Birgit Münch

Prof. Dr. Birgit Münch is a Professor of Art History at the University of Bonn's Department of Art History 1 since 2016. She concurrently serves as Vice Rector for International Affairs (since 2021) and Co-Director of the Centre Ernst Robert Curtius (CERC, since 2019). Her academic leadership roles include former Director of the Department of Art History (2018–2020) and Substitute Professor at Technical University Dresden (2016).

• Habilitation: University of Trier (2016)
• Ph.D. (summa cum laude): LMU Munich & University of Trier (2007)
• M.A.: Free University Berlin, Heidelberg University, Paris IV-La Sorbonne (2003)

Her research focuses on early modern urban dependency structures, particularly prostitution in Amsterdam (17th–18th centuries) within Dutch colonial contexts. She critically examines intersections between prostitution, slavery, and domestic service, emphasizing marginalized communities like Black and Asian enslaved populations. Her work bridges art history with socio-historical analysis, addressing gendered labor and colonial legacies.

Key contributions include 67 academic articles, 16 edited volumes, and over 80 lectures. Awards include the Wolfgang-Ratjen-Preis (2008) and a Senior Global Grant (2020). She supervises 11 ongoing doctoral students and has guided 12 completed Ph.D.s as co-supervisor.

Active in academic governance, she chairs the Transdisciplinary Research Area 5 at Bonn University and advises the Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nuremberg. She co-edits Journal für Kunstgeschichte and serves on editorial boards for peer-reviewed journals. Research grants include support from DFG, Fritz Thyssen Foundation, and the Samuel H. Kress Foundation.