Cora Rok is a researcher in Romance Studies at the University of Heidelberg, currently working on her habilitation thesis exploring shame aesthetics in 19th-century French literature. She holds a summa cum laude PhD in Italian Philology from the trinational 'Italianistica' graduate program (Universities of Bonn, Florence, and Paris-Sorbonne). Her primary affiliations include the Romance Studies Department at Heidelberg and previous roles at the University of Trier's Center for Digital Humanities and the University of Bonn. Research focuses: Italian/French literature (19th-21st centuries), Pier Paolo Pasolini studies, Marxist criticism, digital humanities, and literary theory Key academic contributions: Authentizität nach Pasolini (2021), Entfremdung in der Arbeitswelt (2021), and over 30 peer-reviewed publications Her work bridges traditional literary analysis with computational methods, evident in collaborations like 'From Keyness to Distinctiveness' (2021). She actively participates in interdisciplinary projects such as Neuer Realismus in der Romania (2021) and Selbstreflexivität im italienischen Gegenwartskino (in preparation). Awards include the 2020 DIV Young Talent Award and postdoctoral funding through MeTra and University of Bonn's graduate programs. She maintains teaching responsibilities in French and Italian literature at Heidelberg while contributing to academic leadership roles in editorial projects and conferences.
Anja Oesterhelt is a full Professor at the Institute of German Studies , Department II: Modern German Literature , Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. Her work focuses on German-language literature from the 18th to 21st century within European cultural history, emphasizing migration , transculturality , and German-Jewish cultural production , particularly relating to figures like Heinrich Heine and Rose Ausländer . She leads a Collaborative Research Center 1671: Heimatlosigkeit und Emanzipation Heine's 170th death anniversary audiobook project Digital exhibitions (VOOO-Space, ULB Düsseldorf) Interdisciplinary text-image analysis initiatives. Her research integrates media theory and institutional conditions of literary creation , comparing fictional/factual texts across letters , autobiographies , and contemporary novels . Recent seminars explore topics like Popliteratur (Goetz, Kracht, Hegemann) Exile in 19th-century travel narratives Text-image relationships in artist books Karl Wolfkehls' Italian exile poetry with an emphasis on practical literary mediation through events, audiovisual productions, and digital exhibitions. She supervises doctoral candidates including Hans-Christian Riechers (Columbus literary history), Olga Schwarz (narrative poem cycles), and Philippe Roepstorff-Robiano (hermeneutics of dying). The chair collaborates with institutions like the Heinrich-Heine-Institut , ULB Düsseldorf , and Literarisches Colloquium Berlin , utilizing Archival research Media analysis Praxis-oriented seminars to connect academic work with public cultural engagement.
Dr. Christoph Söding is a Research Associate at the Institute of Romance Studies within the Faculty of Languages and Literature at Humboldt University Berlin. He coordinates the Franco-German Doctoral Program "Literature and Knowledge 16th-21st Centuries" and has maintained an office at Dorotheenstraße 65, Room 4.37 since joining the university in 2016. His contact information includes email (christoph.soeding@hu-berlin.de) and phone (030 2093-73548). Dr. Söding's educational background includes: Studies in Romance Studies, English Studies and Comparative Literature at Münster, Perugia and London Doctorate completed in 2016 at the University of Münster Previous position as Lecturer for special tasks at WWU Münster (2011-2016) Dr. Söding's research focuses on Italian and French literature of the 19th century, Political Literature of the Risorgimento, Heroes and heroization, Reception of myths, and the intersection of Utopia and Science Fiction. His work demonstrates a particular interest in how literary representations intersect with political and social movements, especially during periods of national formation. His scholarship reveals a methodological approach that combines close textual analysis with broader historical contextualization, allowing him to trace the evolution of literary motifs across time and national boundaries. His current habilitation project on "The French Comedy between comédie humaniste and Corneille (1600-1640)" represents a shift toward earlier periods of French literature while maintaining his interest in the relationship between literary forms and social contexts. Analysis of Dr. Söding's publications reveals a consistent engagement with heroic narratives across different historical periods and national traditions. His scholarly output spans from Dante reception in early modern French literature to contemporary science fiction, demonstrating remarkable chronological breadth while maintaining thematic coherence. A significant portion of his work focuses on Italian literary production during the Risorgimento period, where he examines how literary representations contributed to the formation of national identity. More recently, his scholarship has expanded to include analyses of utopian thought and its manifestations in both historical and contemporary contexts, as seen in his work on Calvino's "Le città invisibili" and temporal representations in science fiction including Star Trek: Discovery. Dr. Söding is an active participant in academic governance, having served on the Institute Council of the Institute of Romance Studies (2018-2020, 2022-2024), the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Languages and Literatures (2020-2022), and the Doctoral Committee of the Faculty of Languages and Literatures (2022-2024). He regularly teaches courses on Italian and French literature spanning from the medieval period to contemporary works, with particular emphasis on Dante, the Risorgimento period, and 19th century literature. His teaching portfolio demonstrates considerable breadth, covering topics from medieval literature to contemporary science fiction, though with particular concentration on 19th century Italian and French literature and the literary manifestations of the Risorgimento period. Dr. Söding is a member of both the German Association of Romance Languages and the German Association of Italianists, reflecting his dual expertise in French and Italian literary traditions. His extensive publication record and teaching portfolio indicate an active research program with particular emphasis on comparative approaches to Italian and French literary traditions across historical periods.
Maria Engelskirchen is a Research Associate at the Centre for Advanced Study 'Access to Cultural Goods in Digital Transformation' (KFG DFG 33) and the Institute for Art History at the University of Münster. She holds an MA in Historical Art and Literature Discourses from LMU Munich, KU Eichstätt, and University of Augsburg, and a BA in Art History and French Philology from the University of Cologne. Education: MA (2013), BA (2011) Current Role: Research Associate since 2023 Past Roles: Research Associate (2016-2022), Curatorial Assistant (2014-2015), Research Assistant (2014) Her research focuses on contemporary art’s engagement with public space, digital transformations in cultural access, curatorial practices, and remediation of sensitive collections. She explores counter-monuments, artistic interventions in geopolitical narratives, and digital restitution ethics. Key publications and lectures address topics like forensic architecture, 3D printing in art, historical art manuals, and curatorial re-engagements with contentious collections. Her teaching includes collaborations on courses about artistic research, public space, and 19th-21st century art movements.
Dr. Niklas Bender is an Associate Professor at Saarland University , specializing in French and Italian Literature. His academic journey includes a doctorate in General and Comparative Literature (2007) and Venia legendi in Romance Philology (2013). He has held visiting professorships at institutions like Hamburg, Tübingen, and Freiburg, and currently serves as Deputy Professor at Saarland University. Research Areas: Literature and Religion, Aesthetic Model-Likeness, The Funny, Literature and Science in the 19th Century Key Publications: King Saul: The Failed Beginning and Europe's Religious Heritage (2025), Missed and Seized Opportunities: Reading as an Art of Living (2018), and The Laughing Art: The Contribution of the Comic to Classical Modernism (2017, Habilitation thesis). Teaching: Courses on French and Italian literature, including seminars on French Classicism in Visual Media , Victor Hugo's Temporal Themes , and Post-Charlie Hebdo Trauma in Comics . Supervises BA, MA, and State Exam theses. Academic Leadership: Co-edited volumes on interdisciplinary topics such as Biological Time, Historical Time (2019) and Grenzritte zwischen Vers und Prosa (2024). His articles focus on 19th-21st century Franco-Italian literary intersections, blending religion, economics, and technology. He actively engages in public intellectual work, moderating author readings and lectures.
Prof. Dr. Volker Steinkamp is an extraordinary professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen, where he has been teaching since 2003 and was appointed to his position in 2008. He is affiliated with the Faculty of Humanities, specifically within the Institute of Romance Languages and Literatures at Campus Essen. From 2011 to 2021, he served as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, demonstrating significant administrative leadership within the institution. His educational background includes studies in Romance Studies, Philosophy, and History at the University of Tübingen (1980-1982), followed by studies at the University of Florence (1982-1983, supported by a DAAD scholarship). He continued his academic training at the University of Bonn (1983-1987), studying Romance Studies, History, and International and European Law. He received his doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Bonn in 1990 and completed his habilitation at the University of Heidelberg in 2002. Professor Steinkamp's research interests span French and Italian Literature and Cultural Studies with particular emphasis on Enlightenment literature, 17th-18th century French literature, modern French political culture, European integration, and the works of Giacomo Leopardi. His scholarly output demonstrates a consistent engagement with the intersection of literature, political thought, and cultural identity across European contexts. He has published extensively on topics ranging from 17th century French court culture to contemporary French soft power in the 21st century. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on French political culture, particularly examining the relationship between French presidents and literature, the role of the French Prime Minister in the Fifth Republic, and France's cultural influence in the era of globalization. These works demonstrate his ability to bridge historical analysis with contemporary political commentary, offering insights into the enduring relationship between literature, power, and national identity in France. Among his notable scholarly recognitions: DAAD scholarship for study at University of Florence (1982-1983) Scholarship holder of German Academic Scholarship Foundation (1987-1988) Professor Steinkamp has been actively involved in teaching across various levels, offering lectures and seminars on French Literature of the 17th and 18th Centuries, French Regional Studies, and specialized topics such as moralistic literature in 17th-century France. His teaching portfolio demonstrates a commitment to both historical depth and contemporary relevance in Romance Studies. His role as Specialist Consultant for Cultural Management French further demonstrates his engagement with practical applications of cultural knowledge beyond purely academic contexts. His academic work is centered at the University of Duisburg-Essen's Institute of Romance Languages and Literatures, where he contributes to the intellectual community through teaching, research, and administrative leadership. His office hours continue to be scheduled through 2025, indicating his active status in the university.
