There are over 600 European city atlases in the library of the Institute for Comparative Urban History (IStG) at the University of Münster. Not only do they attract attention with their many colours and details, their information content also serves as a starting point for research projects in various disciplines.

“Most people first think of the printing press when they think of pre-modern media revolution. One prerequisite for its success was paper as a raw material. The history of its invention and implementation is much longer and was much quieter in medieval Europe than the drumbeat of book printing – as historian and medieval specialist Carla Meyer-Schlenkrich explains in an interview.”

The fact that “thinking with your fingers” was common in medieval and early modern philosophy has been forgotten over the centuries due to the improved availability of paper and ink and the improvement of printing. A research team has now brought archival material on this historical practice back to light for the first time.

 

DNA analyses, freely available for purchase on the market, promise to provide information on how to find distant relatives or discover your own ethnic origins and bio-geographical background. The citizen science project “Do your genes tell you your history? DNA tests as a commodity and a popular pastime” is a first-time investigation and documentation of the everyday usage as well as the motives for, and the criticisms in, using genetic analyses in genealogy and has been awarded the Citizen Science Prize of the University of Münster Foundation.

The trial of former “Red Army Faction” (RAF) terrorist Daniela Klette begins today, 25 March, in Celle. Historian Dr. Kevin Lenk is researching the political instrumentalisation of the dead of German left-wing terrorism in the 1970s. In this interview, he talks about the stylisation of RAF members and the symbolic significance of what may be the last RAF court case.

The Käte Hamburger Kolleg “Legal Unity and Pluralism” (EViR) at the University of Münster will enter its second funding phase from June 2025. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the Centre and its Fellow Programme for a further four years with around 7.7 million euros. The maximum possible funding period is twelve years. The Centre researches the tension between legal unity and legal diversity in different societies from antiquity to the present day.

24 February 2025 marks the third anniversary of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. In an interview with Anke Poppen, Eastern European historian Prof. Dr. Ricarda Vulpius from the University of Münster describes the mood among the Ukrainian population, the current peace talks and Germany's historical responsibility after the war experiences of the 20th century.

A tragic accident took Thomas Großbölting's life. His sudden death leaves us stunned. Thomas Großbölting was Dean of the Faculty of History/Philosophy from 2016 to 2020. He was an extremely popular and highly esteemed colleague, friendly, clear, clever and at the same time with a warmth that was always a blessing in our strenuous work. As Dean, he confidently led and represented our faculty with precisely these special qualities.

What do museum professionals think is part of every job description in culture? “Good nerves and perseverance”, agree Dr. Helge Nieswandt and Dr. Torben Schreiber. Helge Nieswandt has been custodian since 2002, Torben Schreiber was appointed curator of the Archaeological Museum in November. He benefits from the fact that he has known the museum since his time as a student assistant. Nevertheless, he appreciates how intensively Helge Nieswandt is supporting him during a transitional period of five months.

On 16 January 2025, the 1st annual conference and official opening of the Münster Doctoral School of History took place. In addition to the members' meeting, the day included the presentation of doctoral projects – as classic project presentations and in a “speed dating” format – as well as a networking meeting and offered plenty of opportunity to get to know each other and exchange expertise. In an evening lecture, Prof. Dr. Ewald Frie (Tübingen) gave thought-provoking and entertaining insights into “Working with history in the 21st century”.