Elke Shoghig Hartmann

Elke Shoghig Hartmann is a Professor of Turkology at the Institute for Ottoman and Turkic Studies within the Department of History and Cultural Studies at Freie Universität Berlin. She has held this position since August 2021. Previously, she served as Acting Professor of Turkology at the University of Hamburg (2019-2020) and as a Research Assistant at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (2018-2021). She is also the founding director of the "Houshamadyan" project, dedicated to reconstructing Ottoman Armenian town and village life.

Educational Background:

• Habilitation in History from Catholic Péter Pázmány University Budapest (2021) with thesis "Armenisches Leben im Osmanischen Reich"
• PhD in Islamic Studies from Freie Universität Berlin (2014) with dissertation "Die Reichweite des Staates. Wehrpflicht und moderne Staatlichkeit in der Spätzeit des Osmanischen Reiches (1878-1910)"
• Magister degree in European and Eastern European History and Islamic Studies from Freie Universität Berlin (2002)

Professor Hartmann's research focuses on Ottoman history of the 19th and 20th centuries, with particular emphasis on modernization processes, military history, cultural and technological adaptation, minority studies, nation and state formation, collective violence and genocide. Her work extensively explores memory studies, historiography, personal testimonies, Ottoman-Russian relations, and trans-Ottoman mobilities. She approaches Ottoman Armenian history through multiple lenses, examining both pre-genocide society and post-genocide memory construction.

Her recent scholarly output demonstrates a strong focus on Armenian experiences within the Ottoman Empire, particularly examining identity formation, cultural life, and the impact of genocide. She has published extensively on Ottoman Armenian communities, their representation in historical narratives, and the complex interplay between memory, politics, and historical scholarship. Her work often employs interdisciplinary approaches, drawing from history, cultural studies, and visual analysis to reconstruct Ottoman Armenian life.

Selected Professional Activities:

• Founding Director of "Houshamadyan" project (since 2010)
• Co-founder of the Chair for Modern Armenian Studies at Catholic Péter Pázmány University Budapest (2016)
• Researcher in DFG Priority Programme 1981 "Transottomanica" (2018-2021)

Professor Hartmann maintains active scholarly engagement through her editorial work on the "Ottoman Armenians. Life, Culture, Society" series and her contributions to academic discourse on Ottoman Armenian history and the Armenian Genocide.