Dr. Arzu Öztürk
University lecturer in the Archaeological Dept. at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Istanbul
Born in Istanbul, lives today at the same place

Dissertation topic: Die Architektur der Scaenae frons des Theaters von Perge
completed in: 1999

"My topic still concerns me today, because since gaining my doctorate my research has continually focussed on the issue of the various artistic concepts of the visual representation of immaterial reality."

"A particular help to me at the time was that thanks to the scholarship I was able to conduct research at home and abroad over two years with no concerns otherwise."

Dr. Anna Pawlak
Research Assistant (fixed-term Academic Councillor) at the Institute of Art History at Universität zu Köln (University of Cologne)
Born in Wrocław, lives today in Cologne

Dissertation topic: Trilogie der Gottessuche. Studien zu Pieter Bruegels d.Ä. "Sturz der gefallenen Engel", "Triumph des Todes" und "Dulle Griet"
completed in: 2008

"My topic still concerns me today, because Medieval numismatics in particular is an extremely fascinating topic, and open to diverse interpretations."

"Upon returning to the University of Trier after spending a week at the headquarters of the West German Numismatic Commission (NK) in Hamburg, I couldn’t resist telling my supervisor, Prof. Irsigler, what the Chairman of the NK, Prof. Hatz, had commented regarding my knowledge: 'You should write, Mr. Petry, you know enough for a dissertation.' Mr. Irsigler smiled and said simply: 'You don’t want to write a thesis for just a few (numismatist) freaks, but something fundamental.' It was then I knew that I was going to enjoy very competent supervision and was on the right track!"

"From a material viewpoint your scholarship was a particular help to me, as was from an intellectual perspective my first publication in the internationally renowned ,Hamburger Beiträgen zur Numismatik' in 1988."

Dr. Klaus Petry
Freelance historian
Lives in Wittlich

Dissertation topic: Münz- und Geldgeschichte des Erzbistums Trier vom 10. Jahrhundert bis 1300
completed in: 1989

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was the daily lunchtime picnic in the ruins of Pompeii far away from the herds of visitors."

"My topic still concerns me today, because I can’t seem to tear myself away from my old love, Pompeii. And I still have (publication) debts there, at the foot of Vesuvius."

"A particular help to me at the time was the hospitality and support of my friends in Sorrento, who motivated me to continue my work at Pompeii."

"My most extraordinary experience in a library/archive was realizing that others had already explored the somewhat unusual topic of my dissertation."

Prof. Dr. Felix Pirson
First Director of the Istanbul section of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI)
Born in Marburg, lives today in Istanbul

Dissertation topic: Mietwohnungen in Pompeji und Herkulaneum
completed in: 1996

"My topic still concerns me today, because back then I learnt the most important thing when dealing with ancient objects, namely that anything made by humans will somehow leave a trace. Yet you can only see them if you look very closely and take sufficient time."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was the moment during the first photo session for my dissertation on the “Painted Attic funerary steles of the Classical period” when I picked up the first UV images of the works in the national museum from the Greek photo lab and discovered a group of painted figures on one of the funerary steles that previously could not be seen at all. At that moment I knew the project would work."

"A particular help to me at the time was that, particularly in the various museums, there were numerous archaeologists and scholars who found my attempts to make visible the invisible interesting and exciting – and supported me in an incredible variety of ways. And of course, that I was able to pursue this activity with relatively few worries thanks to the Gerda Henkel Foundation."

"My most extraordinary experience in an archive was probably the frequent “birthday parties” in the Chersonesos museum archives – which we toasted with water glasses full of vodka and only survived relatively unscathed thanks to the bacon served up with it…"

Prof. Dr. Richard Posamentir
Junior Professor W1 Classical Archaeology, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
Born in Vienna, lives today in Tübingen

Dissertation topic: Bemalte attische Grabstelen klassischer Zeit
completed in: 2000

“My topic still concerns me today because fairly traded coffee is everywhere and each variety contains a bit of history. And because today global and local links can be discovered no matter where you go.”

“My best experience during the time of my doctorate was the research trip I did through Central America, which lasted a few weeks. For several days at a time, I visited numerous coffee cooperatives, many of which were in rather remote locations. I still remember the warmth and hospitality of the small-time farmers and their families with great fondness.”

“I almost gave up once because I could no longer see the proverbial woods for the trees – given the sheer overabundance of theoretical and methodological ways to access information.”

Dr. Ruben Quaas
Coordinator of the Social and Cultural Programme at the Goethe Institute, Hamburg
Born in Göttingen, lives today in Hamburg

Dissertation topic: Fairer Handel und Kaffee. Eine global-lokale Verflechtungsgeschichte
completed in: 2014

"My topic still concerns me today, because cosmetic surgery is still significant today, and it seems the questions as to the boundaries of self-determination and the design of one’s own body will be even more important in future."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate had nothing at all to do with my doctorate. Perhaps it was precisely that: to experience that a book is just a book and life is more than that."

"I almost gave up once, but then the scholarship from the Gerda Henkel Foundation came – just at the right time."

"A particular help to me at the time was that friends repeatedly reminded me of the relevance of my topic (one can lose faith in it over the years), and also that the Gerda Henkel Foundation did this on the first of every month and moreover enabled me to have excellent working conditions."

Dr. Annelie Ramsbrock
Research Assistant, Centre for Contemporary History, Potsdam
Born in Bielefeld, lives today in Berlin

Dissertation topic: Korrigierte Körper: Eine Geschichte künstlicher Schönheit in der Moderne
completed in: 2010

"I have very happy memories of working on my doctorate, because thanks to the ‚Urban culture in the Roman Empire‘ seminar, supported by the Gerda Henkel Foundation, I was able to work at the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) in Rome and live in this marvellous city. That meant I could use one of the best archaeological libraries and simply take the local train to Ostia to collect material. You can hardly conceive of better conditions for a doctoral student of archaeology!"

"Precisely in the summer months, when the library is closed to the public, we doctoral students felt like kings on the gallery of what was then the library room at the DAI! Despite all the pressure to finish writing up and an incredibly intensive period in terms of academic study, we spent highly diverse and often amusing hours, days and weeks there."

"I returned to the topic of my doctorate, in short Roman religious architecture, following a phase in which I focussed on landscape and settlement archaeology on the northern edge of the Libyan Desert. Recently I again started working on religious sites, this time in the Middle East."

Dr. Anna-Katharina Rieger
Post-doctoral student (Research Assistant) at Max-Weber-Kolleg, Universität Erfurt (in the ERC project “Lived Ancient Religion”, headed by Prof. J. Rüpke)
Born in München, lives today in Göttingen

Dissertation topic: Heiligtümer in Ostia (Stadtkultur in der römischen Kaiserzeit)
completed in: 1999

"A particular help to me at the time was the fact that the Gerda Henkel Foundation provided me with permanent assistance up until the completion of my dissertation project – the Foundation’s trust gave me additional motivation and I am still very grateful for this today."

"It is difficult to make an unequivocal decision about my best experience during the time of my doctorate, since the entire period was full of special experiences, encounters and events. Alongside my successful viva voce, my best memories doubtless include my first academic lecture, my first publication, and the day when my dissertation appeared as a book."

Dr. Felix Römer
Member of the academic staff at the German Historical Institute in London
Born in Hamburg, lives today in London

Dissertation topic: Der Kommissarbefehl 1941/42
completed in: 2007

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was my interviews with contemporary witnesses, who were able to provide me with a better sense of the time than the written sources. Despite all the differences between the individual personalities they did have things in common which clearly defined not only that group of women, but also values and characteristics that have died or will die with that generation."

"A particular help to me at the time was the fact that I had a small number of colleagues such as Martina Steer with whom I could exchange views, that and the constant exchange of opinions with contemporary witnesses."

"My topic still concerns me today because it has given rise to many other projects and engendered a number of friendships. For example, my contact with one of the paralegals who was a Red Cross nurse on the Eastern Front during the Second World War resulted in a project for a limited edition of her field post letters and, in terms of the subject in general, a great interest in the relationship between gender and law that has interested me in various other projects."

Dr. Marion Röwekamp
Feodor Lynen Fellow at the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Born in Marburg, lives today in Berlin

Dissertation topic: Professionalisierung und Emanzipation. Die ersten deutschen Juristinnen (1900-1945)
completed in: 2008

"An enormous help to me at the time was the fact that my supervisor (Barbara Schellewald, Basle) was cheerfully confident that I would soon finish the work."

"My most extraordinary experience in an archive / library… Having to examine personal documents from the estate of the painter John Everett Millais (1829-1896) in the high-security vaults of the world’s second-largest bank JPMorgan Chase, Fifth Avenue, New York, because during conversion work (2003-2006) the Pierpont Morgan Library’s inventory was stored there."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate…
What springs to mind is: handing it in at the deanery! However this does not, of course, do justice to the hard (and long) work before that. Second attempt: finding myself by chance in a house whose address I had just read in a letter by the painter William Holman Hunt (1827–1910), and imagining for a few moments that I had 'discovered' the location of the makeshift studio where, after his return from Florence, Hunt completed his large-format painting 'Isabella and the Pot of Basil' (1866–8). (Someday I will have to look into the question again, however the house in the Kensington district of London has now been completely renovated and no doubt cannot be accessed so easily…)"

Dr. Tina Rudersdorf
Head of Dept. Quality Control, PR and Promotion at the offices of the Max Weber Foundation – German Humanities Institutes Abroad
Born in Bonn, lives today at the same place

Dissertation topic: Die Präraffaeliten zwischen Kult und Karriere – Vergleichende Studien zu den Marktstrategien von William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais und Dante Gabriel Rossetti
completed: 2009

"My best experience was successfully handing in my dissertation after only one year’s sponsorship by the Gerda Henkel Foundation. I can still remember my doctorate party today."

Dr. Alfred Schäfer
Research consultant at the City of Cologne’s Römisch-Germanisches Museum (Romano-Germanic Museum)
Born in Cologne, lives today at the same place

Dissertation topic: Unterhaltende Darbietungen beim Symposion der archaischen und klassischen Zeit
completed in: 1994

"My topic still concerns me today, because in my role at the Bavarian State Library I am responsible for the enduring preservation of the library’s unique inventories of Medieval manuscripts, incunabula, rare prints, handwritten sheet music, maps, atlases and the estates of important people."

"A particular help to me at the time was that, among other things, the financial support from the Gerda Henkel Foundation allowed me to examine early Medieval manuscripts with original covers from the Austrian National Library in Vienna, Göttweig Abbey in Lower Austria, and the cathedral library in Fulda."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was when Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel agreed to include my dissertation in a series of publications, namely 'Wolfenbütteler Mittelalter-Studien'."

Dr. Irmhild Schäfer
Director of the Bavarian State Library’s Institute for Book and Manuscript Restoration in Munich
Born in Aschaffenburg, lives today in Munich

Dissertation topic: Entstehung und Entwicklung der Vorsatztechnik in mittelalterlichen Handschriften
completed in: 1994

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was the feeling of being the first person to succeed in making certain observations about the pieces that contribute to explaining the unsolved questions of our discipline. To mention one example – the model of the Iron-Age house in Caltanissetta, Sicily, the key to the architectural figure of the triangular gable."

"A particular help to me at the time was the fact that the Gerda Henkel scholarship gave me the chance to visit a whole string of museums in Greece and Italy, allowing me to see, draw and photograph the originals of nearly all the pieces."

Prof. Dr. Thomas G. Schattner
Archaeologist, Scientific Director, Madrid Department/ Lisbon Branch of the Madrid Department of the German Archaeological Institute
Born in Dahn (Pfalz), lives today in Madrid

Dissertation topic: Antike Hausmodelle
completed in: 1987

"My most extraordinary experience in a library was that as a user I had no idea that one day I would be able to work professionally with historical inventories in such a library or that I would become a librarian."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was the moment when I realized that the theories in my first chapter really were tenable and that it was now possible to develop further sections of my dissertation from it."

"My topic still concerns me today because I am fortunate enough to still be working in the field of history and the Medieval world in all manner of ways."

"A particular help to me at the time was that I was able to benefit from a very productive and cooperative atmosphere at the Department of History in Frankfurt."

Dr. Olaf Schneider
Senior Library Adviser, in charge of the special collections at the University Library Giessen, subject specialist
Born in Siegen-Weidenau, lives today in Gießen

Dissertation topic: Erzbischof Hinkmar und die Folgen: Der vierhundertjährige Weg historischer Erinnerungsbilder von Reims nach Trier
completed in: 2006

"A particular help to me at the time was the fact that I came across people with whom I could experience a light-hearted approach to academic work."

"My topic still concerns me today because the criticism of sources and the questioning of given information are part of the tools of my daily trade."

Dr. Kerstin Schulmeyer-Ahl
Head of the administrative department Teaching and Quality Control at Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main (Goethe University Frankfurt)
Born in Groß Gerau, lives today in Frankfurt am Main

Dissertation topic: Der Anfang vom Ende der Ottonen. Konstitutionsbedingungen historiographischer Nachrichten in der Chronik Thietmars von Merseburg
completed in: 2006

"My topic still concerns me today because rock art fascinates me and I intend to continue my research."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was being able to work in the most beautiful town in Germany, Heidelberg."

"I almost gave up once, because I could not see an end to researching my topic and was not able to set myself clear boundaries."

"A particular help to me at the time was that during my scholarship I had no financial worries (thanks to the Gerda Henkel Foundation) and that I had helpful people at the Institute for Prehistory and Early History in Heidelberg who always gave me good and helpful advice."

"My most extraordinary experience in a library was discovering a large number of Russian books that have long since become rarities in the former Soviet Union in the Institute for Prehistory and Early History’s library in Heidelberg."

Dr. Irina Shvets
Freelance archaeologist
Born in Turgay/Kasachstan, lives today in Heidelberg

Dissertation topic: Studien zur Felsbildkunst Kasachstans
completed in: 2004

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was my two-year research scholarship in Rome, which took me to the Bibliotheca Hertziana and the libraries and archives of the Vatican and the monastic congregations, with all their rich history."

"A particular help to me at the time was the fact that after an academic internship the Gerda Henkel Foundation granted me a scholarship for the concluding phase of my dissertation."

Dr. Brigitte Sölch
Fixed-term Senior Research Scholar (W2) at the Max Planck Institute of Art History in Florence
Born in Kempten (Allgäu), lives today in Florence

Dissertation topic: Francesco Bianchini (1662–1729) und die Anfänge öffentlicher Museen in Rom
completed in: 2003

"My most extraordinary experience in an archive was being given unlimited access to files in the Paraguayan Foreign Ministry. I learned that the relevant state secretary had made the decision in my favour. She had previously served as ambassador in Berlin, where we had met on one occasion."

"A particular help to me at the time was the generous travel expenses allowance I received from the Foundation, which enabled me to conduct extensive research in various countries."

Dr. Kurt Daniel Stahl
Research Assistant at the chair in Early Modern and Modern History at the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Born in Itacurubí de la Cordillera/Paraguay, lives today in Jena

Dissertation topic: Nazijagd. Justizflüchtige NS-Täter in Südamerika und die Auseinandersetzung mit staatlicher Gewalt seit 1945
completed in: 2012

"I would usually have to drink green tea with the monks for a couple of hours and listen to numerous requests to translate Korean Buddhist texts into English before they would allow me a glimpse at even a single painting. However, at one temple the monk did not hesitate for long. After hearing with delight that I had come from Germany, he guided me to the portrait hall straight away and told me that his aunt also lived in Germany. It’s a small world!

“My topic still concerns me today because alongside preparing lessons (five lectures per week) I write books and academic articles on Korean Buddhist art and culture. Moreover, I talk about my research at conferences and workshops.”

Dr. Maya Kerstin Stiller
Assistant Professor for Korean Art and Visual Culture, University of Kansas
Born in Berlin (West), lives today in Lawrence, Kansas, USA

Dissertation topic: Auf der Suche nach den Spuren der Erleuchtung: Buddhistische Porträtmalerei Koreas
completed in: 2008

"My topic still concerns me today, because Hamburger Kunsthalle also owns a whole series of architectural images from the 17th century. They are not from Rome however, but from Utrecht, Delft and Amsterdam."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was…: I particularly like recalling one of my visits to the Quirinal Hill. The Italian guide told amusing stories about the Piedmontese era of the palace, when the prestigious halls once almost became an ice rink. I have always been fascinated by the countless layers of this historical site."

"I almost gave up once, because…: I never really wanted to give up, but it took quite a long time for me to really get into my subject, which I had decided upon back when I was doing my Master’s."

"A particular help to me at the time was being able to live in Rome and do research directly on site."

Dr. des Neela Struck
Research Assistant at Hamburger Kunsthalle
Born in Göttingen, lives today in Hamburg

Dissertation topic: Renovatio Urbis Romanae: Die Darstellung päpstlichen Bauens von Gregor XIII. bis Urban VIII.
completed in: 2013

“My topic still concerns me today because as an archivist I am surrounded by historical documents on a daily basis. Working with those files I often see parallels to the questions I addressed in my dissertation.”

Dr. Beate Sturm
Head of Kleve municipal archives
Born in Oldenburg (Olbg.), lives today in Kleve (Lower Rhine Area)

Dissertation topic: "wat ich schuldich war". Privatkredit im frühneuzeitlichen Hannover (1550-1750)
completed in: 2006

"I almost gave up once, because at the beginning of my research on Delos when I was investigating buildings and taking photographs early one morning at the dry-stone walls I saw a poisonous snake (a viper) climb up my photo measure and disappear into the wall. That was a warning to take especial caution and I subsequently saw and survived numerous (even more poisonous) snakes…"

"My topic still concerns me today, because I still have strong links to the island of Delos, about whose residential buildings I wrote my dissertation (Living in Delos. An investigation of the transformation of living culture from the viewpoint of architectural history, 1998) and have realized numerous further research projects there (e.g. post-doctoral thesis on the 'Agora of Italy', 2008). The subject of living culture remains a fixed component of my teaching and research to this day, for instance, in the context of my current project on Greek bathing culture."

Prof. Dr. Monika Trümper
Professor (W3) of Classical Archaeology at FU Berlin (Free University of Berlin), Institute of Classical Archaeology
Born in Aachen, lives today in Berlin

Dissertation topic: Wohnen in Delos. Eine baugeschichtliche Untersuchung zum Wandel der Wohnkultur
completed in: 1995

"A particular help to me at the time was that although I received a comparatively generous scholarship from the Gerda Henkel Foundation, at the same time I was under pressure to complete the doctorate within a period of two years. Even though I didn’t quite manage that, this target was of great help to me."

"My most extraordinary experience was my trip to Munich’s State Library where, after some degree of persuasion, I finally held the 13th-century Arabic manuscript that was the subject of my dissertation in my hands, carefully turning the pages with their colourful illustrations, because this material contact allowed me to feel a particular proximity to the author and his cultural environment."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was meeting the man who is now my husband in the garden of the Institute of Islamic Science in the little café organized by the students themselves on Altensteinstrasse in Berlin, and the subsequent dances at all the Orient/Asia parties in Berlin, Bonn and Cologne."

"My topic still concerns me today, because even now researchers from various countries – Germany, Italy, the USA, the Lebanon, Iran and Turkey – approach me to discuss my theories, to realize joint projects such as an Italian translation of the Arabic work that was the subject of my doctorate, to seek my opinion on their research, or to ask me to tell their students about my results."

"In the course of my academic career I almost gave up when, in September 2013, I lost my job. Fortunately for me I will now, completely unexpectedly, be embarking on a junior professorship in Arabic Literature and Rhetoric in Later Centuries with tenure track, which is initially being funded by the Leibniz Prize money from Prof. Thomas Bauer."

Dr. Syrinx Carola von Hees
Junior Professor, with tenure track, of Arabic Literature and Rhetoric in Later Centuries at the Institute for Arabic and Islamic Science, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster
Born in Harderberg now Georgsmarienhütte (Kreis Osnabrück), lives today in Münster

Dissertation topic: Die Kosmographie des Qazwini. Die Entwicklung eines Weltkonzepts in einer Zeit politischen Umbruchs im Iraq des 13. Jahrhunderts
completed in: 1999

"A particular help to me at the time was that my supervisor, Dieter Langewiesche, was a passionate historian, showed great interest in my topic, and believed in my work."

"My best experiences: Two years ago I happened upon the letters of the wife of a Frankfurt burgess, Clothilde Koch-Gontard, who witnessed the 1848-9 Revolution first hand. She explains in them her desire for more political involvement outside the family sphere. They moved me a great deal because they so vividly illustrated the manifold dynamics that triggered that political upheaval. And not least, after a hard slog in the archive in the morning, cycling to the Bavarian State Library and being able to read and write all day – fantastic."

"My topic still concerns me today – I have moved away from that specific focus but I still find the confrontation between ethnic groups’ desire to participate and the state order in the 19th century in other forms in imperial and non-European contexts. The challenge now is to place and understand them in a wider context."

Prof. Dr. Ulrike von Hirschhausen
Holder of the Chair in European and Contemporary History, Universität Rostock (University of Rostock)
Born in Bombay, India, lives today in Hamburg

Dissertation topic: Die „Deutsche Zeitung“ 1847–1850: Erstes nationales Sprachrohr kleindeutscher Liberaler und pressegeschichtliche Novität
completed in: 1998

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was when I flew in a microlight over the principal work of my dissertation, Michael Heizer’s “Double Negative” (a gigantic excavation on an elevated plain in the middle of the Nevada desert, thus being able to view this earthwork for the first time in its entirety."

"I almost gave up once, because the strain of having to take on a full-time job after the scholarship had ended, coupled with having to complete my dissertation, wore me out."

"My topic still concerns me today, because I am repeatedly requested to write about it or to talk about it."

"A particular help to me at the time was that the Gerda Henkel Foundation not only generously paid me a monthly scholarship and a grant for work materials, but also offered me financial support for a prolonged trip through the United States, thus allowing me to see the original works and the research at the National Archive of American Art, as well as to use the library at the MoMA in New York."

"My most extraordinary experience in a library was that without exception I found everything I needed at the MOMA and had it delivered to my desk immediately."

Dr. Philipp Freiherr von Rosen
Freelance gallerist
Born in Hamburg, lives today in Köln

Dissertation topic: Outside and Inside the White Cube. Zu ausgewählten Arbeiten des US-amerikanischen Earth Artist Michael Heizer
completed in: 2001

"My topic still concerns me today, because at the moment at the DHI Paris I am confronted by the First World War every working day. It is intriguing to see the significance the boom in major anniversaries and jubilees has on 'pure' research, too. That’s something you simply don’t think about when as a young academic you set about choosing your topic."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was to see how (almost) all the various threads slowly interwove and gradually something coherent emerged from them. I am especially fond of remembering the last few weeks before I submitted by doctoral thesis: Chiselling away day and night at the text and the footnotes, at the bibliography, all in the knowledge I would soon be able to rejoice in having 'made it'."

Dr. Arndt Weinrich
Research fellow, German Historical Institute Paris
Born in Warendorf, lives today in Paris

Dissertation topic: Der Weltkrieg als Erzieher. Jugend zwischen Weimarer Republik und Nationalsozialismus
completed in: 2009

"My most extraordinary experience in a library or archive was my stay at the “archive” (a rather dusty cellar) at the Homecomers’ Association in Bad Godesberg, which ended when the association was disbanded after being in existence for more than 50 years, leaving part of its archive to one of my colleagues and myself."

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was my meetings and conversations with contemporary witnesses, who allowed me to share their memories."

"My topic still concerns me today, because I happen to be completing the revisions to my book manuscript. Since my interest in the consequences of the Second World War also feeds off my own family history, I will still be preoccupied with the topic for some time to come."

"A particular help to me at the time was the fact that my parents, my husband and my friends sometimes made it clear to me that although a doctorate is important, it is not the most important thing in life."

Dr. Christiane Wienand
Research fellow in the German department at University College London, working on the research project “Reverberations of War”
Born in Stuttgart, lives today in Heidelberg

Dissertation topic: Performing Memory. Returned German Prisoners of War in Divided and Reunited Germany
completed in: 2010

“My most extraordinary experience in an archive in Bologna, where I spent the best period of my doctoral studies, was being taken by the hand into the archive room to look for the relevant materials.”

“My best experience during the time of my doctorate was being invited to cooperate on an exhibition project.”

“I almost gave up once because I got writer’s block.”

“My topic still concerns me today, because I am still interested in the relationship between art and religion and seek to pass on my knowledge to students.”

“A particular help to me at the time was that the Gerda Henkel Foundation, with its generous doctoral scholarship, created a framework enabling me to concentrate fully on my research.”

Dr. Gabriele Wimböck
Senior Academic Councillor, University of Munich
Born in Starnberg, lives today in München

Dissertation topic: Guido Reni (1575-1642): Funktion und Wirkung des religiösen Bildes
completed in: 2000

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was meeting the founder, Ms. Lisa Maskell, in person and being able to explain the archaeological excavations whose results formed the basis of my dissertation."

"I almost gave up once, because my supervisor had assumed that I would be handling the subject from a different perspective than the one I then actually used. Even after graduating he not infrequently gave me to understand that I had really submitted the ‘wrong piece of work’ – ‘too much archaeology, too little history’, as he put it."

"My topic still concerns me today, because I was enthusiastic about archaeology even as a schoolchild and caught the bug in practice as an archaeologist’s assistant."

"A particular help to me at the time was the fact that the Gerda Henkel Foundation granted me a scholarship for my doctorate."

Prof. Dr. Alfons Zettler
University Professor (Medieval History), TU Dortmund (Dortmund University)
Born in Hamburg, lives today in Witten

Dissertation topic: Der Konvent der Abtei Reichenau im frühen und hohen Mittelalter
completed in: 1984

"My best experience during the time of my doctorate was receiving advice and assistance, particularly from a large number of Czech academics and archivists. This was a very positive experience and many of the contacts and friends I made at the time are still around today."

"My topic still concerns me today, because interest in the history of the relationship between Germany and the Czech Republic is very often rekindled in connection with the memory of the Nazi occupation. Accordingly, I continue to be invited to conduct lectures and interviews on subjects such as the Munich Agreement of 1938 or generally on the relations between Czechs and Germans in the Second World War."

"A particular help to me at the time was that thanks to the scholarship from the Gerda Henkel Foundation and a scholarship from the Institute of European History in Mainz, I was able to devote myself to my dissertation without having to fulfil additional obligations."

PD Dr. Volker Zimmermann
Research Assistant at Collegium Carolinum, a research institute for the study of Bohemian lands, Munich; lecturer at Heinrich-Heine Universität (Heinrich Heine University), Düsseldorf
Born in Düsseldorf, lives today in München

Dissertation topic: Der Reichsgau Sudetenland zwischen Gleichstellung und Widerstand (1938-1945)
completed in: 1998

"I'll never forget (as many others) the 9/11 moment. Sitting in the Archivio Camerale (Sede Piave) of the Archivio di Stato in Turin, studying some exciting account books of the Savoyard 16th c. militia administration, I and the other readers were all suddenly disturbed by ringing phones and noisy discussion about the "torre gemelli". I did understand all that only after the archive's (normal) closing when I saw the TV pictures."

"The deepest and most beautiful experience during the work for the dissertation thesis was the liberty (by help of the Gerda Henkel fellowship) to hunt through the European archives from London to Rome. Dust of archives, mixed up with an espresso on the roof of the Bibliotheca Vaticana; work in the hémicycle of the Bibliothèque nationale of rue Richelieu when that was still a real hémicycle (new users of Tolbiac might not understand that term anymore); some curiosities like leaves of trees between some folii of manuscript books that show how 16th users liked to read outside in the sun... Little, unspectacular things like that mix up in memory to your personal research experience."

Prof. Dr. Cornel Anton Zwierlein
Professor of Environmental History, Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Ruhr University Bochum)
Born in Hamburg, lives today in Cambridge/Mass. and in Bonn

Dissertation topic: Discorso und Lex. Die Entstehung neuer Denkrahmen im 16. Jahrhundert und die Wahrnehmung der französischen Religionskriege in Italien und Deutschland, 1559–1600
completed in: 2003