Felicitas Schmieder

Prof. Dr. Felicitas Schmieder is a full professor at the Historical Institute of the Faculty of Cultural Studies, FernUniversität Hagen, where she holds the chair for 'History and Present Day of Ancient Europe'. She has been a faculty member since 2004 and previously served as a lecturer and senior lecturer at Goethe University Frankfurt from 1987 to 2004. She has held visiting professorships at institutions including Central European University and Stockholm University.

Her main research areas include medieval cultural contacts, prophecy as political language, medieval German urban history, pre-modern cartography, and the history of Europe in the Middle Ages. She explores how medieval societies perceived foreigners, constructed identity, and represented the world through maps and texts.

Her recent publications and ongoing projects reflect a strong focus on medieval maps, prophetic texts, and the interplay between religion and politics. She has examined topics such as Alexander Minorita’s apocalyptic exegesis, hand-drawn regional maps in Westphalia, and the role of prophecy in crisis management. Her work bridges historical analysis with cultural and spatial studies.

She has received notable recognition, including the Research Award from Riksbankens Jubileumsfonds (2018/19) and a visiting professorship at Stockholm University under the Humboldt framework. She is a member of the Academia Europaea and serves on several editorial and advisory boards.

• Research Award Riksbankens Jubileumsfonds (2018/19)
• Humboldt Professor (Visiting), University of Stockholm (2018/19)

She has advised on the distance learning course 'Historic City' and contributes to academic governance as a permanent delegate and treasurer in her faculty. Her international review activities span multiple countries and funding bodies, underscoring her global academic influence.