Irene Dingel

Prof. Irene Dingel is a Senior Research Professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and the Academy of Sciences and Literature | Mainz. She previously served as Director of the Leibniz Institute of European History (2005–2022), leading the Department of Western Religious History. Her academic journey includes studies in Protestant theology and Romance studies at Heidelberg University and the Sorbonne, followed by a doctorate (1986) and habilitation (1993) in theology. She held professorships in Frankfurt and Mainz, specializing in church history and historical theology.

Her research focuses on the Reformation, confessionalization in early modern Europe, and the role of churches in European integration. Notable projects include the long-term Controversia et Confessio source edition and the EuReD digital religious peace project. Awards include the Order of Merit (Rhineland-Palatinate), Hermann Sasse Prize, and an honorary doctorate from Strasbourg University.

She chairs the Scientific Commission of the German Academies Union and serves on multiple academic councils, including the Science Council and the German Literature Archive Marbach. Her work bridges historical research with contemporary issues of religious diversity and European identity.