Eva von Contzen

Prof. Dr. Eva von Contzen is a Full Professor of English Literature (W3, Ordinaria) at the University of Freiburg's Department of English, specializing in Medieval English literature and narratology. She leads the Chair of English Literature Including Middle Ages Literature and directs the Medieval Center (MAZ). Her academic journey includes tenure-track and assistant professorships at Freiburg and Ruhr-University Bochum, with a Ph.D. (summa cum laude) from Ruhr-University Bochum (2012) on hagiographic narration in the Scottish Legendary.

Her research focuses on narratology, hagiography, and medieval literary forms, particularly lists and their cultural functions. She holds prestigious grants including an ERC Consolidator Grant (2023) and ERC Starting Grant (2016), and is a member of the Young Academy of Mainz (since 2020) and Young Academy of Europe (since 2016). She co-edits New Chaucer Studies: Pedagogy and Profession and serves on editorial boards for journals like Beiträge zur mediävistischen Erzählforschung.

Her recent work explores chrononarratology, medieval listology, and the afterlife of medieval texts. She teaches courses on narrative theory, medieval literature, and contemporary reinterpretations of pre-modern works. Her grants and leadership roles include directing the ERC-funded 'LISTLIT' project (2017–2022) and co-organizing international conferences on enumeration and medieval studies.

Prof. von Contzen's awards include the Phelan Prize (2016) and multiple fellowships, including the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS). She actively promotes early career researchers through networks like the DFG-funded 'Medieval Narratology' and advocates for inclusive pedagogical practices in medieval studies.