News

From June 12 to 14, 2025, colleagues gathered in Bern and Solothurn for an international conference on “Distance Communication in the Early Modern Period: Media, Actors, and Practices across Space and Time.” Focusing on dynamics of communication across distance, participants explored letters, diplomats, material objects, prayers, and prints as so many media of exchange within contexts as varied as the spheres of religion, politics, and imperial governance in the early modern period.

A particular highlight was the keynote lecture by Christian Windler, titled “Catholic Missionaries and Protestant Networks of Distance Communication in Asia.” Stefan Rebenich offered a warm and collegial introduction to his farewell lecture.

We extend our sincere thanks to Christian Windler—for inspiring study trips (preferably to the Mediterranean), for his unwavering support of early-career researchers, and for his many years of innovative research. He will be greatly missed at the Institute.

The workshop «Global Gateways», organised at the University of Bern on 11 April, examined the dual nature of port cities as both physical and symbolic points of passage. With presentations on the history of Dakar, Hamburg, Philadelphia, and Tokyo, among others, the speakers highlighted how these locations facilitated not only the movement of goods and people but also the shifting dynamics of power, culture, and identity in the last two centuries.

Amélie Jaggi wrote a report on the conference and concluded that the workshop showed that «the historical development of port cities in the longue durée makes it possible to assess and contextualise the importance of port cities in the 21st century».

→ Conference Report on H-Soz-Kult
→ Conference Report on infoclio.ch
 

Invitation to celebrate the publication of:

Remixing the Hip Hop Narrative: Between Local Expressions and Global Connections (transcript, 2024).
edited by James Barber, Christian Büschges, Dianne Violeta Mausfeld, and Britta Sweers.

We will have a panel discussion and Q&A with the editors and special guest, rapper Tommy Vercetti (Bern), followed by a listening session & discussion, and Aperó.

16 April 2025 | 18:00-20:00h | Forschungspool, Walter Benjamin Kolleg | Muesmattstrasse 45

Maxym Butkevych's remarkable journey from Kyiv Maidan to Russian captivity – and back

Tuesday, 25 March | 12:15-13:45h | Room F021, Unitobler | internal university event for students
Co-moderation: Carmen Scheide and Cécile Druey, Institute of History

Guest lecture by Prof. Dr Nathalie Clayer, (Paris) on ‘Islam in the (post-)Ottoman Balkans; Dynamics, Diversities, and Social Impacts’ on Monday, 31 March 2025, 16:15 in the main building H4, lecture hall 201

Are you about to change from a bachelor's to a master's degree program and still have a lot of questions? We will inform you on site and online on March 18-20.

→ sign up

With the help of the AI tool www.wondercraft.ai, Andreas Berger developed a short podcast to introduce his research on early modern amulet culture and practical knowledge (Obedient Matter and Powerful Bundles: Amulet Culture and Practical Knowledge in Early Modern Europe). His goal was to explore how AI can assist in reflecting on his ongoing research and translating it into a more accessible format.

The script of the podcast emerged through several stages: Andreas Berger uploaded a detailed research plan (c. 10,000 words) to Wondercraft, instructing it to generate a five-minute podcast in the style of an interview and in a friendly and amusing tone. The AI-generated script served as a foundation, which he then extensively edited to refine the content, adjust the tone, and ensure accuracy. The final script is thus a somewhat playful yet collaborative effort, combining AI-generated material with his own creative and scholarly input.

This article argues that interest in Jewish epigraphy aligned with Renaissance humanism earlier than thought. In Basel, scholars studied medieval Jewish headstones in city walls, translating and innovating Hebrew epitaphs. This sparked a new appreciation for Jewish realia and humanist commemoration.

Sixteenth Century Journal 56/1 (2025), 3–22.

→ Article