Hubert Knoblauch

Hubert Knoblauch serves as Professor of General Sociology at the Technical University of Berlin, where he holds a W3 professorship and acts as Vice Spokesperson for the Collaborative Research Center 'Re-Figuration of Spaces' (SFB 1265). Previously, he held a Professorship in Sociology of Religion at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and has held research fellowships at King's College London and the University of Nottingham.

His academic background includes studies in sociology, philosophy, and history at the University of Konstanz (1978-1984) and anthropology and linguistics at the University of Sussex (1980-1981).

Knoblauch's research spans sociological theory, knowledge sociology, communication studies, and religion, with pioneering work in videography and digital archiving of social interactions. He investigates how reality is communicatively constructed through spatial practices, scientific communication, and religious phenomena, employing innovative video-based methodologies to analyze embodied social interaction in digital and pandemic-affected environments.

His recent publications (2018-2020) demonstrate a cohesive focus on spatial refiguration in modern society, the communicative turn in sociological theory, and methodological advancements in videography. These works systematically explore pandemic-induced social transformations, digital spatial reorganization, and the theoretical foundations of social construction across multiple societal domains.

His scientific recognition includes:

• Christa Hoffmann-Riem-Award for Qualitative Research (1996)
• Heisenberg-Scholarship from the German Research Foundation (1999)

Knoblauch directs major research initiatives including the DFG-funded SFB 1265 'Re-Figuration of Spaces' and serves as Speaker for the European Sociological Association's Research Network on Social Theory. His work receives sustained support from the German Science Foundation and institutional networks across Berlin's university consortium.

He leads the Collaborative Research Center 'Re-Figuration of Spaces' involving TU Berlin, Humboldt University, and Free University of Berlin, coordinating interdisciplinary research on spatial transformations in globalized societies through multiple subprojects and international collaborations.