Günther Wassilowsky

Prof. Günther Wassilowsky is a renowned scholar in Historical Theology at Humboldt University of Berlin, holding the Chair of Historical Theology since 2019. He has served as Director of the Central Institute for Catholic Theology (2023–2025) and currently as Deputy Director. He also holds a secondary affiliation with the Institute of History at Humboldt University. His academic journey includes professorships at Goethe University Frankfurt, University of Innsbruck, and the Catholic University of Linz, alongside significant research roles in collaborative projects on symbolic communication in early modern Europe.

Wassilowsky earned his doctorate from the University of Freiburg (2001) and habilitation in Medieval and Modern Church History from the University of Münster (2007). He has received the Karl Rahner Prize for Theological Research (2001) and has been a fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (2016–2020). His research focuses on early modern Catholic denominational culture, papal cultural history, the Councils of Trent and Vatican II, and methodological questions in historical theology.

He has authored or edited over 100 works, including monographs on Vatican II’s ecclesiology and papal ceremonial reform. Key publications include *Die Konklavereform Gregors XV.* (2010) and *Gnade im Werk Michelangelos* (2023). He serves as a leading editor for several theological series and journals, including *Journal for Church History* and *Refo500 Academic Studies*. His memberships include the Society for the Publication of the Corpus Catholicorum (as chair since 2019) and the Reformation Research Consortium.

Wassilowsky’s research emphasizes the interplay between theological discourse and symbolic practices in church history, particularly focusing on papal authority, council legacies, and confessional identity. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary theological reflection, contributing significantly to understanding the Catholic Church’s evolution from early modern to modern eras.