University of Cambridge

Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure (Department of Geography)

Applications are invited for two posts on a research project on German demographic history. The salary on appointment will be from £18,893 to £24,951 depending on skills and experience.

Funding for the project is limited and appointments will be made for up to three years.

Research Assistant / Research Associate: Germany Expert

You will be responsible for transcribing baptism, marriage, and burial entries from the parish registers of three German communities for the period 1558-1914 into a database, working from photocopies of the handwritten originals obtained from German archives. You will make several short visits to German archives to consult the original documents when copies prove to be faulty. You will need expertise in reading and transcribing the old German script of all periods from the sixteenth to the early twentieth century. Fluency in reading (and, to a lesser extent, speaking) German is important. The ability to acquire reasonable computer skills, including data entry using Microsoft Access, is also required.

Research Assistant / Research Associate: Database Manager

You will be responsible for managing a large and complex Microsoft Access database consisting of historical German baptism, marriage, and burial records linked with socio-economic data. You will need to liaise with the Germany expert who will be responsible for actual data entry. You must have or be able to quickly acquire excellence in the management of Access databases for the purpose of record linkage. Some knowledge of German would be an advantage but is not a requirement.

For informal discussion of either post, contact the Principal Investigator, Dr Sheilagh Ogilvie (sco2@econ.cam.ac.uk). For further details and information on how to apply, please contact Ms Nadine Keating, Department of Geography, Downing Place, Cambridge CB2 3EN, United Kingdom (tel 01223 339099, email nadine.keating@geog.cam.ac.uk). Completed applications are to be received by Monday 13 September and interviews are expected to be held on 8 October.