Diana Lange

Professor Dr. Diana Lange is a researcher affiliated with the University of Hamburg, holding positions in the Faculty of Asian and African Studies (Asien-Afrika-Institut) and the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC). She is a principal investigator in the Cluster of Excellence ‘Understanding Written Artefacts’ (UWA), focusing on historical maps as knowledge resources. Her work emphasizes Tibetan cartography, East Asian map coloration, and the materiality of maps. Lange has authored/co-authored over 40 publications, including monographs like Colors on East Asian Maps (2023) and edited volumes such as Maps and Colours (2024). Her research bridges cultural heritage preservation, historical geography, and art history.

• Education: Doctoral degree in Sinology and Tibetology
• Affiliations: CSMC, UWA Cluster, Asien-Afrika-Institut

Research interests center on mapping practices across cultures, with a focus on pre-20th century East Asia and the Himalayas. She leads projects analyzing mapmaking as a knowledge process, including the Harrer Collection and British Library’s Wise Collection.

Recent articles explore Tibetan ethnographic mapping, Korean 19th-century cartography, and color symbolism in historical maps. She frequently presents at international conferences and organizes workshops on map analysis.