Bruno Schelhaas

Bruno Schelhaas is a researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Land Research (IfL), Leipzig, specializing in Historical Geography with a focus on the Central Geographical Library and Archive for Geography. He has been affiliated with IfL since 1999, except for brief research assistantships at the University of Erfurt (2005) and the University of Leipzig (1999). His work bridges Cartography, Archival Science, and the History of Universities and Science.

• Education: Ph.D. in Geography (Dr. phil., 2004, Leipzig University); M.A. in Geography, Sociology, and Spatial Planning (1997, University of Münster).

Research interests include Historical Geographies, Colonial and Religious Cartography, Mobilities and Migration, and Transformation of Geographical Knowledge. His recent publications analyze 19th-century Palestine maps, IGU history, and archival practices in geographical knowledge production.

Scientific awards:

• 2005 Dissertation Prize by the Association of Geographers at German Universities (VGDH).

Grants & Projects: Led initiatives like Visual Regional Geographies and The Africa Traveller Hans Schomburgk – Collecting to Show. Collaborated on Mapping the Holy Land and History of the DVAG, emphasizing decolonizing geography and international knowledge transfer.

Labs & Teams: Active in the Leibniz Lab under the ScienceCampus EEGA network. Serves on the Steering Committee of the Commission History of Geography (IGU) since 2016.