Markus Friedrich

Prof. Dr. Markus Friedrich is a Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Hamburg, affiliated with the Faculty of Humanities and Department of European History. He leads the 'World Genealogy' research group within the Cluster of Excellence 'Understanding Written Artefacts' (UWA). His roles include Project Lead for initiatives such as 'Buildings, Rooms and Furniture – Material and Spatial Dimensions of Early Modern European Archives' and spokesperson for Research Field E: Archiving Artefacts.

His research focuses on religious history as cultural history, the history of knowledge and information as expressions of power, archival culture in early modern Europe, and the history of genealogy. Notable projects include studies on parliamentary shorthand writing, 20th-century archival practices, and the genealogical marketplace of the 18th century.

Recent publications explore cross-cultural genealogy, exoticism in 18th-century peripheral regions, and comparative archival histories. His work bridges historical methodologies with material culture analysis, emphasizing transnational and interdisciplinary approaches.

Prof. Friedrich collaborates on initiatives like the DFG-funded 'The Gotha' project, aiming to study Europe's most important genealogical reference work. He also organizes conferences and workshops on topics ranging from displaced archives to shorthand manuscripts.