Julia Schmidt-Funke

Julia Schmidt-Funke is a Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Leipzig, affiliated with the Humanities Centre. She specializes in cultural and social history, with thematic focuses on urban history, history of knowledge, material culture, gender history, and human-nature relations during the early modern period.

• Held professorships at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (2020-2021) and previously coordinated research at Erfurt and Jena
• Current projects: Historische Anthroposphären (2023-2025), Leipzig, eine Stadt im Fluss (2022-present), and Staying Rich (2022-present)

Her research on historical anthropospheres explores early modern natural history practices, urban knowledge systems, religion-nature intersections, and water management innovations. She leads interdisciplinary collaborations with Physical Geography and the SPP 2361: Auf dem Weg zur Fluvialen Anthroposphäre.

Scientific Awards:

• Johann Philipp von Bethmann-Studienpreis (2019)
• Stipendium from Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel (2012)
• Stipendium from Deutsches Historisches Institut Paris (2007)
• Stipendium from Institut für Europäische Geschichte Mainz (2006)

She advises doctoral students like Ansgar Engels and collaborates with institutions including the Botanical Garden of Leipzig and the Kustodie. Her teaching emphasizes global early modern history, environmental studies, and digital humanities.