Call for Applications
Third German-Israeli Archival Exchange Colloquium 2019/2020
„Encounters“
Seminar in Germany: July 21-27, 2019
Seminar in Israel: February 2-8, 2020
Organizers: Prof. Dr. Miriam Rürup (Institut für die Geschichte der deutschen Juden, Hamburg); Dr. Sagi Schaefer (Tel Aviv University); Dr. Björn Siegel (Institut für die Geschichte der deutschen Juden, Hamburg).
The Institute for the History of the German Jews in Hamburg is organizing the German-Israeli Archival Exchange Colloquium „Encounters“ in cooperation with Tel Aviv University. The seminar is aimed at talented junior scholars in the initial phase of their PhD-project. Five German and five Israeli PhD-students are given the chance to intently discuss their projects in the research fields of German or German-Jewish history, Holocaust Studies, History of Zionism and/or of Israel, and history of German-Israeli relations in a workshop-atmosphere.
The seminar is designed to help students be effective in archival research, while also build up scholarly connections of the participants with each other, and establish contacts with local and foreign archives as well as experienced scholars in the respective other country.
The colloquium comprises a one-week stay in Germany from July 21-27, 2019 and a one-week stay in Israel from February 2-8, 2020. During these stays the participants will become acquainted with research in four archives on local, federal and state level in each country. Participation in both trips is indispensable since it is a pivotal part of the program and therefore obligatory.
The students will be introduced to the respective archives by local archivists and scholars familiarizing them with the structures and tasks of the respective institutions as well as with inventories and data bases. With reference to individual research projects and selected stocks, we will discuss different approaches to the work with archival material, the analysis of examined source stocks and plans of future research trips. Since time for individual research will be very limited within the frame of the seminar, participants are welcome to prolong their stay at their own expense.
Within the framework of the Archival Exchange Colloquium we are going to visit different archives in both countries which will be chosen according to the archives most relevant for the participants.
In previous years the workshop visited the following archives:
in Germany: Leo Baeck Institut / Jüdisches Museum (Berlin), Bundesarchiv (Berlin), Zentralarchiv zur Erforschung der Geschichte der Juden in Deutschland (Heidelberg), Hebraica und Judaica Sammlung, Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main and Archives of the Jewish Museum, Frankfurt a.M.
and in Israel: Leo Baeck Institute (Jerusalem), Yad Vashem Archives (Jerusalem), Central Zionist Archives (Jerusalem), Jewish National Library (Jerusalem), Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People (Jerusalem), the archive of the Hebrew University, Tel Aviv
municipal archive, and the The German-Speaking Jewry Heritage Museum Archives (Tefen).
Thus, the participants will become acquainted with archival research in German and Israeli archives holding the stocks of sources relevant for their respective PhD-projects. The above mentioned list is however just a selection of possible options for the future workshops in both countries, thus, please do indicate the most relevant archives for your research project in your application.
Moreover, the participants will have to work in “scientific duos” matched by the organizers. These duos will ideally consist of one German and one Israeli PhD-student working on related topics and research questions. The “duos” will comment on each other's projects and papers during both parts of the seminar. Thus, the colloquium also offers the opportunity to improve the techniques of academic presentation and discussion.
We are looking for candidates working on research projects within the areas of history, Jewish or literary studies. It is necessary for participating projects to be focused at source-based research
questions requiring extensive archival research in both Germany and Israel. Desirable are projects within the thematic fields of German-Jewish history, Holocaust Studies, History of Zionism and/or of Israel, German History, or of the history of German-Israeli relations.
Applicants should demonstrate their need to conduct research in several of the mentioned archives (ideally in both countries) in the application. The archives and collections of interest need to be mentioned in the letter of motivation. The seminar will be conducted in German and English, therefore good knowledge of both languages is required. Knowledge of Hebrew is desirable. The seminar is open for PhD-Students from German or Israeli academic institutions.
Applications in German or English are to be sent in (as PDF-files only!) by E-mail by January 15, 2019 to
Dr. Bjoern Siegel
E-mail: bjoern.siegel@igdj-hh.de
Applications have to contain:
- Letter of motivation (approx. 1 page including a list of archives and collections)
- Curriculum Vitae
- Proposal of the PhD-project (approx. 5 pages)
- Letter of recommendation from the supervisor (to be sent in directly by the supervisor)
The colloquium „Encounters“ will incur expenses of transportation (lumpsums) and accommodation in double rooms at the places of the seminars. Accommodation in single rooms is possible at extra charge. Participants’ individual search for funding for travelling expenses is
welcomed.
Funded with a grant of the Auswärtiges Amt der BRD und Alfred Toepfer Stiftung F.V.S.
Successful applicants will be informed by the beginning of March 2019.