Andreas Voth

Andreas Voth is an Associate Professor of Economic Geography at RWTH Aachen University, where he has held the Chair of Economic Geography since September 2011. He is based in Seminar Building room SG 519 at Wüllnerstraße 5b, 52062 Aachen. Previously, he conducted research and teaching at the University of Vechta (1998-2011), with additional teaching appointments at the Universities of Marburg (2005), Bremen and Sevilla (2004).

His educational background includes a Diploma in Geography from the University of Göttingen (1986-1992), with additional studies in Geography and Economic and Social History of Latin America at the University of Sevilla (1989-1990). He earned his PhD in 1996 from the University of Göttingen with a dissertation on "Agricultural geography of tropical-subtropical fruit growing at the southern periphery of the European Union." He completed his Habilitation in 2002 at the University of Vechta with research on "Innovative developments in the production and marketing of special crop products - illustrated by case studies from Germany, Spain and Brazil."

Professor Voth's research focuses on agricultural geography, rural development in Europe, regional development in Latin America, and geographical innovation and diffusion research. His work has increasingly centered on the Alpujarra region of Almería, Spain, examining how cultural heritage, particularly gastronomy and pilgrimage routes like the Camino Mozárabe de Santiago, contributes to rural development. His research combines field studies with long-term observation of regional transformation processes.

Analysis of his recent publications (2020-2024) reveals a clear evolution in research focus from primarily agricultural geography to a more integrated approach examining cultural heritage, tourism, and rural development. His work consistently uses the Alpujarra region of southern Spain as a primary case study, with growing emphasis on pilgrimage tourism, particularly the Camino Mozárabe de Santiago route. This research demonstrates how cultural elements like gastronomy and historical routes can serve as catalysts for rural revitalization in regions facing demographic challenges.

Professor Voth actively supervises Bachelor's and Master's theses and teaches a range of courses including Economic Geography seminars, Cartography Interpretation, Tourism Geography, Rural Development, Geostatistics, and Spatial Planning. His research collaborations include ongoing work with the University of Almería in Spain, where he has conducted regional fieldwork with students (Regionalpraktikum Almería 2022).

His academic contributions span numerous publications including books, book chapters, and journal articles, with recent work focusing on cultural heritage, pilgrimage routes, and gastronomy as development factors in rural regions. His research demonstrates the value of long-term geographical studies in understanding complex rural transformation processes.